Webmin Does Not Show Bind As Running. But It Is.

Summary

After today security updates, after reboot, Webmin does not show Bind as running. But it is. This is the first challenge. Also Webmin send automated email notifications about Bind not running. But it is. This is the second challenge. At first it seems that Bind somehow failed to automatically start at server boot. But it did. Somehow Webmin does not show Bind as running. But using Terminal/Console, according to Bind itself, it is happily running.

Steps to reproduce challenge

  1. Using Webmin navigate to “System > Software Package Updates”. Or go directly to /package-updates/index.cgi?mode=updates&xnavigation=1

  2. Install today Wed Apr 24th, 2019 five security updates:

  3. libsystemd0
    amd64 systemd utility library
    New version 215-17+deb8u12
    Jessie

  4. libudev1
    amd64 libudev shared library
    New version 215-17+deb8u12
    Jessie

  5. systemd
    amd64 system and service manager
    New version 215-17+deb8u12
    Jessie

  6. systemd-sysv
    amd64 system and service manager - SysV links
    New version 215-17+deb8u12
    Jessie

  7. udev
    amd64 /dev/ and hotplug management daemon
    New version 215-17+deb8u12
    Jessie

  8. The update is successful. This message is automatically returned:

Now updating libsystemd0 libudev1 systemd systemd-sysv udev …

Installing package(s) with command apt-get -y install libsystemd0 libudev1 systemd systemd-sysv udev ..

Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
Suggested packages:
  systemd-ui
Recommended packages:
  libpam-systemd
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libsystemd0 libudev1 systemd systemd-sysv udev
5 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 3618 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main libudev1 amd64 215-17+deb8u12 [58.8 kB]
Get:2 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main udev amd64 215-17+deb8u12 [878 kB]
Get:3 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main libsystemd0 amd64 215-17+deb8u12 [90.4 kB]
Get:4 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main systemd amd64 215-17+deb8u12 [2554 kB]
Get:5 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main systemd-sysv amd64 215-17+deb8u12 [37.4 kB]
Reading changelogs...
Preconfiguring packages ...
Fetched 3618 kB in 0s (7293 kB/s)
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Preparing to unpack .../libudev1_215-17+deb8u12_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libudev1:amd64 (215-17+deb8u12) over (215-17+deb8u11) ...
Setting up libudev1:amd64 (215-17+deb8u12) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-18+deb8u10) ...
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Preparing to unpack .../udev_215-17+deb8u12_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking udev (215-17+deb8u12) over (215-17+deb8u11) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-5) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (215-17+deb8u11) ...
Setting up udev (215-17+deb8u12) ...
addgroup: The group `input' already exists as a system group. Exiting.
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Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.19-18+deb8u10) ...
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Preparing to unpack .../systemd_215-17+deb8u12_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking systemd (215-17+deb8u12) over (215-17+deb8u11) ...
Processing triggers for dbus (1.8.22-0+deb8u1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-5) ...
Setting up systemd (215-17+deb8u12) ...
addgroup: The group `systemd-journal' already exists as a system group. Exiting.
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Preparing to unpack .../systemd-sysv_215-17+deb8u12_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking systemd-sysv (215-17+deb8u12) over (215-17+deb8u11) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.0.2-5) ...
Setting up systemd-sysv (215-17+deb8u12) ...

.. install complete.

Successfully installed 5 packages.

  1. Using Webmin, reboot the server

  2. After reboot, using Webmin, navigate to the system information/dashboard page. Or go directly to /sysinfo.cgi?xnavigation=1

  3. Under “Servers Status” section, notice that the “BIND DNS Server” shows as not running. This is the first challenge. The expected result is that Bind need to be display as started.

  4. The second challenge is that webmin “Service monitor” automatically send email notifications saying that Bind is down/not running. But it is running. The expected result is that does notification should not be send because Bind is running. But somehow Webmin does not detect it.

What we tried but did not resolve this challenge

  • Rebooted the server again
  • Searched the logs. Using Webmin, navigate to “System > System Logs > View > /var/log/messages”. But nothing unusual. No error from Bind.
    Apr 24 kernel: [ 1.] TCP bind hash table entries: 16384 (order: 6, 262144 bytes)
    Apr 24 kernel: [ 1.] TCP: Hash tables configured (established 16384 bind 16384)
    Apr 24 kernel: [ 1.] sctp: Hash tables configured (bind 256/256)
  • Using Webmin System Information/Dashboard, under “Servers Status” section, manually start Bind. This does show Bind as started. But after server reboot the challenge is back again.
  • Using Webmin search for new security update. No result.
  • Waited 1 hour after reboot
  • Using Terminal as Root, run this command to see the present status of Bind server: service bind9 status. It says that bind is presently running.
    bind9.service - BIND Domain Name Server
    Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/bind9.service; enabled)
    Drop-In: /run/systemd/generator/bind9.service.d
    └─50-insserv.conf-$named.conf
    Active: active (running) since Wed 2019-04-24 PDT; 17min ago
    Docs: man:named(8)
    Main PID: (named)
    CGroup: /system.slice/bind9.service
    └─ /usr/sbin/named -f -u bind

.

Using

  • Debian Jessie 8
  • BIND version 9.9
  • Webmin version 1.900
  • Virtualmin version 6.06-2
  • Usermin version 1.751
  • Authentic theme version 19.31
  • Kernel and CPU 4.18.16 x86_64
  • SSD storage
  • 4GB Ram
  • One Virtual Server running

Speculated Causes

This challenge is now resolved with today Sunday April 28th security updates:

  1. libsystemd0
    amd64 systemd utility library
    New version 215-17+deb8u13
    Jessie
  2. libudev1 amd64 libudev shared library
    New version 215-17+deb8u13
    Jessie
  3. systemd
    amd64 system and service manager
    New version 215-17+deb8u13
    Jessie
  4. systemd-sysv
    amd64 system and service manager - SysV links
    New version 215-17+deb8u13
    Jessie
  5. udev
    amd64 /dev/ and hotplug management daemon
    New version 215-17+deb8u13
    Jessie