# Default port 6050 blocked

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [September 14, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983 "2023-09-14T21:57:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Haines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Haines](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Haines)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983/1 "2023-09-14T21:57:57Z")

</div>

Many years (decades?) ago I ran JabRef and used it to create large databases. I’m running linux Devuan and have JabRef 3.8.2+ds-17 installled. When I do $ jabref I find that poirt 6050 already in use. $ lsof -i:6050 tells me it is used by java PID 20229. I do $ kill -9 20229. Now The $ lsof -i | grep java command returns nothing, which I take to mean that 6050 is free to use. When I now do $ jabref I get  
$ jabref  
17:24:01.710 [AWT-EventQueue-0] WARN net.sf.jabref.JabRefGUI -  
There seem to be problems with OpenJDK and the default GTK  
Look&Feel. Using Metal L&F instead. Change to another L&F with  
caution.

But

```
$ ps aux | grep jabref 
haines 23212 0.0 0.0 6332 2056 pts/22 S+ 17:50 0:00 grep jabref

```

shows it is not running. But  
$ ps aux | grep java  
haines 23448 0.0 0.0 6332 1960 pts/22 S+ 17:51 0:00 grep java

shows me that java is running.

- List item

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2023, 9:49am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983/2 "2023-09-15T09:49:57Z")

</div>

Hi,

JabRef 3.8.2 is very much outdated and no longer supported.  
The latest released version is 5.10  
You can download it from [downloads.jabref.org](http://downloads.jabref.org)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Haines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Haines](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Haines)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2023, 12:46pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983/3 "2023-09-15T12:46:56Z")

</div>

Yes, when I upgraded my OS, for some reason JabRef was not updated.  
I now try to install 5.10 but it failed. The reason:

Setting up jabref (5.10.60000) …  
xdg-desktop-menu: No writable system menu directory found.  
dpkg: error processing package jabref (–configure):  
installed jabref package post-installation script subprocess  
returned error exit status 3

I do not have a system menu because I do not run any desktop, but only  
a window manager. Nevertheless, there are \*.desktop files in  
/usr/local/share/applications/. I would think jabref configuration  
would write a jabref.desktop file to that directory and be satisfied.  
But it didn’t.

There must be a way to work around this. I find it strange that jabref  
depends on a desktop menu.

I copied an old fossil jabref.desktop file over to  
/usr/local/share/applications, but installation still fails

xdg-desktop-menu: No writable system menu directory found.

It did not help to create writable ~/.menu directory.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983/4 "2023-09-15T14:01:21Z")

</div>

Hi you could try the portable version. Jabref just tries to create a desktop shortcut.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Haines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Haines](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Haines)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983/5 "2023-09-15T15:36:20Z")

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Yes, the porttable version works. I can start JaaRef. Unforunately  
when I try to symlink the esxecutable it fails to find java. But works  
if I simply run the executable.

Thanks for the suggestion.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThiloteE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thilotee/32/1008_2.png) [@ThiloteE](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThiloteE)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/default-port-6050-blocked/3983/6 "2023-09-19T19:12:43Z")

</div>

Instead of `bin/JabRef`, you could try to symlink `/lib/runtime/bin/JabRef`. Maybe that one works?