unable to import a wireguard config from non-short filenames

[Fabien Gagné]

In Ubuntu 24.04 LTS fresh install.
I am unable to import a Wireguard .conf configuration file from the gnome-control-center's Network panel.

Parameters -> Network -> VPN -> + -> Import from file
Select the .conf file that was sent by my VPN provider, then click Open

Results in the following error (French) : Impossible d'importer la connexion VPN. Le fichier AirVPN_Canada_UDP-1637-Entry3.conf" est illisible ou ne contient pas d'informations de connexion VPN reconnues. Erreur: le greffon ne prend pas en charge la fonction d'importation. Fermer

Which roughly translates to : Unable to import VPN connection. The AirVPN_Canada_UDP-1637-Entry3.conf" file is unreadable or does not contain recognized VPN connection information. Error: The plugin does not support the import function. Close

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: gnome-control-center 1:46.0.1-1ubuntu7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-31.31-generic 6.8.1
Uname: Linux 6.8.0-31-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Apr 30 13:52:58 2024
InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-04-25 (5 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Release amd64 (20240424)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 TERM=xterm-256color
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
RebootRequiredPkgs: Error: path contained symlinks.
SourcePackage: gnome-control-center
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug report. It seems a bit similar to https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-control-center/-/issues/2679 upstream, could you try if renaming the file with a shorter name makes a difference maybe?

[Fabien Gagné (fabiengagne)]

Whoa you nailed it.

The code fails if the filename + extension is > 20 characters long. It handles the path name length correctly, it fails only if the filename + extension is longer than 20 characters. It should be good up to 255 or 32k characters, but it isn't.

Will this be fixed?

[Fabien Gagné (fabiengagne)]

omg I've tried to import a new wireguard config from my VPN provider, but with a short filename; the import seemed to fail because the dialog closed immediately after selecting the file and the new VPN connection would not add to the list. Tried a second time and had a crash; submitted the report as suggested but it would come back again as a new crash repeatedly. I decided to reboot to try again fresh but now I have no networking altogether. No Ethernet device in /dev
But lspci still reports my two Ethernet adapters.
I look like I will have to wipe off this system again, start from scratch.
:(

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Urg, sorry about those issues :-(

Thanks for confirming the file length issue

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

I've reported the error upstream
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-control-center/-/issues/3042

It's a bit unclear if the bug is in the setting of the backend though, if you get a working system again would you mean trying to do

$ nmcli connection import type wireguard file AirVPN_Canada_UDP-1637-Entry3.conf

and see if that works?