Mosquitto cannot write pid file [Unresolvable]

[TasogareNoOkami]

Trying to install Mosquitto MQTT package

Do not know if I am successful.

Synaptic and Apt reply errors in install.

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Setting up mosquitto (2.0.11-1) ...
Starting network daemon:: mosquittostart-stop-daemon: unable to open pidfile '/run/mosquitto/mosquitto.pid' for writing (No such file or directory)
start-stop-daemon: child returned error exit status 2
 failed!
invoke-rc.d: initscript mosquitto, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing package mosquitto (--configure):
 installed mosquitto package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.4-2) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.31-13+deb11u5) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mosquitto
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Online searches do not indicate install issues but rather config issues with systemd services and pid file location permissions.
Cannot find similar installation issues.
Is this a configuration issue only ?
Apt indicates the program is not fully installed.
Removed mosquitto package since it is not working

How do I properly install mosquitto ?

[Eadwine Rose]

QSI as with all help requests, thanks :)

[TasogareNoOkami]

Nothing in the Quick System Information relates to my issue.
(Just reviewed it; no mention of mosquitto, pid or related keywords)

This is internal to mosquitto package and its configuration.
I am not the package maintainer and cannot address internal issues.
I do not know how package was scripted or packed for installation.

This is not the MX Help board and did not include the quick system information as noticed on that board.

Web Search indicates configuration issues and hence I used the software/configuration board.
It's just that these errors occur during installation.

I cannot sort out the conflicting issues found online between systemd, mosquitto, pid and configuration files.
Details on mosquittos website and github do not discuss installation issues.

Package is not mx-specific but I do not know if there may be a mx conflict.

[timkb4cq]

unable to open pidfile '/run/mosquitto/mosquitto.pid' for writing (No such file or directory)

There's your problem. The initscript isn't creating the /run/mosquitto directory before trying to write to it.

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sudo mkdir /run/mosquitto

will allow

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sudo service mosquitto start

to work.

Comparing the initscript in MX-19 to the one in MX-21 the difference is that in MX-19 the PID file was /run/mosquitto.pid (which works because /run is already there) and in MX-21 it's /run/mosquitto/mosquitto.pid which fails because /run/mosquitto/ is not.

[TasogareNoOkami]

So is there an error in the package ?

[timkb4cq]

Yes. It was reported to debian back in August 2021 but never fixed.

[TasogareNoOkami]

okay got it.
Unfixed package error.

[timkb4cq]

However it is resolvable, just create the directory.

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sudo mkdir /run/mosquitto

[TasogareNoOkami]

However it is resolvable, just create the directory.

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sudo mkdir /run/mosquitto

No, your right.
I meant by my edit that the error is not fixed in the package and thus will be a problem for any attempt to install it.

Until fixed in the package script it is permanently broken.

[seasoned_geek]

Original post was January 2023. Today is August 31, 2025. This is __still__ happening. I banged into it. Is this one of those "we have to wait for whoever claims to be the maintainer in Debian to fix" or is the MX Linux team maintaining this package in their repos?