[SOLVED] netctl-auto not working, and I cannot remove netctl instance

mascip · 2015-02-10 19:51:22

Hi, I installed Arch a few days ago, netctl-auto was working yesterday but today it's not.
Note that

netctl start

works: I have a problem with netctl-auto only.

$ ping -c 3 8.8.8.8
connect: Network in unreachable

I have created only one netctl profile so far, it's called wlp4s0-VM581389-2G (wlp4s0 is the name of my wireless interface)

$ ls /etc/netctl
examples  hooks  interfaces  wlp4s0-VM581389-2G
$ netctl list
  wlp4s0-VM581389-2G

wpa_actiond is installed, and I have done

systemctl enable netctl-auto@wlp4s0.service

.
But for some reason I have some extra netctl@ instances that shouldn't be there. I am wondering if they could be the cause of netctl-auto not working properly:

$ systemctl | grep netctl
  netctl-auto@wlp4s0.service                                                                          loaded active running   Automatic wireless network connection using netctl profiles
● netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service                                                                        loaded failed failed    Networking for netctl profile my-network
● netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service                                                             loaded failed failed    Networking for netctl profile wlp4s0-VM581389-2G
  system-netctl.slice                                                                                 loaded active active    system-netctl.slice
  system-netctl\x2dauto.slice                                                                         loaded active active    system-netctl\x2dauto.slice

- What are these bullet points at the beginning of these two lines?
- Where do netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service and netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service come from? They might be instances that I had enabled in the past.

These instances are not enabled and they are inactive, but they are loaded!

$ systemctl is-enabled netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service
Failed to get unit file state for netctl@myx2dnetwork.service: No such file or directory
$ systemctl status netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service
● netctl@myx2dnetwork.service - Networking for netctl profile myx2dnetwork
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/netctl@.service; static; vendor preset: disabled)
   Active: inactive (dead)
     Docs: man:netctl.profile(5)

I have tried to get rid of them, but not managed:

$ systemctl stop netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service
$ systemctl disable netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service
$ systemctl | grep netctl
  netctl-auto@wlp4s0.service                                                                          loaded active running   Automatic wireless network connection using netctl profiles
  netctl.service                                                                                      loaded active exited    (Re)store the netctl profile state
● netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service                                                                        loaded failed failed    Networking for netctl profile my-network
● netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service                                                             loaded failed failed    Networking for netctl profile wlp4s0-VM581389-2G
  system-netctl.slice                                                                                 loaded active active    system-netctl.slice
  system-netctl\x2dauto.slice                                                                         loaded active active    system-netctl\x2dauto.slice
[user@mascip-toshiba ~]$ systemctl daemon-reload
[user@mascip-toshiba ~]$ systemctl | grep netctl
  netctl-auto@wlp4s0.service                                                                          loaded active running   Automatic wireless network connection using netctl profiles
  netctl.service                                                                                      loaded active exited    (Re)store the netctl profile state
● netctl@my\x2dnetwork.service                                                                        loaded failed failed    Networking for netctl profile my-network
● netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service                                                             loaded failed failed    Networking for netctl profile wlp4s0-VM581389-2G
  system-netctl.slice                                                                                 loaded active active    system-netctl.slice
  system-netctl\x2dauto.slice                                                                         loaded active active    system-netctl\x2dauto.slice

Also, I have tried to check with

netctl-auto list

, which gives an empty output. I am guessing that it's normal, because the netctl-auto instances are managed by systemd?

Now, trying to understand what is happening to netctl-auto@wlp4s0.service: as seen before with systemctl | grep netctl, it is active and running.
Then I do:

$ journalctl -u netctl-auto@wlp4s0.service
-- Reboot --
Feb 10 17:34:23netctl-auto[270]: Included profile: 'wlp4s0-VM581389-2G'
wpa_actiond[310]: Starting wpa_actiond session for interface 'wlp4s0'

So, a wpa_actiond session was started, but I still cannot ping 8.8.8.8. Why?

Investigating further:

$ netctl status wlp4s0-VM581389-2G
● netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service - Networking for netctl profile wlp4s0-VM581389-2G
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/netctl@.service; static; vendor preset: disabled)
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Tue 2015-02-10 19:43:17 GMT; 3min 16s ago
     Docs: man:netctl.profile(5)
  Process: 274 ExecStart=/usr/lib/network/network start %I (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
 Main PID: 274 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Feb 10 19:43:15 mascip-toshiba network[274]: Failed to initialize control interface '/run/wpa_supplicant'.
Feb 10 19:43:15 mascip-toshiba network[274]: You may have another wpa_supplicant process already running or the file was
Feb 10 19:43:15 mascip-toshiba network[274]: left by an unclean termination of wpa_supplicant in which case you will need
Feb 10 19:43:15 mascip-toshiba network[274]: to manually remove this file before starting wpa_supplicant again.
Feb 10 19:43:17 mascip-toshiba network[274]: The WPA supplicant did not start for interface 'wlp4s0'
Feb 10 19:43:17 mascip-toshiba network[274]: Failed to bring the network up for profile 'wlp4s0-VM581389-2G'
Feb 10 19:43:17 mascip-toshiba systemd[1]: netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service: main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Feb 10 19:43:17 mascip-toshiba systemd[1]: Failed to start Networking for netctl profile wlp4s0-VM581389-2G.
Feb 10 19:43:17 mascip-toshiba systemd[1]: Unit netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service entered failed state.
Feb 10 19:43:17 mascip-toshiba systemd[1]: netctl@wlp4s0\x2dVM581389\x2d2G.service failed.

"You may have another wpa_supplicant process already running or the file was left by an unclean termination of wpa_supplicant in which case you will need to manually remove this file before starting wpa_supplicant again."
What does this mean? Which file might have been left by an unclean termination? I tried to find this info in the wpa_supplicant documentation, and by searching on Google, but couldn't find anything.

Now I am lost:
- how do I get rid of these two undesired netctl instances?
- where can I investigate next, to get netctl-auto@wlp4s0 to work?

Any help greatly appreciated :-)

Last edited by mascip (2015-02-13 11:15:38)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-02-10 20:30:46

What is the output of:

ls -l /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants

netctl-auto cannot be used with explicitly enabled profiles (ie, those for which you have used `netctl enable <profile>`).

mascip · 2015-02-12 17:19:09

Thank you! I deleted the netctl@ files in there, and it seems to be working now. Nice :-)

Ok, it's time for me to read the systemd.unit man page then.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-02-12 19:15:36

You're welcome.

Please edit the titile of your thread & put "[SOLVED]" at the start to help others with this problem.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-02-10 19:51:22

[SOLVED] netctl-auto not working, and I cannot remove netctl instance

#2 2015-02-10 20:30:46

Re: [SOLVED] netctl-auto not working, and I cannot remove netctl instance

#3 2015-02-12 17:19:09

Re: [SOLVED] netctl-auto not working, and I cannot remove netctl instance

#4 2015-02-12 19:15:36

Re: [SOLVED] netctl-auto not working, and I cannot remove netctl instance

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