Troubleshooting ssv
Find the message you saw in the left column. Warnings go to standard error; the exit code tells scripts whether the run failed.
Common messages
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
sudo: ssv: command not found |
sudo on RHEL, Rocky, AlmaLinux and CloudLinux doesn't look in /usr/local/bin. Run the installer again, which adds a /usr/bin/ssv link, or run sudo /usr/local/bin/ssv. If you are already root, plain ssv works. |
Scan completed with N non-fatal warning(s) with permission denied |
ssv couldn't read some directories. Run it with sudo. |
scan root /path: ... no such file or directory |
Check the --root path for typos. |
unexpected argument "/path" (use --root PATH ...) |
Put --root in front of the directory. |
the age encryption tool is not installed |
Run the install commands printed above that message; they are chosen for your server's Linux distribution. See also how to install age. |
age executable not found in PATH (ssv 0.1.x) |
Install age (see how to install age). From cron, also set PATH as shown in Run ssv on a schedule, or upgrade to the current ssv, which also finds age in /usr/local/bin. |
refusing to overwrite existing file |
Choose a new --output name; the date-based names in the scheduled backup example avoid this. |
age encryption failed, after an age: error: line |
Read the age line above it, which is usually a mistyped recipient or a passphrase mismatch. |
| A passphrase backup fails under cron | Passphrase mode needs a terminal. Use keys for scheduled backups. |
Skipped ...: file changed after scan |
The file was being edited during the backup. Run the backup again. |
A path shown with \n, \x1b or similar |
The file name contains control characters, which may be an attempt to hide or fake entries in the report. Investigate the file. |
Why sudo ssv says "command not found"
On RHEL, Rocky, AlmaLinux and CloudLinux, sudo doesn't look in /usr/local/bin, so sudo ssv would fail with "command not found". There the installer also creates a link, /usr/bin/ssv, pointing to /usr/local/bin/ssv, and says so. It never replaces an existing /usr/bin/ssv that it didn't create. Apart from that, it changes nothing else on the system.
Check which directories sudo searches with sudo -V | grep -i "secure path" (as root). If you installed somewhere else with --dir, run ssv by its full path, for example sudo /opt/bin/ssv audit.
Last updated 2026-10-08 · for ssv 0.2.0