Debian Bug report logs - #479473
debian-installer: DHCP client fails to assign address during install

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jamie Thompson <debian-bugs@jamie-thompson.co.uk>

To: Debian Bug Tracking System <submit@bugs.debian.org>

Subject: debian-installer: DHCP client fails to assign address during install

Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 00:38:53 +0100

Package: debian-installer
Version: Debian GNU/Linux testing "Lenny" - Official Snapshot i386 BC Binary-1 20080316-10:44
Severity: normal


Earlier, I tried setting up a new test system for some debugging of another package. As I run a apt-cache I (as always) downloaded the smallest install package I could find, the business card netinst image.

However, I was unable to obtain an IP address via DHCP. My network uses DHCP and works (and this install used it fine once it had completed), so I do not believe that to be at fault. However, even after switching to manually entering my netowrk details I was unable to download the releases fie. I had to restart and enter my settings manually first time before I could proceed with the installation, which was otherwise uneventful. Here's the log of another attempt (it's 100% reproducable):
> May  4 23:22:15 net/hw-detect.hotplug: Detected hotpluggable network interface lo
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: 8139cp: 10/100 PCI Ethernet driver v1.3 (Mar 22, 2004)
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: 8139cp 0000:00:0a.0: This (id 10ec:8139 rev 10) is not an 8139C+ compatible chip
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: 8139cp 0000:00:0a.0: Try the "8139too" driver instead.
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: 8139too Fast Ethernet driver 0.9.28
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKC] enabled at IRQ 9
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: PCI: setting IRQ 9 as level-triggered
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:0a.0[A] -> Link [LNKC] -> GSI 9 (level, low) -> IRQ 9
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: eth0: RealTek RTL8139 at 0xd000, xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx, IRQ 9
> May  4 23:22:15 kernel: eth0:  Identified 8139 chip type 'RTL-8100B/8139D'
> May  4 23:22:15 net/hw-detect.hotplug: Detected hotpluggable network interface eth0
> May  4 23:22:16 kernel: Intel ISA PCIC probe: not found.
> May  4 23:22:16 hw-detect: Loading PCMCIA bridge driver module: i82365
> May  4 23:22:16 hw-detect: FATAL: Error inserting i82365 (/lib/modules/2.6.22-3-486/kernel/drivers/pcmcia/i82365.ko): No such device
> May  4 23:22:17 net/hw-detect.hotplug: Detected hotpluggable network interface eth0
> May  4 23:22:17 net/hw-detect.hotplug: Detected hotpluggable network interface lo
> May  4 23:22:18 main-menu[948]: INFO: Menu item 'netcfg' selected
> May  4 23:22:18 dhclient: Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.1.0
> May  4 23:22:18 dhclient: Copyright 2004-2007 Internet Systems Consortium.
> May  4 23:22:18 dhclient: All rights reserved.
> May  4 23:22:18 dhclient: For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
> May  4 23:22:18 dhclient:
> May  4 23:22:18 kernel: eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0xC5E1
> May  4 23:22:19 dhclient: Listening on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
> May  4 23:22:19 dhclient: Sending on   LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
> May  4 23:22:19 dhclient: Sending on   Socket/fallback
> May  4 23:22:20 dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 7
> May  4 23:22:20 dhclient: DHCPOFFER from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:20 dhclient: DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: DHCPACK from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: dhclient.c(2129): null pointer
> May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: DHCPDECLINE on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 3
> May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: DHCPOFFER from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:22 dhclient: DHCPACK from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:22 dhclient: dhclient.c(2129): null pointer
> May  4 23:22:22 dhclient: DHCPDECLINE on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:22 dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 8
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.1.0
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): Copyright 2004-2007 Internet Systems Consortium.
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): All rights reserved.
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264):
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): Listening on LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): Sending on   LPF/eth0/xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): Sending on   Socket/fallback
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 7
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPOFFER from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): Sending on   Socket/fallback
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 7
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPOFFER from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPACK from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): ip:
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): RTNETLINK answers
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): : File exists
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): dhclient.c(2129): null pointer
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPDECLINE on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 3
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPOFFER from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:6264): DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:22 main-menu[948]: (process:62
> May  4 23:22:22 dhclient: DHCPOFFER from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:22 dhclient: DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:23 dhclient: DHCPACK from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:23 dhclient: dhclient.c(2129): null pointer
> May  4 23:22:23 dhclient: DHCPDECLINE on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:23 dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 6
> May  4 23:22:23 dhclient: DHCPOFFER from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:23 dhclient: DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:24 dhclient: DHCPACK from y.y.y.250
> May  4 23:22:24 dhclient: dhclient.c(2129): null pointer
> May  4 23:22:24 dhclient: DHCPDECLINE on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
> May  4 23:22:24 dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 3
...and so on

