Error: Could Not Start Domain

Description

This message comes from Sun Java System Application Server 8. The full message looks like either:

Could not start the domain.
There are no domains.

or

Could not start the domain.
No default domain. Need to enter a domain.

This error occurs when Sun Java System Application Server 8 is installed on the same system, and its asadmin command (at /usr/sbin) is found on the PATH before the asadmin command for Sun Java System Application Server 8 at as-install/bin. The situation is especially likely to occur on Solaris and Linux systems when . is not specified as part of the PATH variable. Without . in the PATH, the asadmin command in /usr/sbin is found first, even when the current directory is as-install/bin.

Solution

Make sure as-install/bin is in the PATH ahead of /usr/sbin, or that . is in the PATH ahead of /usr/sbin if you access asadmin by changing directories to as-install/bin. Alternatively, if you do change to as-install/bin to run asadmin, be sure to include./ in the command name; for example:

cd as-install/bin
./asadmin