Spring Boot build fails: Error when starting fork, exit code 134

Question

After upgrading our micro service pom to use Spring Boot 2.1.0 RELEASE (from 2.0.5 RELEASE) we start to get occasional build failures. Anyone seen this and have a resolution (see error below)?

Maven command: mvn clean install

Build fail during test execution on test annotated with:

@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
@SpringBootTest

Java:

java version "10.0.2" 2018-07-17
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment 18.3 (build 10.0.2+13)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM 18.3 (build 10.0.2+13, mixed mode)

Snippets from our pom that seems to be causing the issue.

Surefire plugin from pom:

<plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                <configuration>
                    <!-- Below 955m we get failures "VM crash or System.exit called?". Set with safety margin. -->
                    <argLine>@{argLine} -Xmx2048m</argLine>
                    <includes>
                        <include>**/*Tests.java</include>
                        <include>**/*Test.java</include>
                    </includes>
                    <excludes>
                        <exclude>**/*IT.java</exclude>
                        <exclude>**/*ManualTest.java</exclude>
                    </excludes>
                    <skipTests>false</skipTests>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>

We also use Jacoco:

<plugin>
                <groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
                <artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>0.8.2</version>
                <configuration>
                    <excludes>
                        <exclude>**/is/applicon/wsapi/*/*.*</exclude>
                    </excludes>
                </configuration>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <id>default-prepare-agent</id>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>prepare-agent</goal>
                        </goals>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>

Maven build error:

    [ERROR] Please refer to /XXXXX/target/surefire-reports for the individual test results.
[ERROR] Please refer to dump files (if any exist) [date].dump, [date]-jvmRun[N].dump and [date].dumpstream.
[ERROR] The forked VM terminated without properly saying goodbye. VM crash or System.exit called?
[ERROR] Command was /bin/sh -c cd /XXXXX && /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk-10.0.2.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java '-javaagent:/Users/xxxx/.m2/repository/org/jacoco/org.jacoco.agent/0.8.2/org.jacoco.agent-0.8.2-runtime.jar=destfile=/XXXXX/target/jacoco.exec,excludes=**/is/applicon/wsapi/*/*.*' -Xmx2048m -jar /XXXXX/target/surefire/surefirebooter620918509052727724.jar /XXXXX/target/surefire 2018-11-15T13-00-33_562-jvmRun1 surefire14123679476795131809tmp surefire_011360897091263090402tmp
[ERROR] Error occurred in starting fork, check output in log
[ERROR] Process Exit Code: 134
[ERROR] org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.SurefireBooterForkException: The forked VM terminated without properly saying goodbye. VM crash or System.exit called?
[ERROR] Command was /bin/sh -c cd /Users/XXXXX && /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk-10.0.2.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java '-javaagent:/Users/xxx/.m2/repository/org/jacoco/org.jacoco.agent/0.8.2/org.jacoco.agent-0.8.2-runtime.jar=destfile=/XXXXX/target/jacoco.exec,excludes=**/is/applicon/wsapi/*/*.*' -Xmx2048m -jar /XXXXX/target/surefire/surefirebooter620918509052727724.jar /XXXXX/target/surefire 2018-11-15T13-00-33_562-jvmRun1 surefire14123679476795131809tmp surefire_011360897091263090402tmp
[ERROR] Error occurred in starting fork, check output in log
[ERROR] Process Exit Code: 134
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.plugin.surefire.booterclient.ForkStarter.fork(ForkStarter.java:669)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.plugin.surefire.booterclient.ForkStarter.run(ForkStarter.java:282)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.plugin.surefire.booterclient.ForkStarter.run(ForkStarter.java:245)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.plugin.surefire.AbstractSurefireMojo.executeProvider(AbstractSurefireMojo.java:1183)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.plugin.surefire.AbstractSurefireMojo.executeAfterPreconditionsChecked(AbstractSurefireMojo.java:1011)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.plugin.surefire.AbstractSurefireMojo.execute(AbstractSurefireMojo.java:857)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo(DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:137)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:208)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:154)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:146)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:117)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:81)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.builder.singlethreaded.SingleThreadedBuilder.build(SingleThreadedBuilder.java:56)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute(LifecycleStarter.java:128)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:305)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:192)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute(DefaultMaven.java:105)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute(MavenCli.java:954)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain(MavenCli.java:288)
[ERROR]     at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main(MavenCli.java:192)
[ERROR]     at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
[ERROR]     at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
[ERROR]     at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
[ERROR]     at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:564)
[ERROR]     at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced(Launcher.java:289)
[ERROR]     at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch(Launcher.java:229)
[ERROR]     at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode(Launcher.java:415)
[ERROR]     at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:356)

