# Can't find out why DenyHosts crashes.

## Kingoftherings

Whenever I start denyhosts using /etc/init.d/denyhosts start, and I check the status it says it's crashed.

```

gentoobox / # /etc/init.d/denyhosts stop 

 * Stopping DenyHosts daemon ...                                            [ ok ]

gentoobox / # /etc/init.d/denyhosts start

 * Starting DenyHosts daemon ...                                            [ ok ]

gentoobox / # /etc/init.d/denyhosts status

 * status: crashed

gentoobox / # 

```

How can I get some more useful information from it?

I'm using app-admin/denyhosts-2.6-r1

I reinstalled denyhosts, and I'm using the default /etc/denyhosts.conf file.  Before it was only slightly modified.

----------

## Kingmilo

Why not use the hosts.deny / hosts.allow, its a lot simpler, or is there functionality you require that this does not provide?

----------

## Alcap0ne

It's the normal behaviour : the process isn't continously running, it's only invoked hourly or whatever you've set in the config file. Even if the status is "crashed", the program is working fine.

Kingmilo : denyhosts parses ssh log file to detect intrusion attempts and then add the source ip address to hosts.deny

----------

## Kingoftherings

 *Alcap0ne wrote:*   

> It's the normal behaviour : the process isn't continously running, it's only invoked hourly or whatever you've set in the config file. Even if the status is "crashed", the program is working fine.
> 
> Kingmilo : denyhosts parses ssh log file to detect intrusion attempts and then add the source ip address to hosts.deny

 

Ah thanks.    :Very Happy: 

And yeah, I would never remember to periodically check my ssh log, so denyhosts does it for me.

----------

## Kingmilo

Super! Please add SOLVED to heading.

----------

