When using neo4j-admin load for loading a .dump file, the following error is observed:

Sometimes this has nothing to do with the formatting of the .dump file as indicated by Not in GZIP format, but an OS setting interfering with a Java System property.

Java uses the System property, java.io.tmpdir and on most Linux flavor machines this usually defaults to /tmp. The location is a directory used by the JVM to create and store temporary files. Some system administrators when following security best practices in order to limit their attack surface, make sure that /tmp is mounted with noexec option. This option prompts the kernel to refuse to allow any code execution and or storage performed against this location.