configure_networking uses features not available in initramfs.

[Vinson Lee]

initramfs-tools 0.131ubuntu10 modified configure_networking to use run_dhclient instead of ipconfig. configure_networking now fails to configure networking in the initramfs because it now uses features not available in the initramfs.

https://git.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/initramfs-tools/commit/?id=a77729e9a69ff7af4911285c771d80e01b7addfe

run_dhclient calls dhclient which calls /sbin/dhclient-script.

/sbin/dhclient-script calls 'chown --reference=$resolv_conf $new_resolv_conf', but chown isn't available in initramfs /boot/initrd.img-4.18.0-7-generic.

/sbin/dhclient-script also calls 'chmod --reference=$resolv_conf $new_resolv_conf' but busybox chmod in the initramfs does not support the option --reference.

[Michael Hudson-Doyle (mwhudson)]

Thanks for the report. I'm a bit confused though, because although you're right that the call to chown will probably fail, I can't see how that failure will result in networking not being configured. Can you post the console log of networking failing to be configured?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Vinson Lee (vlee)]

This types of errors appear when running configure_networking.

/sbin/dhclient-script: line 468: chown: not found

chmod: unrecognized option '--reference=/etc/resolv.conf'
BusyBox v1.27.2 (Ubuntu 1:1.27.2-2ubuntu4) multi-call binary.

Usage: chmod [-R] MODE[,MODE]... FILE...

Each MODE is one or more of the letters ugoa, one of the
symbols +-= and one or more of the letters rwxst

 -R Recurse

no search or nameservers found in /run/net-.conf /run/net-*.conf /run/net6-*.conf

[Michael Hudson-Doyle (mwhudson)]

Well the missing chown is not going to be a problem because there is only one user in the initramfs (root!). The chmod failing might be a problem but it seems a bit unlikely.

I think this code can only be executed if two DHCP leases are accepted. Are you doing both DHCP4 and DHCP6 or something like that? Can you provide the complete command line and complete output from a failing boot?

[Vinson Lee (vlee)]

(initramfs) configure_networking
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client 4.3.5
Copyright 2004-2016 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/

[ 1058.743798] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 1058.770773] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
Listening on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on Socket/fallback
DHCPREQUEST of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 (xid=0xXXXXXXXX)
DHCPACK of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
/sbin/dhclient-script: line 468: chown: not found
chmod: unrecognized option '--reference=/etc/resolv.conf'
BusyBox v1.27.2 (Ubuntu 1:1.27.2-2ubuntu4) multi-call binary.

Usage: chmod [-R] MODE[,MODE]... FILE...

Each MODE is one or more of the letters ugoa, one of the
symbols +-= and one or more of the letters rwxst

    -R Recurse
bound to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -- renewal in 279132 seconds.
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client 4.3.5
Copyright 2004-2016 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/

Listening on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on Socket/fallback
DHCPREQUEST of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 (xid=0xXXXXXXXX)
DHCPACK of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
ip: RTNETLINK answers: File exists
/sbin/dhclient-script: line 468: chown: not found
chmod: unrecognized option '--reference=/etc/resolv.conf'
BusyBox v1.27.2 (Ubuntu 1:1.27.2-2ubuntu4) multi-call binary.

Usage: chmod [-R] MODE[,MODE]... FILE...

Each MODE is one or more of the letters ugoa, one of the
symbols +-= and one or more of the letters rwxst

    -R Recurse
bound to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -- renewal in 255077 seconds.
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client 4.3.5
Copyright 2004-2016 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/

Listening on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on Socket/fallback
DHCPREQUEST of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 (xid=0xXXXXXXXX)
DHCPACK of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
ip: RTNETLINK answers: File exists
/sbin/dhclient-script: line 468: chown: not found
chmod: unrecognized option '--reference=/etc/resolv.conf'
BusyBox v1.27.2 (Ubuntu 1:1.27.2-2ubuntu4) multi-call binary.

Usage: chmod [-R] MODE[,MODE]... FILE...

Each MODE is one or more of the letters ugoa, one of the
symbols +-= and one or more of the letters rwxst

    -R Recurse
bound to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -- renewal in 237655 seconds.
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client 4.3.5
Copyright 2004-2016 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/

Listening on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Sending on Socket/fallback
DHCPREQUEST of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 (xid=0xXXXXXXXX)
DHCPACK of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
ip: RTNETLINK answers: File exists
/sbin/dhclient-script: line 468: chown: not found
chmod: unrecognized option '--refere...

[Benjamin Drung (bdrung)]

This bug has been "fixed" by initramfs-tools 0.142ubuntu9 in Ubuntu 23.10 (mantic) by replacing dhclient by dhcpcd.