archinstall copy network conf + conflict

hully · 2023-11-09 13:54:39

after booting from the live ISO, I used iwctl to connect to the internet.

Then I run archinstall.

Within it, regarding network configuration, if I remember correctly there were 3 options: (1) no network (2) copy network configuration to new install (3) install NetworkManager.

I chose the second: copy network configuration.

After installing and rebooting, my PC was connecting to the internet.

But then I want to connect to other networks using the nice interface that NetworkManager provides, so I installed networkmanager package.

But now my connection is very unstable.

The Networkmanager wiki page says that I must make sure that no other service is conflicting with NetworkManager.

I guess whatever network services archinstall installed is now conflicting with networkmanager?

Here is the output of `systemctl --type=service`:

  UNIT                                                LOAD   ACTIVE SUB     DESCRIPTION
  bluetooth.service                                   loaded active running Bluetooth service
  dbus.service                                        loaded active running D-Bus System Message Bus
  iwd.service                                         loaded active running Wireless service
  kmod-static-nodes.service                           loaded active exited  Create List of Static Device Nodes
  ldconfig.service                                    loaded active exited  Rebuild Dynamic Linker Cache
  lvm2-monitor.service                                loaded active exited  Monitoring of LVM2 mirrors, snapshots etc. using dmeventd or progress polling
  NetworkManager.service                              loaded active running Network Manager
  polkit.service                                      loaded active running Authorization Manager
  rtkit-daemon.service                                loaded active running RealtimeKit Scheduling Policy Service
  sddm.service                                        loaded active running Simple Desktop Display Manager
  systemd-backlight@backlight:intel_backlight.service loaded active exited  Load/Save Screen Backlight Brightness of backlight:intel_backlight
  systemd-journal-catalog-update.service              loaded active exited  Rebuild Journal Catalog
  systemd-journal-flush.service                       loaded active exited  Flush Journal to Persistent Storage
  systemd-journald.service                            loaded active running Journal Service
  systemd-logind.service                              loaded active running User Login Management
  systemd-modules-load.service                        loaded active exited  Load Kernel Modules
  systemd-network-generator.service                   loaded active exited  Generate network units from Kernel command line
  systemd-networkd.service                            loaded active running Network Configuration
  systemd-random-seed.service                         loaded active exited  Load/Save OS Random Seed
  systemd-remount-fs.service                          loaded active exited  Remount Root and Kernel File Systems
  systemd-resolved.service                            loaded active running Network Name Resolution
  systemd-sysctl.service                              loaded active exited  Apply Kernel Variables
  systemd-sysusers.service                            loaded active exited  Create System Users
  systemd-timesyncd.service                           loaded active running Network Time Synchronization
  systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev-early.service            loaded active exited  Create Static Device Nodes in /dev gracefully
  systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service                  loaded active exited  Create Static Device Nodes in /dev
  systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service                      loaded active exited  Create Volatile Files and Directories
  systemd-udev-trigger.service                        loaded active exited  Coldplug All udev Devices
  systemd-udevd.service                               loaded active running Rule-based Manager for Device Events and Files
  systemd-update-done.service                         loaded active exited  Update is Completed
  systemd-update-utmp.service                         loaded active exited  Record System Boot/Shutdown in UTMP
  systemd-user-sessions.service                       loaded active exited  Permit User Sessions
  systemd-vconsole-setup.service                      loaded active exited  Virtual Console Setup
  systemd-zram-setup@zram0.service                    loaded active exited  Create swap on /dev/zram0
  udisks2.service                                     loaded active running Disk Manager
  upower.service                                      loaded active running Daemon for power management
  user-runtime-dir@1000.service                       loaded active exited  User Runtime Directory /run/user/1000
  user@1000.service                                   loaded active running User Manager for UID 1000
  wpa_supplicant.service                              loaded active running WPA supplicant

LOAD   = Reflects whether the unit definition was properly loaded.
ACTIVE = The high-level unit activation state, i.e. generalization of SUB.
SUB    = The low-level unit activation state, values depend on unit type.
39 loaded units listed. Pass --all to see loaded but inactive units, too.
To show all installed unit files use 'systemctl list-unit-files'.

If I systemctl stop iwd, the network disconnects. So I guess NetworkManager is relying on iwd to connect?

From the wiki I read that systemd-networkd is only for the Ethernet. I'm connected with WiFi.

So I'm not sure what archinstall installed, and if something is conflicting.

Last edited by hully (2023-11-09 14:00:39)

V1del · 2023-11-09 14:31:05

Disable iwd and keep it disabled, restart NetworManager/reboot. Networkmanager will use wpa_supplicant by default and that and iwd will conflict.

hully · 2023-11-09 14:53:42

I stopped, disabled, uninstalled iwd and rebooted.

