Hi, I still have that issue even if I update regularly my system. It's very annoying to have to login as root everytime to remove /run/nologin. This means I have to be there physically because I forbid ssh connection as root for security reasons.

Anything solution, even temporary? Is there a way to find the reason why I get this nologin file?

This morning, this is what I found in red in journalctl:

nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma systemd[1]: Starting Create Volatile Files and Directories...
nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma systemd-tmpfiles[1320]: [/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/screen.conf:2] Unknown group 'screen'.
nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma systemd[1]: Failed to start Create Volatile Files and Directories.
nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma audit[1]: SERVICE_START pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-tmpfiles-setup comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=failed'
nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service: Unit entered failed state.
nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
nov. 10 05:51:31 gamma kernel: audit: type=1130 audit(1510289491.923:84): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-tmpfiles-setup comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=failed'


nov. 10 05:52:06 gamma dbus-daemon[1346]: [system] Connection has not authenticated soon enough, closing it (auth_timeout=30000ms, elapsed: 30002ms)
nov. 10 05:52:06 gamma systemd-tmpfiles[1923]: [/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/screen.conf:2] Unknown group 'screen'.
nov. 10 05:52:06 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
nov. 10 05:52:06 gamma systemd[1]: Failed to start Create Volatile Files and Directories.
nov. 10 05:52:06 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service: Unit entered failed state.
nov. 10 05:52:06 gamma audit[1]: SERVICE_START pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-tmpfiles-setup comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=failed'
nov. 10 05:52:06 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.

nov. 10 06:06:43 gamma dbus-daemon[1346]: [system] Connection has not authenticated soon enough, closing it (auth_timeout=30000ms, elapsed: 30002ms)
nov. 10 06:06:43 gamma systemd-tmpfiles[2025]: [/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/screen.conf:2] Unknown group 'screen'.
nov. 10 06:06:43 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
nov. 10 06:06:43 gamma systemd[1]: Failed to start Cleanup of Temporary Directories.
nov. 10 06:06:43 gamma audit[1]: SERVICE_START pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-tmpfiles-clean comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=failed'
nov. 10 06:06:43 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service: Unit entered failed state.
nov. 10 06:06:43 gamma systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
nov. 10 06:36:26 gamma audit[2037]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2037 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=server fp=SHA256:79:33:58:8b:8f:cd:3b:37:ab:a1:91:04:ad:03:b6:86:8f:4a:76:fa:3d:e0:1a:50:f2:4d:77:3a:ac:d5:9a:fd direc
nov. 10 06:36:26 gamma audit[2037]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2037 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=server fp=SHA256:50:d0:a3:7b:5c:b1:67:53:98:8b:84:c1:4a:3d:9b:d7:8c:12:91:3b:b5:4c:56:b6:86:c5:78:c5:03:e7:8b:ba direc
nov. 10 06:36:26 gamma audit[2037]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2037 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=server fp=SHA256:5a:bc:32:dd:5d:3d:59:19:5d:bb:b5:a8:28:29:4a:fb:cb:c3:e4:db:37:f0:b1:b1:d1:36:c3:08:cc:28:fb:b2 direc
nov. 10 06:36:26 gamma audit[2036]: CRYPTO_SESSION pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=start direction=from-server cipher=aes256-gcm ksize=256 mac=<implicit> pfs=curve25519-sha256 spid=2037 suid=7
nov. 10 06:36:26 gamma audit[2036]: CRYPTO_SESSION pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=start direction=from-client cipher=aes256-gcm ksize=256 mac=<implicit> pfs=curve25519-sha256 spid=2037 suid=7
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: USER_AUTH pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=pubkey_auth rport=34942 acct="fred" exe="/usr/sbin/sshd" hostname=? addr=192.168.1.61 terminal=? res=success'
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: USER_AUTH pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=key algo=ssh-rsa size=2048 fp=SHA256:c5:70:41:1d:bb:ce:b8:70:60:69:ce:dc:a0:f6:c3:7c:33:be:93:66:fe:26:79:e0:6a:79:89:fd:ce:92:32:57 rpor
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: USER_ACCT pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=PAM:accounting grantors=? acct="fred" exe="/usr/sbin/sshd" hostname=192.168.1.61 addr=192.168.1.61 terminal=ssh res=failed'
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: USER_AUTH pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=pubkey acct="fred" exe="/usr/sbin/sshd" hostname=? addr=192.168.1.61 terminal=ssh res=failed'
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma sshd[2036]: fatal: Access denied for user fred by PAM account configuration [preauth]
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=server fp=SHA256:5a:bc:32:dd:5d:3d:59:19:5d:bb:b5:a8:28:29:4a:fb:cb:c3:e4:db:37:f0:b1:b1:d1:36:c3:08:cc:28:fb:b2 direc
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=session fp=? direction=both spid=2037 suid=74 rport=34942 laddr=192.168.1.65 lport=22  exe="/usr/sbin/sshd" hostname=?
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=server fp=SHA256:79:33:58:8b:8f:cd:3b:37:ab:a1:91:04:ad:03:b6:86:8f:4a:76:fa:3d:e0:1a:50:f2:4d:77:3a:ac:d5:9a:fd direc
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=server fp=SHA256:50:d0:a3:7b:5c:b1:67:53:98:8b:84:c1:4a:3d:9b:d7:8c:12:91:3b:b5:4c:56:b6:86:c5:78:c5:03:e7:8b:ba direc
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: CRYPTO_KEY_USER pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=destroy kind=server fp=SHA256:5a:bc:32:dd:5d:3d:59:19:5d:bb:b5:a8:28:29:4a:fb:cb:c3:e4:db:37:f0:b1:b1:d1:36:c3:08:cc:28:fb:b2 direc
nov. 10 06:36:27 gamma audit[2036]: USER_LOGIN pid=2036 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:sshd_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=login acct="fred" exe="/usr/sbin/sshd" hostname=? addr=192.168.1.61 terminal=ssh res=failed'

PAM did not create the file and did not fail to remove it - it is not its duty. Tentatively reassigning to systemd for further investigation.

/run/nologin is created by systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service. It is then removed by systemd-user-sessions.service. In comment #1 you say that you can log in if you do it quickly, which means that /run/nologin is not there, but then is created *after* boot again.

And after writing this out, the reason seems clear: systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service fails the first time around, so it is started again after another transaction starts. This is already fixed upstream, so it'll be just a question of backporting the patch. [...] Hmm, I was pretty sure we changed that, but I can't find any patch. I'll prep a patch.

Thanks

BTW, you can work-around the issue by doing 'groupadd -r screen'.

Thanks for the workaround. Apparently it worked.

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