[SRU] Exit status 127 when starting openvpn when its already started.

[wayne]

Binary package hint: openvpn

Using package openvpn/hardy uptodate 2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.3

Line 57 is not a valid variable assignment as below.

    # Check to see if it's already started...
    if test -e /var/run/openvpn.$NAME.pid ; then
57 STATUS = "FAILED - Already running (PID file exists)."
    else
      $DAEMON --writepid /var/run/openvpn.$NAME.pid \
              $DAEMONARG $STATUSARG --cd $CONFIG_DIR \
              --config $CONFIG_DIR/$NAME.conf < /dev/null || STATUS="FAILED"
    fi
    log_action_msg "$NAME ($STATUS)"

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. However, I am closing it because the bug has been fixed in the latest development version of Ubuntu - the Intrepid Ibex.

The easy workaround is to fix the line to remove the extra spaces around the = sign (STATUS="Failed...").

[wayne (wayne-flashmedia)]

Yes, that is an easy fix which I have done on all my servers. I don't agree with marking this priority as low as it breaks heartbeat which is incredibly important to many non-redhat server implementations.

This release is supposed to be supported till April 2013 (Server) https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases. An important package like openvpn should be supported properly until end of life or lts is worth nothing. Please push this change into Hardy.

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

You are interested in having this bug fixed in a SRU (stable release update) for hardy. I am closing it as "Fix released" because the bug has been fixed in the latest development version of Ubuntu - the Intrepid Ibex.

If you need a fix for the bug in previous versions of Ubuntu, please follow the SRU Procedure [1] to bring the need to a developer's attention.

[1]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates

In particular you should use "Nominate for release" to target it for a hardy update.

I set it to "Low" because I couldn't think of something that would break due to that wrong return code. Could you please explain your heartbeat scenario so that the bug priority is set up properly ?

[Mathias Gug (mathiaz)]

I am closing it because the bug has been fixed in the latest development version of Ubuntu - the Intrepid Ibex.
If you need a fix for the bug in previous versions of Ubuntu, please do steps 1 and 2 of the SRU Procedure [1] to bring the need to a developer's attention.

[1]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates#Procedure

[wayne (wayne-flashmedia)]

Thanks for the info. I'll follow that up.

The heartbeat scenario goes as follows.
In a simple v1 config setup where server A has resources and server B dies.
Server A re-runs all the resources allocated to it.
When openvpn is re-run the exit code is non-zero and heartbeat thinks its resources have failed.
When this non-zero exit code is detected the Server A thinks its resources have failed and then passes them over to Server B.
Since server B is dead all the resources are now turned off and I'm up at 2am fixing it.
You can then understand why I feel so strongly about this seemingly minor issue.

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Proposed debdiff for hardy

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Hardy SRU Report

Bug impact: When openvpn is already started, trying to start it using the init script results in exit status 127. This can impact heartbeat deployments as mentionned in comment 5.

Versions affected: Hardy (openvpn initscript was rewritten in Intrepid)

Minimal patch: see comment 6 just above.

TEST CASE:
$ sudo apt-get install openvpn
Unpack the attached vpnconf.tar.gz into /etc/openvpn
$ sudo /etc/init.d/openvpn restart (should start the "server" VPN)
$ sudo /etc/init.d/openvpn start
Without the fix, fails with "/etc/init.d/openvpn: 181: STATUS: not found" and exit status 127
With the fix, warns with "server (FAILED - Already running (PID file exists).)" and exits with status 0

Regression potential:
Given the simplicity of the patch, regression potential is null. Nobody should have been relying on exit code 127 which was the result of a failed bash variable assignment.

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Note that openvpn_2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.4 is still sitting in -proposed, so I'll work on confirming the fix for it (on bug 265058) as well.

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

I just can't reproduce bug 265058 so I would drop the 3.4 changes before uploading this, unless the reporter there helps us... but we have been asking for a long time and I feel bad delaying this SRU for that reason.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

OK, if you think that bug 265058 isn't worth pursuing, please revert the change, set it to WONTFIX, and upload your's. Thanks!

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Debdiff reverting 2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.4 and applying fix.

openvpn (2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.5) hardy-proposed; urgency=low

  * Revert changes from 2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.4 since verification could never be
    done on that bug and it is blocking another much-needed SRU.
  * debian/openvpn.init.d: Fix initscript exit status 127 when starting
    openvpn while it's already started (LP: #271777)

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Debdiff from 2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.3 to 2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.5 to review proper reversion and compare with minimal patch mentioned in SRU report.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Accepted openvpn into hardy-proposed, the package will build now and be available in a few hours. Please test and give feedback here. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Thank you in advance!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package openvpn - 2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.5

---------------
openvpn (2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.5) hardy-proposed; urgency=low

  * Revert changes from 2.1~rc7-1ubuntu3.4 since verification could never be
    done on that bug and it is blocking another much-needed SRU.
  * debian/openvpn.init.d: Fix initscript exit status 127 when starting
    openvpn while it's already started (LP: #271777)

 -- Thierry Carrez <email address hidden> Wed, 06 May 2009 14:45:27 +0000