[blfs-support] unbound seems to cause upstream network problems

[Terry Coats]

I don't know if this is the proper place for this problem but since I'm
experiencing it from my lfs systems I'd like to mention it.

My problem is when I use one of my lfs systems with unbound it screws up
my network upsteam, probably at my wireless router. What's happening is
if I use my lfs system running unbound and then switch to another lfs
system not running unbound, that system's dns does not seem to work.
Trying browser connections to anywhere doesn't work. It appears that
unbound does something to screw up dns at the router. I have to restart
the lfs system a few times for the network to work again.

So, I boot lfs SVN-20180323, which is running unbound, and continue
adding more software for a while.

Then I'll reboot to lfs 8.0 which is my main system and not running
unbound. Network doesn't work, at least the dns part. The connection is
up but dns fails. I can reboot to lfs 8.0 a couple more times and
eventually dns will start working. Since lfs 8.0 knows nothing about
unbound the previous running of it on lfs SVN-20180323 must have must
mess up router dns somehow. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Because of unbound problems I stopped using it on lfs 8.0 and use a
static config of 192.168.1.140 for my address and use google dns servers
listed in /etc/resolv.conf.

I'll do this also for lfs SVN-20180323, just haven't got around to it yet.

I am writing this to call attention to the fact that unbound has called
me problems. It's not a show-stopper but I just wanted to mention it.

[Ken Moffat]

Post by Terry Coats
I don't know if this is the proper place for this problem but since I'm
experiencing it from my lfs systems I'd like to mention it.
My problem is when I use one of my lfs systems with unbound it screws up my
network upsteam, probably at my wireless router. What's happening is if I
use my lfs system running unbound and then switch to another lfs system not
running unbound, that system's dns does not seem to work. Trying browser
connections to anywhere doesn't work. It appears that unbound does something
to screw up dns at the router. I have to restart the lfs system a few times
for the network to work again.
So, I boot lfs SVN-20180323, which is running unbound, and continue adding
more software for a while.
Then I'll reboot to lfs 8.0 which is my main system and not running unbound.
Network doesn't work, at least the dns part. The connection is up but dns
fails. I can reboot to lfs 8.0 a couple more times and eventually dns will
start working. Since lfs 8.0 knows nothing about unbound the previous
running of it on lfs SVN-20180323 must have must mess up router dns somehow.
Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Can't say I've seen this. I ignored unbound for a long time, until
posts on another list convinced me it had some benefit. So I started
using it on builds from last October. Since then I have from time
to time used older systems (multiple machines), either to do
different things in the early months (I mostly only update one at a
time), or to build a new system, or to update a few things on older
systems.

No problems apart from one occasion where I had to reboot my virgin
hub and the tivo into which it is plugged (not uncommon, happens a
few times a year).

Post by Terry Coats
Because of unbound problems I stopped using it on lfs 8.0 and use a static
config of 192.168.1.140 for my address and use google dns servers listed in
/etc/resolv.conf.
I'll do this also for lfs SVN-20180323, just haven't got around to it yet.
I am writing this to call attention to the fact that unbound has called me
problems. It's not a show-stopper but I just wanted to mention it.

Are you using your provider's DNS with unbound ? If so, maybe
either *add* google or replace what is there now with google. I do
recall one other occasion where google's DNS was down for a little
while.

ĸen

[Terry Coats]

Post by Ken Moffat

Post by Terry Coats
Because of unbound problems I stopped using it on lfs 8.0 and use a static
config of 192.168.1.140 for my address and use google dns servers listed in
/etc/resolv.conf.
I'll do this also for lfs SVN-20180323, just haven't got around to it yet.
I am writing this to call attention to the fact that unbound has called me
problems. It's not a show-stopper but I just wanted to mention it.

