Fail to ban will not start

I click start and immediately goes to stop

I tried starting via cli and get the below

[root@freepbx ~]# service fail2ban start
Systemd shim for fail2ban running ‘/usr/sbin/systemctl start fail2ban’
Job for fail2ban.service failed because the control process exited with error code. See “systemctl status fail2ban.service” and “journalctl -xe” for details.

I also tried

yum update fail2ban
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, versionlock
Determining fastest mirrors
sng-base | 3.6 kB 00:00:00
sng-epel | 2.9 kB 00:00:00
sng-extras | 2.9 kB 00:00:00
sng-pkgs | 3.4 kB 00:00:00
sng-updates | 2.9 kB 00:00:00
(1/6): sng-extras/7-8.2003.3.el7.sangoma/x86_64/primary_db | 206 kB 00:00:00
(2/6): sng-base/7-8.2003.3.el7.sangoma/x86_64/group_gz | 153 kB 00:00:00
(3/6): sng-pkgs/7-8.2003.3.el7.sangoma/x86_64/primary_db | 861 kB 00:00:00
(4/6): sng-base/7-8.2003.3.el7.sangoma/x86_64/primary_db | 6.1 MB 00:00:01
(5/6): sng-updates/7-8.2003.3.el7.sangoma/x86_64/primary_db | 4.5 MB 00:00:01
(6/6): sng-epel/7-8.2003.3.el7.sangoma/x86_64/primary_db | 7.3 MB 00:00:02
Package(s) fail2ban available, but not installed.
No packages marked for update

Have you seen this thread Intrusion detection will not start

One would have to ask if you ever tried (from a shell)

systemctl status fail2ban.service

or

journalctl -xe

? If you did, what did they report?

systemctl status fail2ban.service
● fail2ban.service - Fail2Ban Service
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/fail2ban.service; disabled; vendor pr eset: disabled)
Active: inactive (dead)

[root@freepbx ~]# journalctl -xe
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2605]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2615]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2615]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: [>---------------------------] < 1 sec
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Started RestApps Server. PID is 2568
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Running Asterisk post from Ucp module
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2625]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2625]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Starting UCP Node Server…
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2635]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2635]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2645]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2645]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2655]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:22 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2655]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:22 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2671]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2671]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2688]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2688]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: [>---------------------------] < 1 sec
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2698]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2698]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2708]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2708]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Started UCP Node Server. PID is 2665
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Running Asterisk post from Vqplus module
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Queues Pro is not licensed.
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Running Asterisk post from Xmpp module
Feb 12 00:55:25 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2737]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:26 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2737]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:26 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Starting Chat Server…
Feb 12 00:55:26 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2747]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:27 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2747]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asteris
Feb 12 00:55:27 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2757]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asteris
lines 1959-1992/1992 (END)
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2605]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2615]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2615]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: [>---------------------------] < 1 sec
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Started RestApps Server. PID is 2568
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Running Asterisk post from Ucp module
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2625]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2625]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Starting UCP Node Server…
Feb 12 00:55:20 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2635]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2635]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2645]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2645]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:21 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2655]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:22 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2655]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:22 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2671]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2671]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2688]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2688]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: [>---------------------------] < 1 sec
Feb 12 00:55:23 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2698]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2698]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2708]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2708]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Started UCP Node Server. PID is 2665
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Running Asterisk post from Vqplus module
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Queues Pro is not licensed.
Feb 12 00:55:24 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Running Asterisk post from Xmpp module
Feb 12 00:55:25 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2737]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:26 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2737]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:26 freepbx.sangoma.local fwconsole[1674]: Starting Chat Server…
Feb 12 00:55:26 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2747]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)
Feb 12 00:55:27 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2747]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session closed for user asterisk
Feb 12 00:55:27 freepbx.sangoma.local runuser[2757]: pam_unix(runuser:session): session opened for user asterisk by (uid=0)

Forget the journal, what does

systemctl enable fail2ban 

report

systemctl enable fail2ban
Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/default.target.wants/fail2ban.service to /usr/lib/systemd/system/fail2ban.service.
You have mail in /var/spool/mail/root

Now start fail2ban systemctl start fail2ban time to read you mail perhaps?

I was able to fixed it by uninstalling and re-installing. how ever I keep getting the alert of the messages in mail queue. I don’t have anything configured for mail queue. What is this referring to. I can clear the alert via cli but it keeps poping up

The mail you are not reading are informational messages about your system you should set a mail aluas for asterisk and root to an address you use.?

were do I go for that? I have an email under notification setting

Good question, it’s probably somewhere in the GUI, personally I use mutt from a shell but adding to /etc/aliases

root: [email protected]
asterisk: [email protected]

and running newaliases will also work

Thanks., ok I am back to square run, after a restart the module is not starting again. I tried all the above and no go…this is driving me crazy…

So post again the result of systemctl restart fail2ban and then systemctl status fail2ban

[root@freepbx ~]# systemctl status fail2ban
● fail2ban.service - Fail2Ban Service
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/fail2ban.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2021-02-12 23:27:33 UTC; 14s ago
Docs: man:fail2ban(1)
Process: 5683 ExecStop=/usr/bin/fail2ban-client stop (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Process: 5694 ExecStartPre=/bin/mkdir -p /run/fail2ban (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 5696 (f2b/server)
CGroup: /system.slice/fail2ban.service
├─5696 /usr/bin/python2 -s /usr/bin/fail2ban-server -xf start
└─5702 /usr/libexec/gam_server

Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local systemd[1]: Stopped Fail2Ban Service.
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local systemd[1]: Starting Fail2Ban Service…
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local systemd[1]: Started Fail2Ban Service.
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local fail2ban-server[5696]: 2021-02-12 23:27:33,623 fail2ban.configreader [5…ban
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local fail2ban-server[5696]: 2021-02-12 23:27:33,623 fail2ban.jailreader [5…bx’
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local fail2ban-server[5696]: 2021-02-12 23:27:33,624 fail2ban.jailsreader [5…
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local fail2ban-server[5696]: 2021-02-12 23:27:33,651 fail2ban.configreader [5…ban
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local fail2ban-server[5696]: 2021-02-12 23:27:33,651 fail2ban.jailreader [5…lu’
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local fail2ban-server[5696]: 2021-02-12 23:27:33,651 fail2ban.jailsreader [5…
Feb 12 23:27:33 freepbx.sangoma.local fail2ban-server[5696]: Server ready
Hint: Some lines were ellipsized, use -l to show in full.

That shows a restarted started it, you can systemctl enable fail2ban to have it always start on boot,

(this might not be how the ‘distro’ does things though)

Thats the problem, I cant seem to start the module

can I uninstall and re-install fail2ban see if it corrects the issue

I tried
yum remove fail2ban
yum install fail2ban

But the result is the same. the module does not start. About to give up and rebuild and then restore config

Sorry, deep in ‘distro’ territory now which I don’t use so I don’t want to mislead you.

That is because the email address is still set the email address for fail2ban in the location I showed you. Otherwise it will keep trying to send an alert email to the fake default one, “[email protected]” and that is why you are getting the Queue alert, because it was not successful sending it.