Netboot hook is broken

It appears that since !3819 most UIs (all with NetworkManager?) you try to use with Netboot won't boot because networkmanager is resetting the networking connection, also breaking the nbd connection for the rootfs at the same time. This will make the boot hang somewhere in the openrc phase, and at some point failing with a bunch of I/O errors.

Reverting the before mentioned MR "resolves" the problem for now: 0001-Revert-main-postmarketos-base-ui-enable-USB-tetherin.patch

CC @dylanvanassche

added status::confirmed type::bug labels

mentioned in commit 5859042d

By Alexey Min on 2023-09-01T10:08:23

As an alternative workaround this seems to work:

diff --git a/main/postmarketos-base-ui/rootfs-usr-lib-NetworkManager-conf.d-50-tethering.conf b/main/postmarketos-base-ui/rootfs-usr-lib-NetworkManager-conf.d-50-tethering.conf
index 020114579..22f42c664 100644
--- a/main/postmarketos-base-ui/rootfs-usr-lib-NetworkManager-conf.d-50-tethering.conf
+++ b/main/postmarketos-base-ui/rootfs-usr-lib-NetworkManager-conf.d-50-tethering.conf
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ no-auto-default=usb0
 # Iface is configured in initfs, do not persist its NetworkManager connection
 [device-usb0]
 match-device=interface-name:usb0
-managed=true
+managed=false
 keep-configuration=no

By Luca Weiss on 2023-09-01T16:40:11

In netboot mode we need to figure out how to set managed=false before NM is started.

What do you think about supplying another config file with a higher priority if netboot hook is installed like with an install_if=?

By Dylan Van Assche on 2023-09-01T16:40:10

Not sure we can easily do something with that, I think normally the rootfs is generated before the netbook hook is added, so something permanently in the rootfs would be better.

By Luca Weiss on 2023-09-03T09:32:57

@dylanvanassche Any new ideas how to fix this?

By Luca Weiss on 2023-10-02T11:53:54

A script to generate the .nmconnection file maybe? And set it to generate before NM starts?

By Dylan Van Assche on 2023-10-02T14:20:10

pmbootstrap netboot serve could do something to rootfs before "serving" it maybe?

By Alexey Min on 2024-01-06T01:53:16

assigned to @dylanvanassche

By Luca Weiss on 2023-09-06T07:56:08

Applying that patch fixed it for me, but what will be broken upon doing so?

By AceOfSpadesProduc100 on 2023-11-14T07:19:15

USB tethering might break, not sure.

By Dylan Van Assche on 2023-11-14T07:19:15

networkmanager is resetting the networking connection

@z3ntu This happens in the dispatching script. I think we need some kind of configuration mode? In netboot mode you cannot use regular USB networking I think?

By Dylan Van Assche on 2024-01-05T19:44:24

mentioned in issue #2541

By Dylan Van Assche on 2024-01-18T06:58:12

The patch doesn't work anymore. Netboot still won't work no matter what.

By AceOfSpadesProduc100 on 2024-02-20T02:04:52

I've been using netboot on-and-off still. Just removing /usr/lib/NetworkManager/conf.d/50-tethering.conf from the rootfs is required.

If the rootfs has that file and you cannot boot, either boot into debug-shell, mount the rootfs from there and remove the file. Or mount the rootfs on your host and remove the file from that. https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Netboot#Mounting_the_rootfs_on_your_host

This is also required to do after the postmarketos-base-ui-networkmanager-usb-tethering has been updated since it'll recreate the file, so don't forget to run rm from the booted system before rebooting, otherwise you have to remove it again more manually like described above.