I took a look at the syslog for the installer, and I kept seeing the above messages from dhclient along the lines of "dhclient.c(xxxx): null pointer" followed by a DHCPDECLINE. Logs on the server showed requests for each address in sequence followed by the decline:
> May  4 19:34:37 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:38 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on y.y.y.88 to xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:38 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for y.y.y.88 (y.y.y.250) from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:38 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPACK on y.y.y.88 to xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:38 mrlinux2 dhcpd: Abandoning IP address y.y.y.88: declined.
> May  4 19:34:38 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPDECLINE of y.y.y.88 from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0: not found
> May  4 19:34:38 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:38 mrlinux2 dhcpd: ICMP Echo Reply for y.y.y.88 late or spurious.
> May  4 19:34:39 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on y.y.y.87 to xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:39 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for y.y.y.87 (y.y.y.250) from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:39 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPACK on y.y.y.87 to xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:39 mrlinux2 dhcpd: Abandoning IP address y.y.y.87: declined.
> May  4 19:34:39 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPDECLINE of y.y.y.87 from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0: not found
> May  4 19:34:39 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
> May  4 19:34:39 mrlinux2 dhcpd: ICMP Echo Reply for y.y.y.87 late or spurious.
> May  4 19:34:40 mrlinux2 dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on y.y.y.86 to xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx via eth0
...and so on

-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (900, 'testing'), (600, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.24-1-686 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_GB, LC_CTYPE=en_GB (charmap=ISO-8859-1)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Message #10 received at 479473@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl>

To: 479473@bugs.debian.org

Cc: Jamie Thompson <debian-bugs@jamie-thompson.co.uk>, dhcp3-client@packages.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#479473: debian-installer: DHCP client fails to assign address during install

Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 10:13:41 +0200

reassign 479473 dhcp3-client-udeb 3.1.0-3
thanks

General comments:
* please make sure that your normal text has a decent line width even
  when you disable line wrapping because of the log
* when you replace values in a log, please make that explicit; currently
  one could think that the invalid xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx MAC address could
  be the source of your issue, but I'm going to assume you replaced it

On Monday 05 May 2008, Jamie Thompson wrote:
> Earlier, I tried setting up a new test system for some debugging of
> another package. As I run a apt-cache I (as always) downloaded the
> smallest install package I could find, the business card netinst image.
>
> However, I was unable to obtain an IP address via DHCP. My network uses
> DHCP and works (and this install used it fine once it had completed), so I
> do not believe that to be at fault. However, even after switching to
> manually entering my netowrk details I was unable to download the releases
> fie. I had to restart and enter my settings manually first time before I
> could proceed with the installation, which was otherwise uneventful.

> Here's the log of another attempt (it's 100% reproducable):      
> > May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: dhclient.c(2129): null pointer

I suspect that this is the root of your problem. Therefore reassigning to 
the dhcp3-client package.

Andrew: a more complete log is available in the BR.

