# Strange Mongrel 500 error

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-mongrel-500-error/120425>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 16, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-mongrel-500-error/120425 "2007-11-16T20:49:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@paul](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/paul)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-mongrel-500-error/120425/1 "2007-11-16T20:49:41Z")

</div>

Hi,

When I start mongrel as a non root user, I will get an 500.  
In my log/production.log I see this:

file /home/paul/rails/Test/releases/20071115232111/tmp/sessions//  
ruby\_sess.9a975fe464a2f6ba not readable  
…

when I start mongrel as root everything works fine.

Can anyone imagine whats up there?

Thanks in advance,  
Paul

PS: is it a bad idea to run mongrel as root? (security etc.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@paul](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/paul)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-mongrel-500-error/120425/2 "2007-11-16T22:29:23Z")

</div>

Maybe it’s old file made by root user ?  
Delete all files from …/tmp/sessions/\* and restart mongrel.  
Don’t run mongrel as a root user.

Paul wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> When I start mongrel as a non root user, I will get an 500.  
> In my log/production.log I see this:
> 
> file /home/paul/rails/Test/releases/20071115232111/tmp/sessions//  
> ruby\_sess.9a975fe464a2f6ba not readable  
> …
> 
> when I start mongrel as root everything works fine.
> 
> Can anyone imagine whats up there?
> 
> Thanks in advance,  
> Paul
> 
> PS: is it a bad idea to run mongrel as root? (security etc.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@paul](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/paul)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-mongrel-500-error/120425/3 "2007-11-16T22:36:50Z")

</div>

Yes - you are completely right!  
Problem solved - Thank you very much!

Best Regards,  
Paul

On Nov 16, 10:29 pm, Klodus K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)