Let's see how it goes, it SEEMS much more stable now.

wpa_supplicant is a required dependency of NetworkManager.

iwd is listed as an optional dependency, and described as "wpa_supplicant alternative".

So if you want to use iwd with NetworkManager, and the two conflicts as you say, you need to uninstall wpa_supplicant.

But that would also uninstall NetworkManager because it is a required dependency.

Why wpa_supplicant is not then an optional dependency of NetworkManager as well?

Also, before doing what you suggested, if I disabled EITHER iwd OR wpa_supplicant, the network disconnected. So I'm not sure which one NetworkManager was using.

Now it is using wpa_supplicant because iwd is uninstalled.

@V1del many thanks!

Last edited by hully (2023-11-09 15:00:00)

Lone_Wolf · 2023-11-09 17:21:09

V1del was talking about the wpa-supplicant & iwd daemons/services that conflict , not the packages.

It's fine to have both installed together, you just can use only one of them at one point in time.

seth · 2023-11-09 20:31:34

You also have systemd-networkd running, pot. even an explicit wpa_supplicant
Please post the output of

find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f

You can also https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … Fi_backend and all of this is explained in the wiki you didn't read because you cheated yourself by using archinstall and now you'll have to struggle to learn all of the stuff you'd have picked up during the installation one-by-one when randomly running into problems.

hully · 2023-11-10 06:12:49

seth wrote:

You also have systemd-networkd running, pot. even an explicit wpa_supplicant
Please post the output of
find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f

From the wiki I read that systemd-networkd is only for the Ethernet. I use wifi, so I should be fine?

What does it mean "pot. even an explicit wpa_supplicant"?

Here is the output requested:

bluetooth.service                        | bluetooth.target.wants
dbus-org.bluez.service                   | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.network1.service    | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher.service | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.resolve1.service    | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.timesync1.service   | system
display-manager.service                  | system
getty@tty1.service                       | getty.target.wants
NetworkManager-wait-online.service       | network-online.target.wants
NetworkManager.service                   | multi-user.target.wants
p11-kit-server.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-pulse.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-session-manager.service         | user
pipewire.socket                          | sockets.target.wants
remote-fs.target                         | multi-user.target.wants
systemd-network-generator.service        | sysinit.target.wants
systemd-networkd-wait-online.service     | network-online.target.wants
systemd-networkd.service                 | multi-user.target.wants
systemd-networkd.socket                  | sockets.target.wants
systemd-resolved.service                 | sysinit.target.wants
systemd-timesyncd.service                | sysinit.target.wants
wireplumber.service                      | pipewire.service.wants
xdg-user-dirs-update.service             | default.target.wants

You can also https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … Fi_backend and all of this is explained in the wiki you didn't read because you cheated yourself by using archinstall and now you'll have to struggle to learn all of the stuff you'd have picked up during the installation one-by-one when randomly running into problems.

You always reprimand and belittle me, seth.

hully · 2023-11-10 06:53:33

Anyway, despite what Seth says, the time before this one I installed Arch using the Installation guide, and I installed NetworkManager directly, which didn't conflict with anything because there was no iwd.

So I actually learnt something new by using archinstall.

seth · 2023-11-10 07:32:50

From the wiki I read that systemd-networkd is only for the Ethernet.

What wiki says that where?
systemd-networkd doesn't manage a wifi carrier but will operate every NIC present.
So disabe it.

What does it mean "pot. even an explicit wpa_supplicant"?

You can also enable a wpa_supplicant service, like iwd, to provide a carrier for eg. dhcpcd or networkd.

You always reprimand and belittle me, seth.

No, I'm trying to convey your misconception about archinstall.
You maybe *feel* reprimanded and belittled when confronted with reality, but that's subjective.

and I installed NetworkManager directly, which didn't conflict with anything because there was no iwd.

Then why is systemd-networkd enabled?

hully · 2023-11-10 09:32:49

Then why is systemd-networkd enabled?

I installed Arch Linux 2 times in my life.

The first time I used the installation guide. I manually installed NetworkManager. I guess there was no systemd-networkd nor iwd. Actually I'm pretty sure because by default it doesn't install pretty much anything.

The second time, this time, I used archinstall. I didn't install systemd-networkd manually. So either archinstall installed it, or it got installed as a dependency of another package I manually installed.

EDIT Actually systemd-networkd is part of core/systemd package. So it's always installed as long as you have systemd? The question is then what enabled it.

Last edited by hully (2023-11-10 09:38:21)

Arch Linux

#1 2023-11-09 13:54:39

archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#2 2023-11-09 14:31:05

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#3 2023-11-09 14:53:42

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#4 2023-11-09 17:21:09

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#5 2023-11-09 20:31:34

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#6 2023-11-10 06:12:49

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#7 2023-11-10 06:53:33

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#8 2023-11-10 07:32:50

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

#9 2023-11-10 09:32:49

Re: archinstall copy network conf + conflict

Board footer