nginx/nginx · error

%*s in %s:%ui

Error message

%*s in %s:%ui

What it means

Location suffix that ngx_conf_log_error() appends to every configuration error raised while a config file is open: it prints the already-formatted error text followed by ' in <config-file>:<line>'. Before the config file is open the bare text is logged, and for errors that come from command-line arguments ('nginx -g ...') it prints 'in command line' instead. Seeing this message means a directive-level error was detected and nginx is pointing at the exact file and line to fix.

Source

Thrown at src/core/ngx_conf_file.c:1019

    p = ngx_vslprintf(errstr, last, fmt, args);
    va_end(args);

    if (err) {
        p = ngx_log_errno(p, last, err);
    }

    if (cf->conf_file == NULL) {
        ngx_log_error(level, cf->log, 0, "%*s", p - errstr, errstr);
        return;
    }

    if (cf->conf_file->file.fd == NGX_INVALID_FILE) {
        ngx_log_error(level, cf->log, 0, "%*s in command line",
                      p - errstr, errstr);
        return;
    }

    ngx_log_error(level, cf->log, 0, "%*s in %s:%ui",
                  p - errstr, errstr,
                  cf->conf_file->file.name.data, cf->conf_file->line);
}


char *
ngx_conf_set_flag_slot(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
{
    char  *p = conf;

    ngx_str_t        *value;
    ngx_flag_t       *fp;
    ngx_conf_post_t  *post;

    fp = (ngx_flag_t *) (p + cmd->offset);

    if (*fp != NGX_CONF_UNSET) {
        return "is duplicate";

View on GitHub (pinned to 3f6f7824d4)

Solutions

1. Open the exact file:line named at the end of the message and fix the problem named at the start of the message
2. If the named line looks valid, inspect the preceding lines for a missing semicolon or unclosed quote - the parser often fails on the line after the actual mistake
3. Run 'nginx -t' after fixing to confirm the whole include tree parses before reloading
4. For messages ending in 'in command line', fix the string passed to 'nginx -g' or the systemd unit's -g option, not a file

Example fix

# before: nginx: [emerg] unknown directive "worker_process" in /etc/nginx/nginx.conf:3
worker_process 2;
# after
worker_processes 2;

nginx -t   # parse the full config tree (all includes) before any reload
nginx -T 2>/dev/null | grep -n 'worker_process '   # locate the offending line in the effective config

When it happens

Trigger: Any directive handler calling ngx_conf_log_error() during parsing of nginx.conf or an included file: unknown directive, wrong argument count, invalid value, duplicate directive, failed include, module init failure. Appears at startup, at reload, and in 'nginx -t' output.

Common situations: Typos in directive names or values; a missing semicolon that makes the parser fail on the line after the real mistake; editing included files (conf.d/*.conf) and misreading which file:line the error names; errors from systemd 'ExecStart=... -g' options reported as 'in command line'.

Related errors

• NGX_LOG_WARN
• NGX_LOG_EMERG
• NGX_LOG_WARN
• [alert] could not open error log file: \"%s\" failed
• NGX_LOG_EMERG

AI-assisted analysis of nginx/nginx@3f6f7824d4 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f55b1ad442c91672. Report an issue: GitHub.