Are you using your provider's DNS with unbound ? If so, maybe
either *add* google or replace what is there now with google. I do
recall one other occasion where google's DNS was down for a little
while.
ĸen

My provider's dns was slow so I haven't used them in quite a while.
lfs SVN-20180323 running unbound /etc/resolv.conf is

# Begin /etc/resolv.conf

domain sierra
nameserver 127.0.0.1
nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

# End /etc/resolv.conf

lfs 8.0 not running unbound /etc/resolv.conf is

# Begin /etc/resolv.conf

domain madilee
nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

# End /etc/resolv.conf

Another problem I've seen is sometimes when booting lfs SVN-20180323
when it gets to the part to start unbound the process will hang for a long
time until it eventually gives up and the boot continues but I will get the
problem of not having any dns working. The network will be up and show
me connected to the router but no dns. I'm an experienced linux user and
can usually figure things out but this one has me stumped. I'll work around
it by configuring everything manually but I like to solve problems and know
why things don't work right. I've rarely seen the google dns down so I don't
believe I have a problem there.

[Ken Moffat]

Post by Terry Coats
My provider's dns was slow so I haven't used them in quite a while.
lfs SVN-20180323 running unbound /etc/resolv.conf is

I asked because I had read your mail as suggesting you were not
using google on the svn (unbound) build.

Post by Terry Coats
# Begin /etc/resolv.conf
domain sierra
nameserver 127.0.0.1
nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4
# End /etc/resolv.conf
lfs 8.0 not running unbound /etc/resolv.conf is
# Begin /etc/resolv.conf
domain madilee
nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

The different domain names look odd - all my (home) boxes are in the
same domain and I have not found a reason to set a domain name.

Also, unless you are actually running a nameserver on localhost (or
maybe you have a blacklist in /etc/hosts) I would omit that line.

Post by Terry Coats
# End /etc/resolv.conf
Another problem I've seen is sometimes when booting lfs SVN-20180323
when it gets to the part to start unbound the process will hang for a long
time until it eventually gives up and the boot continues but I will get the
problem of not having any dns working. The network will be up and show
me connected to the router but no dns. I'm an experienced linux user and
can usually figure things out but this one has me stumped. I'll work around
it by configuring everything manually but I like to solve problems and know
why things don't work right. I've rarely seen the google dns down so I don't
believe I have a problem there.

I agree that google being down is not common. For unbound taking a
long time and then failing to start I have no idea - unless you are
asking for a dhcp address and there is some delay in that. I used
to use dhcp, but now I normally have static addresses on my wired
machines and I don't think I've tried using unbound with dhcp.

ĸen

[Terry Coats]

Post by Ken Moffat

Post by Terry Coats
My provider's dns was slow so I haven't used them in quite a while.
lfs SVN-20180323 running unbound /etc/resolv.conf is

I asked because I had read your mail as suggesting you were not
using google on the svn (unbound) build.

Post by Terry Coats
# Begin /etc/resolv.conf
domain sierra
nameserver 127.0.0.1
nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4
# End /etc/resolv.conf
lfs 8.0 not running unbound /etc/resolv.conf is
# Begin /etc/resolv.conf
domain madilee
nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

The different domain names look odd - all my (home) boxes are in the
same domain and I have not found a reason to set a domain name.
Also, unless you are actually running a nameserver on localhost (or
maybe you have a blacklist in /etc/hosts) I would omit that line.

Post by Terry Coats
# End /etc/resolv.conf
Another problem I've seen is sometimes when booting lfs SVN-20180323
when it gets to the part to start unbound the process will hang for a long
time until it eventually gives up and the boot continues but I will get the
problem of not having any dns working. The network will be up and show
me connected to the router but no dns. I'm an experienced linux user and
can usually figure things out but this one has me stumped. I'll work around
it by configuring everything manually but I like to solve problems and know
why things don't work right. I've rarely seen the google dns down so I don't
believe I have a problem there.

I agree that google being down is not common. For unbound taking a
long time and then failing to start I have no idea - unless you are
asking for a dhcp address and there is some delay in that. I used
to use dhcp, but now I normally have static addresses on my wired
machines and I don't think I've tried using unbound with dhcp.
ĸen

I've removed the domain line for both /etc/resolv.conf's.
I've removed the nameserver 127.0.0.1 line from the one resolv.conf.
I think it was there because the book instructions said to put it there
for unbound.
I don't use dhcp. I set up a static ip for both systems.
I've removed unbound from both lfs 8.0 and lfs SVN-20180323
so it won't be causing problems anymore. I don't know why
I was even running it. I think it's listed as a dependency of something
but I don't remember what. Anyway, I'm sorted out now.
I still don't understand what unbound was doing to cause problems
but it doesn't matter now. It'll have to remain a mystery.
Thanks.