Snippets from dump file:

#
# A fatal error has been detected by the Java Runtime Environment:
#
#  SIGSEGV (0xb) at pc=0x0000000117800245, pid=14403, tid=8963
#
# JRE version: Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (10.0.2+13) (build 10.0.2+13)
# Java VM: Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (10.0.2+13, mixed mode, tiered, compressed oops, g1 gc, bsd-amd64)
# Problematic frame:
# J 14066 c2 org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.ConfigurationPropertyName.elementEquals(Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName$Elements;Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName$Elements;I)Z (426 bytes) @ 0x0000000117800245 [0x00000001178001e0+0x0000000000000065]
#


---------------  S U M M A R Y ------------

Command Line: -javaagent:/Users/xxx/.m2/repository/org/jacoco/org.jacoco.agent/0.8.2/org.jacoco.agent-0.8.2-runtime.jar=destfile=/XXXXX/target/jacoco.exec,excludes=**/is/applicon/wsapi/*/*.* -Xmx2048m /XXXXX/target/surefire/surefirebooter620918509052727724.jar /XXXXX/target/surefire 2018-11-15T13-00-33_562-jvmRun1 surefire14123679476795131809tmp surefire_011360897091263090402tmp

Host: MacBookPro14,3 x86_64 2900 MHz, 8 cores, 16G, Darwin 17.7.0
Time: Thu Nov 15 13:00:53 2018 CET elapsed time: 19 seconds (0d 0h 0m 19s)

---------------  T H R E A D  ---------------

Current thread (0x00007feac3801800):  JavaThread "main" [_thread_in_Java, id=8963, stack(0x00000001021a0000,0x00000001022a0000)]

