Arch Linux

local_buffoon

Member

Registered: 2025-09-23

Posts: 13

[SOLVED] wg-quick up gives "config_file already exists" error

Currently using config files from proton. Wireguard was working normally but recent attempts to set up have given:

# wg-quick up wg0
wg-quick: `wg0' already exists 

and

# wg-quick down wg0
wg-quick: `wg0' is not a WireGuard interface

The only file in my wireguard directory is the wg0.conf file at the moment. # wg returns nothing. Have tried both before and after starting systemd-resolved.

Even after going through the documentation on archwiki for wireguard, wg-quick, and resolvconf, I'm lost as to what the issue is. All advice welcome, thanks!

Last edited by local_buffoon (2025-10-16 04:10:40)

-thc

Member

Registered: 2017-03-15

Posts: 1,066

Re: [SOLVED] wg-quick up gives "config_file already exists" error

It's more likely that wg-quick means the device "wg0" is already existing and subsequently cannot be created.

Does

ip a

show an existing "wg0" interface?

local_buffoon

Member

Registered: 2025-09-23

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] wg-quick up gives "config_file already exists" error

Lol yep, simply renaming the file seemed to work.