[SOLVED]systemd-networkd enabled but doesn't start at boot.

Django_Vega · 2021-07-08 00:41:02

Hello everyone,

First and foremost, I used Arch for around two years as a daily Desktop and it has been great. I recently came across the possibility to use docker-like machine with systemd-nspawn. In order to try it and simplify the network configuration, I read it was recommended to use systemd-networkd. As I was already using Network Manager, I have disabled it, removed any configuration files and then uninstalled it with pacman.

I have then configured only one network card with dhcp and start the service systemd-networkd. Everything work great, but the problem is, despite also having enabled the service, it doesn't start at boot. It seems it does not even try to start, as I am unable to find any network related message in journalctl. But if I manually start systemd-networkd OR network-online.target, then network work fines, which would prove that the problem does not come from misconfiguration.

I mentioned network-online.target because I suspect this target is never reached during boot process but can't be sure of that (I am not an expert at all of systemd). I tried to add this target in multi-user.target without success

Unfortunately, I didn't find any helpful help on the Web, so if someone has already experienced the same problem and found a solution, or a workaround, it would be greatly appreciated. I have triple checked that there is no other network manager
Anyway, here are everything that I can share, note network have obviously already been started, so no point to showing status. But before it shows as Inactive (Dead) despite being enabled:

 
02:34|root@arch:system $ systemctl list-unit-files | grep enabled
ckb-next-daemon.service                    enabled         disabled
getty@.service                             enabled         enabled
lm_sensors.service                         enabled         disabled
sddm.service                               enabled         disabled
systemd-fsck-root.service                  enabled-runtime disabled
systemd-homed.service                      disabled        enabled
systemd-networkd-wait-online.service       enabled         disabled
systemd-networkd.service                   enabled         enabled
systemd-pstore.service                     disabled        enabled
systemd-remount-fs.service                 enabled-runtime disabled
systemd-resolved.service                   disabled        enabled
systemd-timesyncd.service                  enabled         enabled
systemd-userdbd.socket                     disabled        enabled
machines.target                            disabled        enabled
network-online.target                      enabled         disabled
reboot.target                              disabled        enabled
remote-cryptsetup.target                   disabled        enabled
remote-fs.target                           enabled         enabled
fstrim.timer                               enabled         disabled


02:36|root@arch:system $ ls -l /etc/systemd/system
total 5
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   48 juil.  7 21:11 dbus-org.freedesktop.network1.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-networkd.service
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   49 juil.  4 22:42 dbus-org.freedesktop.timesync1.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-timesyncd.service
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   36 déc.  31  2019 display-manager.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/sddm.service
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 déc.  31  2019 getty.target.wants
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 juil.  7 22:08 multi-user.target.wants
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 juil.  7 21:11 network-online.target.wants
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 juil.  4 22:42 sysinit.target.wants
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 mars  23  2020 timers.target.wants


02:36|root@arch:system $ ls -l /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 47 janv. 28  2020 ckb-next-daemon.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/ckb-next-daemon.service
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 42 févr. 10  2020 lm_sensors.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/lm_sensors.service
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 45 juil.  7 21:48 network-online.target -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/network-online.target
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 40 déc.  31  2019 remote-fs.target -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/remote-fs.target
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 48 juil.  7 21:11 systemd-networkd.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-networkd.service

02:36|root@arch:system $ ls -l /etc/systemd/system/network-online.target.wants/
total 1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 60 juil.  7 21:11 systemd-networkd-wait-online.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-networkd-wait-online.service

I don't know if it is worth mentioning, but I use KDE Plasma as DE and so sddm as login manager

This is my first post here and English is not my mother tongue, so feel free to correct me

Last edited by Django_Vega (2021-07-08 16:58:13)

seth · 2021-07-08 07:14:21

Please post your system journal:

sudo journalctl -b

(if you ran journalctl w/o being root or in some admin group, it'll only show the session journal)

Django_Vega · 2021-07-08 16:44:22

Message removed

Last edited by Django_Vega (2021-07-08 17:04:23)

Django_Vega · 2021-07-08 17:03:49

Hello,

I have had an Eureka moment and found the root cause of the problem. It was totally unrelated to systemd-networkd, just my plain stupidity. Some days ago, before I have switched network manager, I did replace a hard drive, and did copy some files on a the ssd where / is located. Unfortunately, the /etc of the previous hard drive is mounted before the true /etc So systemd was using the old /etc for boot process and then mount new /etc so that's why I find my network configuration files intact and had no problem to manually start the service

My bad for the time wasted, and thanks for trying to help me

Have a good day

[edit:grammar]

Last edited by Django_Vega (2021-07-08 17:06:19)

seth · 2021-07-08 17:06:43

I just noticed that you posted "ls -l /etc/systemd/system" and that there doesn't seem to be

file /usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-networkd.service

what raises the question how systemd-networkd is started tobegin with (and why that's not there)

pacman -Qikk systemd

if I manually start systemd-networkd

The service or the executable?

Edit: solved before I posted…

Last edited by seth (2021-07-08 17:07:59)

Arch Linux

#1 2021-07-08 00:41:02

[SOLVED]systemd-networkd enabled but doesn't start at boot.

#2 2021-07-08 07:14:21

Re: [SOLVED]systemd-networkd enabled but doesn't start at boot.

#3 2021-07-08 16:44:22

Re: [SOLVED]systemd-networkd enabled but doesn't start at boot.

#4 2021-07-08 17:03:49

Re: [SOLVED]systemd-networkd enabled but doesn't start at boot.

#5 2021-07-08 17:06:43

Re: [SOLVED]systemd-networkd enabled but doesn't start at boot.

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