Stack: [0x00000001021a0000,0x00000001022a0000],  sp=0x000000010229e0a0,  free space=1016k
Native frames: (J=compiled Java code, A=aot compiled Java code, j=interpreted, Vv=VM code, C=native code)
J 14066 c2 org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.ConfigurationPropertyName.elementEquals(Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName$Elements;Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName$Elements;I)Z (426 bytes) @ 0x0000000117800245 [0x00000001178001e0+0x0000000000000065]
J 6720 c2 org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.ConfigurationPropertyName.equals(Ljava/lang/Object;)Z (215 bytes) @ 0x0000000117a60af8 [0x0000000117a60720+0x00000000000003d8]
J 14007 c2 org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.SpringConfigurationPropertySource.find([Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/PropertyMapping;Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName;)Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationProperty; (108 bytes) @ 0x0000000117fb1a10 [0x0000000117fb1900+0x0000000000000110]
J 3641 c1 org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.SpringIterableConfigurationPropertySource.getConfigurationProperty(Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName;)Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationProperty; (53 bytes) @ 0x00000001107e43d4 [0x00000001107e4240+0x0000000000000194]
j  org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.ConfigurationPropertySourcesPropertySource.findConfigurationProperty(Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName;)Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationProperty;+61
j  org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.ConfigurationPropertySourcesPropertySource.findConfigurationProperty(Ljava/lang/String;)Lorg/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationProperty;+10
j  org.springframework.boot.context.properties.source.ConfigurationPropertySourcesPropertySource.getProperty(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/Object;+6
j  org.springframework.core.env.PropertySourcesPropertyResolver.getProperty(Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/Class;Z)Ljava/lang/Object;+175
j  org.springframework.core.env.PropertySourcesPropertyResolver.getProperty(Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/Class;)Ljava/lang/Object;+8
j  org.springframework.core.env.AbstractPropertyResolver.getProperty(Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/Object;+8
j  org.springframework.core.env.AbstractEnvironment.getProperty(Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/Object;+12
j  org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.web.server.ManagementContextAutoConfiguration$SameManagementContextConfiguration.verifySslConfiguration()V+20
j  org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.web.server.ManagementContextAutoConfiguration$SameManagementContextConfiguration.afterSingletonsInstantiated()V+5
j  org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory.preInstantiateSingletons()V+614
j  org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishBeanFactoryInitialization(Lorg/springframework/beans/factory/config/ConfigurableListableBeanFactory;)V+224
j  org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh()V+113
j  org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(Lorg/springframework/context/ApplicationContext;)V+20
j  org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(Lorg/springframework/context/ConfigurableApplicationContext;)V+6
j  org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run([Ljava/lang/String;)Lorg/springframework/context/ConfigurableApplicationContext;+193
j  org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootContextLoader.loadContext(Lorg/springframework/test/context/MergedContextConfiguration;)Lorg/springframework/context/ApplicationContext;+482
j  org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContextInternal(Lorg/springframework/test/context/MergedContextConfiguration;)Lorg/springframework/context/ApplicationContext;+39
j  org.springframework.test.context.cache.DefaultCacheAwareContextLoaderDelegate.loadContext(Lorg/springframework/test/context/MergedContextConfiguration;)Lorg/springframework/context/ApplicationContext;+40
j  org.springframework.test.context.support.DefaultTestContext.getApplicationContext()Lorg/springframework/context/ApplicationContext;+12
j  org.springframework.test.context.web.ServletTestExecutionListener.setUpRequestContextIfNecessary(Lorg/springframework/test/context/TestContext;)V+40
j  org.springframework.test.context.web.ServletTestExecutionListener.prepareTestInstance(Lorg/springframework/test/context/TestContext;)V+6
j  org.springframework.test.context.TestContextManager.prepareTestInstance(Ljava/lang/Object;)V+128
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.createTest()Ljava/lang/Object;+19
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner$1.runReflectiveCall()Ljava/lang/Object;+8
j  org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run()Ljava/lang/Object;+5
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.methodBlock(Lorg/junit/runners/model/FrameworkMethod;)Lorg/junit/runners/model/Statement;+17
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(Lorg/junit/runners/model/FrameworkMethod;Lorg/junit/runner/notification/RunNotifier;)V+53
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(Ljava/lang/Object;Lorg/junit/runner/notification/RunNotifier;)V+10
j  org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run()V+16
j  org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(Ljava/lang/Runnable;)V+5
j  org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(Lorg/junit/runner/notification/RunNotifier;)V+66
j  org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(Lorg/junit/runners/ParentRunner;Lorg/junit/runner/notification/RunNotifier;)V+6
j  org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate()V+12
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunBeforeTestClassCallbacks.evaluate()V+19
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.RunAfterTestClassCallbacks.evaluate()V+20
j  org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(Lorg/junit/runner/notification/RunNotifier;)V+36
j  org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.run(Lorg/junit/runner/notification/RunNotifier;)V+38
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.execute(Ljava/lang/Class;Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/common/junit4/Notifier;Lorg/junit/runner/manipulation/Filter;)V+137
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.executeWithRerun(Ljava/lang/Class;Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/common/junit4/Notifier;)V+122
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.executeTestSet(Ljava/lang/Class;Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/report/RunListener;Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/common/junit4/Notifier;)V+51
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.invoke(Ljava/lang/Object;)Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/suite/RunResult;+340
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.invokeProviderInSameClassLoader(Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/booter/ForkingReporterFactory;)Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/suite/RunResult;+18
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.runSuitesInProcess()Lorg/apache/maven/surefire/suite/RunResult;+16
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.execute()V+5
j  org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.main([Ljava/lang/String;)V+59
v  ~StubRoutines::call_stub
V  [libjvm.dylib+0x3d8c0e]  JavaCalls::call_helper(JavaValue*, methodHandle const&, JavaCallArguments*, Thread*)+0x216
V  [libjvm.dylib+0x41856d]  jni_invoke_static(JNIEnv_*, JavaValue*, _jobject*, JNICallType, _jmethodID*, JNI_ArgumentPusher*, Thread*)+0x12d
V  [libjvm.dylib+0x41ae0d]  jni_CallStaticVoidMethod+0x183
C  [java+0x5034]  JavaMain+0xb9f
C  [libsystem_pthread.dylib+0x3661]  _pthread_body+0x154
C  [libsystem_pthread.dylib+0x350d]  _pthread_body+0x0
C  [libsystem_pthread.dylib+0x2bf9]  thread_start+0xd
C  0x0000000000000000

Answer 1

Actually error case looks like is about failing to fork process in jwm.

Error occurred in starting fork, check output in log [ERROR] Process Exit Code: 134

An alternative approach to removing jacoco-maven-plugin as thek montioned, you can override forkCount for maven-surefire-plugin if fork count does not matter with your case.

        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
            <configuration>
                <forkCount>0</forkCount>
            </configuration>
        </plugin>

Also you can check details about forking parallel test processes.