No network! Directory with "\x2d" in name, bad unit file settings

darenw · 2022-08-31 06:03:40

After an upgrade, attempted to reorganize stuff to avoid a full partition, had to backtrack on that, now have an Arch Linux machine that won't run network or X11. Never mind X11 for now. Networking won't work at all, as if no ethernet hardware exists.

ping 8.8.8.8 => network unreachable.

netctl status ethernet-dhcp => bad unit file setting, assignment is outside section.

Looking in /etc/systemd/system/ i found a directory named netctl@ethernet\x2ddhcp.service. The \x2d looks like ascii for a dash. I renamed it. But attempts to make networking run lead to various errors, some of which mention that full name with the \x2d in it, as if something is looking for this with the ascii hex in it. Somewhere inside the inner workings of systemd a file/dir name with a '-' in it is being mutated to use hex ascii codes, not only in created that one directory, but also in looking for it. I tried having the hex ascii version sit there alongside a fixed one with the actual '-' in it, each holding identical profile files, but no go.

If I could figure out a way to copy the netctl@ethernet-dhcp.service/profile file to another machine, I'd post it here. But I'm in a temporary situation without my usual computer paraphernalia, and certainly can't just scp it over the LAN.

All attempts to list network connections, using "ip link", "ifconfig", "netstat -i", looking in /sys or /proc => no sign of enp2s0 (I'm assuming that the name I should expect)

I have run "netctl daemon-reload" after any changes to directory/file names, editing profiles, etc. Even right after running this, running netctl status ethernet-dhcp, tells me I should run deamon-reload (again?!) It seems to never "take". There's only three lines after [Unit], for Description, BindsTo, and After. No explicit hex ascii.

Not sure if the 'pacman -Syu' command completed or left a few things partly done. Some files in /usr/share are messed up, but I copied nearly everything from a backup copy made just hours earlier, before running pacman -Syu. Likely, old and new versions of /usr/share files are intermixed in some bad way.

Internet service, router are good since I'm using other machines just fine. Ethernet cable is in, little LEDs blinking. I'm 95% sure the hardware is fine and it's messed up "unit files" for ethernet-dhcp causing the trouble, or something closely related.

What further diagnostics to run? What is the fix?

seth · 2022-08-31 06:32:40

The \x2d looks like ascii for a dash. I renamed it.

And I assume that caused the error in the subject?
Stop flailing, "bad unit file setting, assignment is outside section" means there's some garbage *in* the netctl unit file. In doubt upload it to a pastebin service (1st link below on how to do that w/o GUI)

Arch Linux

#1 2022-08-31 06:03:40

No network! Directory with "\x2d" in name, bad unit file settings

#2 2022-08-31 06:32:40

Re: No network! Directory with "\x2d" in name, bad unit file settings

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