Briefly, this error occurs when you’re trying to use the [elasticsearch-plugins.yml] config file with a distribution type other than [docker]. Elasticsearch restricts the use of this specific config file to the Docker distribution only. To resolve this issue, you can either switch your distribution type to Docker or refrain from using the [elasticsearch-plugins.yml] config file. If you need to use plugins, consider installing them manually or using a different configuration method compatible with your current distribution type.
This guide will help you check for common problems that cause the log ” Can only use [elasticsearch-plugins.yml] config file with distribution type [docker] ” to appear. To understand the issues related to this log, read the explanation below about the following Elasticsearch concepts: bootstrap.
Log Context
Log “Can only use [elasticsearch-plugins.yml] config file with distribution type [docker]” class name is Bootstrap.java. We extracted the following from Elasticsearch source code for those seeking an in-depth context :
} catch (Exception e) {
throw new BootstrapException(e);
}
} else {
throw new BootstrapException(
new ElasticsearchException("Can only use [elasticsearch-plugins.yml] config file with distribution type [docker]")
);
}
} INSTANCE.setup(true; environment; pidFile);
