Ubuntu
systemd package

Starting systemd Network Service fails with "Invalid argument"

  1. Bionic (18.04)
  2. Bug #1928733
Bug #1928733 reported by David Cunningham
6
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
systemd
Unknown
Unknown
systemd (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Medium
Unassigned
Bionic
Triaged
Medium
Unassigned
Focal
Triaged
Medium
Unassigned
Groovy
Won't Fix
Medium
Unassigned
Hirsute
Won't Fix
Medium
Unassigned
Impish
Won't Fix
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

This server has a new install of Ubuntu 18.04 server. Sometimes (around 50% of the time) when it boots systemd-networkd.service initially fails to start with an error as below. It then tries again and succeeds, however other services which depend on systemd-networkd have already failed on the dependency by then.

From the output of "journalctl -u systemd-networkd":

-- Reboot --
May 17 19:44:28 server1 systemd[1]: Starting Network Service...
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[2261]: systemd-networkd.service: Failed to set up mount namespacing: Invalid argument
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[2261]: systemd-networkd.service: Failed at step NAMESPACE spawning /lib/systemd/systemd-networkd: Invalid argument
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: systemd-networkd.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=226/NAMESPACE
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: systemd-networkd.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: Failed to start Network Service.
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: systemd-networkd.service: Service has no hold-off time, scheduling restart.
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: systemd-networkd.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 1.
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: Stopped Network Service.
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: Starting Network Service...
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: Enumeration completed
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd[1]: Started Network Service.
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno2: IPv6 successfully enabled
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno1: Link is not managed by us
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: enp94s0f0np0: Link is not managed by us
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: lo: Link is not managed by us
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: enp94s0f1np1: Link is not managed by us
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno1: IPv6 successfully enabled
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: enp94s0f0np0: Link is not managed by us
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: lo: Link is not managed by us
May 17 19:44:30 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: enp94s0f1np1: Link is not managed by us
May 17 19:44:31 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno2: Link UP
May 17 19:44:31 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno1: Link UP
May 17 19:44:34 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno2: Gained carrier
May 17 19:44:34 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno1: Gained carrier
May 17 19:44:35 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno1: Gained IPv6LL
May 17 19:44:35 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno1: Configured
May 17 19:44:36 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno2: Gained IPv6LL
May 17 19:44:36 server1 systemd-networkd[2321]: eno2: Configured

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: systemd 237-3ubuntu10.46
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-142.146-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-142-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.23
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon May 17 19:53:11 2021
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-03-18 (60 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 004: ID 1604:10c0 Tascam
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 1604:10c0 Tascam
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 1604:10c0 Tascam
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: Dell Inc. PowerEdge R440
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-142-generic root=/dev/mapper/vg1-lv_root ro processor.max_cstate=1 intel_idle.max_cstate=0 transparent_hugepage=never
SourcePackage: systemd
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/23/2020
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 2.9.3
dmi.board.name: 04JN2K
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A06
dmi.chassis.type: 23
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr2.9.3:bd09/23/2020:svnDellInc.:pnPowerEdgeR440:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn04JN2K:rvrA06:cvnDellInc.:ct23:cvr:
dmi.product.family: PowerEdge
dmi.product.name: PowerEdge R440
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

Revision history for this message
David Cunningham (davidvoisonics) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Dan Streetman (ddstreet) wrote :

can you turn on systemd debug (e.g. with systemd.log_level=debug boot parameter) and reproduce the error, then check the logs for additional messages indicating what the failure is

Changed in systemd (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
David Cunningham (davidvoisonics) wrote :

Hi Dan, thanks for that. Interestingly it was much harder to reproduce the problem with debugging enabled, but we got it on about the 15th try. The log is attached.

Revision history for this message
David Cunningham (davidvoisonics) wrote :

Would there be any update on this please?

Revision history for this message
Dan Streetman (ddstreet) wrote :

it looks like you're seeing this problem inside an lxc/lxd container, not on bare metal, is that correct?

Revision history for this message
Dan Streetman (ddstreet) wrote :

ok it looks like this *might* be upstream bug 16156, which unfortunately was just very recently fixed, so backporting that to bionic may be difficult.

I'll mark the bug and take a look but even if it is possible to backport the fix, it will likely take a while.

Changed in systemd (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Triaged
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Bionic):
importance: Undecided → Medium
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Focal):
importance: Undecided → Medium
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Groovy):
importance: Undecided → Medium
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Impish):
importance: Undecided → Medium
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Hirsute):
importance: Undecided → Medium
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Groovy):
status: New → Won't Fix
Revision history for this message
Dan Streetman (ddstreet) wrote :

marking wontfix for groovy, as a backport of this size is unlikely to happen before groovy reaches end of life this month.

Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Hirsute):
status: New → Triaged
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Focal):
status: New → Triaged
Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Bionic):
status: New → Triaged
Revision history for this message
David Cunningham (davidvoisonics) wrote :

Hi Dan,

Thank you for that. The server is bare metal, not in a container.

If I understand correctly the fix will go in the latest Bionic packages?

Revision history for this message
Dan Streetman (ddstreet) wrote :

> If I understand correctly the fix will go in the latest Bionic packages?

I think it's very unlikely that the very recent, and rather large, patchset will get backported back to the relatively old and much different codebase in bionic. I haven't looked at it in detail yet though.

Revision history for this message
Brian Murray (brian-murray) wrote :

The Hirsute Hippo has reached End of Life, so this bug will not be fixed for that release.

Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Hirsute):
status: Triaged → Won't Fix
Revision history for this message
Dan Streetman (ddstreet) wrote :

per comment 6, this should be fixed in jammy, so marking fixed released there.

Changed in systemd (Ubuntu):
status: Triaged → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Brian Murray (brian-murray) wrote :

Ubuntu 21.10 (Impish Indri) has reached end of life, so this bug will not be fixed for that specific release.

Changed in systemd (Ubuntu Impish):
status: Triaged → Won't Fix
Revision history for this message
David Cunningham (davidvoisonics) wrote :

What version is this fix in please? Just asking as i was reported back in May 2021. Thanks.

Revision history for this message
Nick Rosbrook (enr0n) wrote :

This issue is fixed in Jammy, but not earlier LTS releases.

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