Bug 80785

Summary: /etc/init.d/iptables status hangs
Product: [Retired] Red Hat Linux Reporter: Greg Pyhl <gregpyhl>
Component: iptablesAssignee: Thomas Woerner <twoerner>
Status: CLOSED ERRATA QA Contact: Ben Levenson <benl>
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: 8.0   
Target Milestone: ---   
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2003-07-03 09:33:48 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description Greg Pyhl 2002-12-31 10:04:17 UTC
Description of problem:
When using unreachable FQDNs or dummy IP addresses (like 11.11.11.11) in
/etc/sysconfig/iptables, /etc/init.d/iptables status command hangs every now and
then.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
All.

How reproducible:
Almost always.

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Add some rules with unreachable FQDNs or dummy IP addresses to
/etc/sysconfig/iptables
2./etc/init.d/iptables status
3.
    
Actual results:
Command hangs for several minutes during execution.

Expected results:
Command should finish in seconds.

Additional info:
Fix: add -n switch to status) segment in the init script:

- iptables -t $table --list
+ iptables -t $table --list -n

This does not hang with dummy IP addresses or unreachable FQDNs.

Comment 1 Michael Schwendt 2003-01-14 10:35:05 UTC
Your problem is related to DNS and a terribly slow or unreachable nameserver.

"iptables --list" does DNS lookups. "iptables --list --numeric" does not.
iptables does not hang. It just has problems reaching your nameserver, resulting
in either noticable delays or DNS lookup time-outs.


Comment 2 Greg Pyhl 2003-01-16 07:51:39 UTC
Yes, the iptables command itself does not hang, but when saying

/etc/init.d/iptables status

a user will be frustrated when s/he has to wait several minutes. It does not
matter is it because of DNS/iptables/whatever. These delays could easily be
avoided with -n.

Comment 3 Thomas Woerner 2003-07-03 09:33:48 UTC
Fixed in the new 1.2.8-4.x version. This version has a new startup script and an
additional config file.


/etc/sysconfig/iptables-config:
> # Additional iptables modules (nat helper)
> # Default: -empty-
> #IPTABLES_MODULES="ip_nat_ftp"
> 
> # Save current firewall rules on stop.
> # Value: yes|no,  default: no
> #IPTABLES_SAVE_ON_STOP="no"
> 
> # Save current firewall rules on restart.
> # Value: yes|no,  default: no
> #IPTABLES_SAVE_ON_RESTART="no"
> 
> # Save rule counter.
> # Value: yes|no,  default: yes
> #IPTABLES_SAVE_COUNTER="yes"
> 
> # Numeric status output
> # Value: yes|no,  default: no
> #IPTABLES_STATUS_NUMERIC="no"


RPM packages for 7.x:
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/RPMS/7.x/iptables-1.2.8-4.73.1.i386.rpm
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/RPMS/7.x/iptables-ipv6-1.2.8-4.73.1.i386.rpm
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/SRPMS/iptables-1.2.8-4.73.1.src.rpm

RPM packages for 8.0:
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/RPMS/8.0/iptables-1.2.8-4.80.1.i386.rpm
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/RPMS/8.0/iptables-ipv6-1.2.8-4.80.1.i386.rpm
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/SRPMS/iptables-1.2.8-4.80.1.src.rpm

RPM packages for 9:
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/RPMS/9/iptables-1.2.8-4.90.1.i386.rpm
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/RPMS/9/iptables-ipv6-1.2.8-4.90.1.i386.rpm
http://people.redhat.com/twoerner/SRPMS/iptables-1.2.8-4.90.1.src.rpm