When /var/lib/jenkins/plugins is a symbolic link, with enough permission, then Jenkins cannot start.

What happen?

_{2020-03-03 14:58:52.856+0000 [id=26] SEVERE jenkins.InitReactorRunner$1#onTaskFailed: Failed Listing up plugins
java.io.IOException: Jenkins is unable to create /var/lib/jenkins/plugins
Perhaps its security privilege is insufficient
at hudson.init.InitStrategy.listPluginFiles(InitStrategy.java:67)
at hudson.init.InitStrategy.listPluginArchives(InitStrategy.java:56)
at hudson.PluginManager$1$2.run(PluginManager.java:417)
at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.TaskGraphBuilder$TaskImpl.run(TaskGraphBuilder.java:169)
at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor.runTask(Reactor.java:296)
at jenkins.model.Jenkins$5.runTask(Jenkins.java:1118)
at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor$2.run(Reactor.java:214)
at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor$Node.run(Reactor.java:117)}

What is expected?

Jenkins start.

Analysis:

Permission is not an issue. As jenkins use, I could create directory inside /var/lib/jenkins/plugins.

The root cause is because it is a symlink. This is probably the same issue as https://issues.jenkins-ci.org/browse/JENKINS-12458, but for plugins directory. Also, please check for tools directory too.