iptables v1.6.1: can't initialize iptables table `filter': Memory allocation problem

[Dan Watkins]

I hit this error on disco:

```
$ free -h
              total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 478Mi 98Mi 311Mi 0.0Ki 68Mi 366Mi
Swap: 0B 0B 0B

$ sudo iptables -S
iptables v1.6.1: can't initialize iptables table `filter': Memory allocation problem
Perhaps iptables or your kernel needs to be upgraded.
```

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.04
Package: iptables 1.6.1-2ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: User Name 5.0.0-7.8-generic 5.0.0
Uname: Linux 5.0.0-7-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.10-0ubuntu23
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Mar 14 19:16:15 2019
SourcePackage: iptables
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.10-0ubuntu23
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.04
Package: linux
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcVersionSignature: User Name 5.0.0-7.8-generic 5.0.0
Tags: disco uec-images
Uname: Linux 5.0.0-7-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm audio cdrom dialout dip floppy netdev plugdev sudo video
_MarkForUpload: True

[Dan Watkins (oddbloke)]

Added linux as there's a suspicion that this is a linux 5.0 regression, as this only started appearing in our automated testing in the days since that landed.

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1820114

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Dan Watkins (oddbloke)]

apport information

[Dan Watkins (oddbloke)]

apport information

[Dan Watkins (oddbloke)]

apport information

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

FYI, I cannot reproduce this with even less memory:

$ iptables --version
iptables v1.6.1

$ free
              total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 265712 114824 66744 1024 84144 36024
Swap: 0 0 0

$ cat /proc/version_signature
Ubuntu 5.0.0-7.8-generic 5.0.0

$ sudo iptables -S
-P INPUT ACCEPT
-P FORWARD ACCEPT
-P OUTPUT ACCEPT

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

Are there additional steps that need to occur?

[Robert Sander (gurubert)]

I get sometimes the memory allocation error and sometimes a "no chain by that name":

root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L
iptables v1.6.1: can't initialize iptables table `filter': Memory allocation problem
Perhaps iptables or your kernel needs to be upgraded.
root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L
iptables: No chain/target/match by that name.
root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L
iptables: No chain/target/match by that name.
root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L
iptables v1.6.1: can't initialize iptables table `filter': Memory allocation problem
Perhaps iptables or your kernel needs to be upgraded.
root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L INPUT
iptables v1.6.1: can't initialize iptables table `filter': Memory allocation problem
Perhaps iptables or your kernel needs to be upgraded.
root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L INPUT
iptables v1.6.1: can't initialize iptables table `filter': Memory allocation problem
Perhaps iptables or your kernel needs to be upgraded.
root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L INPUT
iptables: No chain/target/match by that name.
root@ubu1904:/etc/ctdb# iptables -L INPUT
iptables: No chain/target/match by that name.

[Dan Watkins (oddbloke)]

Jamie, are you using an ISO install or a cloud image for your test? I was seeing this in a cloud image.

(When we were debugging on IRC, I recall that being a difference that meant people couldn't reproduce.)

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

FYI, I saw this when looking at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1823862. In the other bug, the reporter say a different error message, but I saw 'iptables v1.6.1: can't initialize iptables table `filter': Memory allocation problem'. If those in this bug do not have linux-modules-extra-5.0.0-8-generic installed, then this is a dupe of the other bug.

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

To be clear, when I installed linux-modules-extra-5.0.0-8-generic, I no longer saw this error message. Of course, it might not strictly be a duplicate, but I'll let the kernel team figure that out.

[Dan Watkins (oddbloke)]

I can also confirm that installing linux-modules-extra-5.0.0-8-generic (which also pulls in crda iw libnl-genl-3-200 wireless-regdb) caused this problem to no longer appear.

(I'm happy for this to be marked duplicate, but I wonder if there's still an iptables bug, given that memory allocation is perhaps not the real problem it's hitting?)