Cheers,
FJP

Message #17 received at 479473@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Andrew Pollock <apollock@debian.org>

To: Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl>

Cc: 479473@bugs.debian.org, Jamie Thompson <debian-bugs@jamie-thompson.co.uk>, dhcp3-client@packages.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#479473: debian-installer: DHCP client fails to assign address during install

Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:24:10 +1000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On Mon, May 05, 2008 at 10:13:41AM +0200, Frans Pop wrote:
> reassign 479473 dhcp3-client-udeb 3.1.0-3
> thanks
> 
> General comments:
> * please make sure that your normal text has a decent line width even
>   when you disable line wrapping because of the log
> * when you replace values in a log, please make that explicit; currently
>   one could think that the invalid xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx MAC address could
>   be the source of your issue, but I'm going to assume you replaced it
> 
> On Monday 05 May 2008, Jamie Thompson wrote:
> > Earlier, I tried setting up a new test system for some debugging of
> > another package. As I run a apt-cache I (as always) downloaded the
> > smallest install package I could find, the business card netinst image.
> >
> > However, I was unable to obtain an IP address via DHCP. My network uses
> > DHCP and works (and this install used it fine once it had completed), so I
> > do not believe that to be at fault. However, even after switching to
> > manually entering my netowrk details I was unable to download the releases
> > fie. I had to restart and enter my settings manually first time before I
> > could proceed with the installation, which was otherwise uneventful.
> 
> > Here's the log of another attempt (it's 100% reproducable):      
> > > May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: dhclient.c(2129): null pointer
> 
> I suspect that this is the root of your problem. Therefore reassigning to 
> the dhcp3-client package.
> 
> Andrew: a more complete log is available in the BR.
> 

Hmm, dhclient falling over with something about a null pointer. Not very
good. Jamie, is this still reproducible with a current daily CD image?

regards

Andrew

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Message #22 received at 479473@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jamie Thompson <debian-bugs@jamie-thompson.co.uk>

To: Andrew Pollock <apollock@debian.org>

Cc: 479473@bugs.debian.org, dhcp3-client@packages.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#479473: debian-installer: DHCP client fails to assign address during install

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:21:39 +0100

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Andrew Pollock wrote:
> On Mon, May 05, 2008 at 10:13:41AM +0200, Frans Pop wrote:
>> reassign 479473 dhcp3-client-udeb 3.1.0-3
>> thanks
>>
>> General comments:
>> * please make sure that your normal text has a decent line width even
>>   when you disable line wrapping because of the log
>> * when you replace values in a log, please make that explicit; currently
>>   one could think that the invalid xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx MAC address could
>>   be the source of your issue, but I'm going to assume you replaced it
>>
>> On Monday 05 May 2008, Jamie Thompson wrote:
>>> Earlier, I tried setting up a new test system for some debugging of
>>> another package. As I run a apt-cache I (as always) downloaded the
>>> smallest install package I could find, the business card netinst image.
>>>
>>> However, I was unable to obtain an IP address via DHCP. My network uses
>>> DHCP and works (and this install used it fine once it had completed), so I
>>> do not believe that to be at fault. However, even after switching to
>>> manually entering my netowrk details I was unable to download the releases
>>> fie. I had to restart and enter my settings manually first time before I
>>> could proceed with the installation, which was otherwise uneventful.
>>> Here's the log of another attempt (it's 100% reproducable):      
>>>> May  4 23:22:21 dhclient: dhclient.c(2129): null pointer
>> I suspect that this is the root of your problem. Therefore reassigning to 
>> the dhcp3-client package.
>>
>> Andrew: a more complete log is available in the BR.
>>
> 
> Hmm, dhclient falling over with something about a null pointer. Not very
> good. Jamie, is this still reproducible with a current daily CD image?
> 
> regards
> 
> Andrew

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you....I've been snowed under of late and
it's required a 1am session here, as I decided I needed to get this sorted.

I just burned the current daily ( 20-Aug-2008, 11:33, 45M
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/daily-builds/daily/arch-latest/i386/iso-cd/debian-testing-i386-businesscard.iso
 )

...and still have no DHCP.

syslog says in a repeating fashion (note: "xxx.xxx" = removed dhcp server ip)

main-menu[1204]: (process:7363): DHCPOFFER from 192.168.xxx.xxx
main-menu[1204]: (process:7363): DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
main-menu[1204]: (process:7363): DHCPACK from 192.168.xxx.xxx
main-menu[1204]: (process:7363):
main-menu[1204]: (process:7363): ip: RTNETLINK answers: File exists
main-menu[1204]: (process:7363): dhclient.c(2130): null pointer
main-menu[1204]: (process:7363): DHCPDECLINE on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
main-menu[1204]: (process:7363): DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
interval 5

...etc.

