Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

g00ey · 2015-07-23 10:32:15

Looking at the log (with 'journalctl -b'):
Configuration file /etc/systemd/system/netctl@my_network.service is marked world-inaccessible. This has no effect as configuration data is accessible via APIs without restrictions. Proceeding anyway.

Issuing the command yields
# systemctl status netctl@my_network.service
● netctl@my_network.service - A basic dhcp ethernet connection
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/netctl@my_network.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 2015-07-23 11:57:39 CEST; 21min ago
Docs: man:netctl.profile(5)
Process: 248 ExecStart=/usr/lib/network/network start %I (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 248 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Jul 23 11:57:38 thurnax systemd[1]: Starting A basic dhcp ethernet connection...
Jul 23 11:57:39 thurnax network[248]: Starting network profile 'my_network'...
Jul 23 11:57:39 thurnax network[248]: The interface of network profile 'my_network' is already up
Jul 23 11:57:39 thurnax systemd[1]: netctl@my_network.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Jul 23 11:57:39 thurnax systemd[1]: Failed to start A basic dhcp ethernet connection.
Jul 23 11:57:39 thurnax systemd[1]: netctl@my_network.service: Unit entered failed state.
Jul 23 11:57:39 thurnax systemd[1]: netctl@my_network.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.

and the 'Network Manager' applet at the bottom panel in Cinnamon doesn't work.

But I still do have a working network connection, the command 'ifconfig' shows it up as 'enp0s3' but not in the graphical environment of Network Manager in Cinnamon.

Does anyone know what's going on and how to solve it?

I run this system in a VM in VirtualBox using the latest guest additions as of now (4.3.28-4 through Arch packages that was updated with 4.3.30 through the virtual guest-additions CD).

Last edited by g00ey (2015-07-23 10:34:38)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-07-23 10:34:17

g00ey wrote:

Jul 23 11:57:39 thurnax network[248]: The interface of network profile 'my_network' is already up

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ne … ice_failed

EDIT: You shouldn't use netctl and NetworkManager together.

What is the output of:

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

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-07-23 10:36:07)

g00ey · 2015-07-23 10:38:49

The output is:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Apr 16 2014 dhcpcd.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/dhcpcd.service
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 45 Apr 16 2014 netctl@my_network.service -> /etc/systemd/system/netctl@my_network.service
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 40 Jul 20 17:09 remote-fs.target -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/remote-fs.target
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 43 Apr 16 2014 vboxservice.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/vboxservice.service

so I guess that I should remove th netctl link then and accept that Network Manager doesn't work ? Although, by no means necessaryu, it would be nice to be able to see the curent network status in the panel of Cinnamon, didn't know that it is hard-coded to Network manager. I guess NetworkManager is preferred when using wireless connections, which I don't anyway...

Last edited by g00ey (2015-07-23 10:42:31)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-07-23 10:40:50

# systemctl disable dhcpcd.service
# systemctl stop dhcpcd.service
# systemctl start dhcpcd@enp0s3.service
# systemctl enable dhcpcd@enp0s3.service

g00ey · 2015-07-23 10:46:45

The line

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Apr 16 2014 dhcpcd.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/dhcpcd.service

above has now changed to

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Apr 16 2014 dhcpcd@enp0s3.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/dhcpcd@.service

I'll see how this affects the system during boot, .... -\|/-

g00ey · 2015-07-23 10:58:35

Those lines didn't change anything, I just booted with the same errors. But when disabling the service altogether, the errors disappeared and I still have a working network connection, i.e. I issued the command:

# systemctl disable netctl@my_network.service

and it's just fine now. I think what has happened during the update is that some kind of a 'default config' template was superimposed somehow to my current config. The name 'my_network' sounds very template:ish to me anyways.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-07-23 11:16:15

g00ey wrote:

and it's just fine now.

I'm a little bit confused -- how are you connecting now?

g00ey · 2015-07-23 12:04:31

I'm not sure how to figure that out. The e1000 driver starts up normally and somehow it is added to the network stack. I tried starting NetworkManager, just by entering that into terminal, I got a 'network enabled' notification bubble and now the Network status applet seems to work. My guess is that the network connection is not established through netctl. The name of the connection is 'Auto Ethernet', strange thing that the NetworkManager isn't started at boot as it seems essential for Cinnamon. 'Auto Ethernet' seems to be a standard name for network manager ...

I must say that I'm really confused about this. Because when I boot it all up, Cinnamon fails to identify Ethernet connections and all windows with settings are greyed out. I cannot do anything with my internet connection through these graphical interfaces. But still, the connection works! Then I go as root and run NetworkManager, and boom everything graphical works in all of a sudden. It's as if NetworkManager is supposed to be run at boot but isn't. If NetworkManager doesn't run at boot then what is it that initializes the ethernet connection? I don't know where to put that 'run NetworkManager at boot' line either there must be a startup script somewhere for cinnamon.

Last edited by g00ey (2015-07-23 12:29:12)

Raynman · 2015-07-23 13:08:07

I don't know what "my_network" contains, but dhcpcd.service tries to manage all interfaces, so you should probably not use these two together. You could have dhcpcd@enp0s3.service together with a netctl profile for a wlan interface, if you wanted to.

But if you want to use the NM applet in Cinnamon, then disable both these services and enable NetworkManager.service. (This and more is also in the wiki.)

Or you could remove/disable the NM applet and forget about NM (and maybe find something simpler to show the network status).

Last edited by Raynman (2015-07-23 13:13:58)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-07-23 14:41:30

g00ey wrote:

when I boot it all up, Cinnamon fails to identify Ethernet connections and all windows with settings are greyed out.

The network GUI does not work with netctl or dhcpcd.service

You are probably connecting to your ethernet via dhcpcd(@).service, hence the lack of a GUI.

g00ey · 2015-07-23 16:21:26

Ok, so there are three different applications that set up the internet connection; netctl, dhcpcd and NetworkManager? That is not very well summarized in the Wiki.

When I enable the networkmanager.service, it doesn't seem to interfere with dhcpcd, instead I get to choose between enp0s3 and 'Auto Ethernet' in the panel menu. When choosing 'Auto Ethernet', the options disappear and everything is like it would have been if I just ran NetworkManager as a root.

I guess everything is in order, but the more pressing question is why this got messed up in the update process.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-07-23 10:32:15

Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#2 2015-07-23 10:34:17

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#3 2015-07-23 10:38:49

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#4 2015-07-23 10:40:50

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#5 2015-07-23 10:46:45

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#6 2015-07-23 10:58:35

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#7 2015-07-23 11:16:15

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#8 2015-07-23 12:04:31

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#9 2015-07-23 13:08:07

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#10 2015-07-23 14:41:30

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

#11 2015-07-23 16:21:26

Re: Systemctl fails to initialize netctl@my_network.service during boot

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