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How to Solve If CSF or LFD Fails to Start in a CWP Server

Control Panel, CWP, How To 0 1 day ago

Running into issues where CSF (ConfigServer Security & Firewall) or LFD (Login Failure Daemon) won’t start in your Control Web Panel (CWP) server? This is a fairly common hiccup that can usually be fixed in just a few steps.

In this guide, we’ll explain the most common reason why CSF/LFD fails to start — and how to fix it instantly.

🛠️ Common Error Messages

When LFD or CSF won’t start, you might see:

  • lfd.service: Failed with result 'signal'
  • Job for lfd.service failed because a fatal signal was delivered to the control process
  • Running /usr/sbin/lfd returns: Killed

✅ Quick Fix for LFD Not Starting

🔹 Step 1: Check if CSF is in Testing Mode

Run the following command:

bashCopyEditgrep TESTING /etc/csf/csf.conf

If you see:

confCopyEditTESTING = "1"

It means CSF is running in testing mode, which automatically disables LFD to prevent issues during testing.

🔹 Step 2: Disable Testing Mode

Edit the configuration file:

bashCopyEditnano /etc/csf/csf.conf

Find this line:

confCopyEditTESTING = "1"

Change it to:

confCopyEditTESTING = "0"

Save the file and exit (Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter).

🔹 Step 3: Restart CSF and LFD Services

bashCopyEditcsf -r
systemctl restart lfd

If successful, you’ll see:

arduinoCopyEditActive: active (running)

✅ LFD is now back online and working properly.

🧪 Extra Troubleshooting (If Needed)

  • Check Memory Availability:
    Use free -m to confirm enough free RAM.
  • Check SELinux Status: bashCopyEditgetenforce If it shows Enforcing, consider switching to Permissive or Disabled via /etc/selinux/config.

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💬 Need Help? Contact Support

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