- Jamie

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Message #27 received at 479473@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Dave <dlovitch@gmail.com>

To: 479473@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Any updates?

Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:18:51 -0800

Hi, it seems like this hasn't been looked at in a very long time.

Using lenny's CD 1 and netinst, I was experiencing this exact problem.
The machine I'm testing on is a VMWare Server instance.

It seems to continually try to look for available DHCP IP addresses,
forcing the responding DHCP server to mark those addresses as bad
since the client has responded with a DHCPDECLINE.

Based on information primarily from this page:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1012844 it seems that when
receiving DHCP info from a Windows 2003 DHCP server that supplies more
than one gateway (possibly only on VMWare), this error shows up.

The workaround in the above link is to add a static reservation on the
DHCP server for the MAC address of the interface, which works for me
as well with the Debian installer.

Thanks,
David

Message #32 received at 479473@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Christof Hanke <christof.hanke@induhviduals.de>

To: 479473@bugs.debian.org

Subject: reproducible with udhcpd on debian

Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 21:11:22 +0200

Hi,

if that's of any help, I could reproduce this error when using the installer 
against a udhcp-server (debian), with the bigger brother dhcp3-server the 
error didn't show up.

T/Christof

Message #37 received at 479473@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Jan-Philipp Huelshoff <jph@phys.uni-paderborn.de>

To: 479473@bugs.debian.org

Subject: reproducible with dhcp3-server on debian

Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:19:30 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Hi,
We run dhcp3-server on
2.6.26-2-mckinley #1 SMP ia64 GNU/Linux

version "Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Server V3.1.1" (installed   
from debian package dhcp3-server 3.1.1-6+lenny3)

It is a failover configuration with two nodes. Three DNS Servers are   
configure and 3 Gateways are configured. If we disable 2 of the   
Gateways (only 1 Gateway option) the error disappears.

e.g.

option routers 131.234.208.1;
works.

option routers 131.234.208.1, 131.234.208.2, 131.234.208.3;
end in a endless loop querying the DHCP Server for an address.   
Exacctly the same log output as above.

Kind regards,
 Jan-Philipp

-- 
Jan-Philipp Huelshoff
Universitaet Paderborn, Fak. NW
Theoretische Physik, N3.309
Warburger Strasse 100
D-33098 Paderborn

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Message #42 received at 479473@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Leif Ryge <leif@synthesize.us>

To: 479473@bugs.debian.org

Subject: router outside subnet?

Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:54:48 -0700

I'm not sure if this is related, but, since this bug is the only google
hit for "dhclient.c(2129): null pointer" I figured I'd mention it here:
I saw this message from dhclient on lenny when my ISC dhcpd was wrongly
configured to specify a router that was outside of the client's subnet.

HTH
~leif

Message #47 received at 479473-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Debian FTP Masters <ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org>

To: 165949-done@bugs.debian.org,398378-done@bugs.debian.org,479473-done@bugs.debian.org,493472-done@bugs.debian.org,520842-done@bugs.debian.org,537557-done@bugs.debian.org,555252-done@bugs.debian.org,587453-done@bugs.debian.org,

Cc: dhcp3@packages.debian.org, dhcp3@packages.qa.debian.org

Subject: Bug#602651: Removed package(s) from unstable

Date: Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:48:41 +0000

Version: 3.1.3-2+rm

Dear submitter,

as the package dhcp3 has just been removed from the Debian archive
unstable we hereby close the assiciated bug reports.  We are sorry
that we couldn't deal with your issue properly.

For details on the removal, please see http://bugs.debian.org/602651

This message was generated automatically; if you believe that there is
a problem with it please contact the archive administrators by mailing
ftpmaster@debian.org.

Debian distribution maintenance software
pp.
Alexander Reichle-Schmehl (the ftpmaster behind the curtain)

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