Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Unable to start Unbound after switch away from KEA

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
    17 Posts 3 Posters 1.1k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • M
      michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @michmoor
      last edited by

      Took a hail mary and ran the command

      [24.11-RELEASE][admin@nyc-fw1-inet.moore.lan]/root: /usr/local/sbin/unbound
      [24.11-RELEASE][admin@nyc-fw1-inet.moore.lan]/root:

      Unbound started without issues.........

      No clue what is going on.

      Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
      Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
      Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
      Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
      JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

      GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • GertjanG
        Gertjan @michmoor
        last edited by

        @michmoor said in Unable to start Unbound after switch away from KEA:

        [24.11-RELEASE][admin@nyc-fw1-inet.moore.lan]/root: /usr/local/sbin/unbound

        That shouldn't work.
        To name one : unbound, by default, uses classic freebsd file paths like /usr/local/etc/unbound/unbound.conf to start up.

        [24.11-RELEASE][root@pfSense.bhf.tld]/root: unbound -h
usage:  unbound [options]
        start unbound daemon DNS resolver.
-h      this help.
-c file config file to read instead of /usr/local/etc/unbound/unbound.conf
        file format is described in unbound.conf(5).
-d      do not fork into the background.
-p      do not create a pidfile.
-v      verbose (more times to increase verbosity).
-V      show version number and build options.

Version 1.22.0
BSD licensed, see LICENSE in source package for details.
Report bugs to unbound-bugs@nlnetlabs.nl or https://github.com/NLnetLabs/unbound/issues

        There is a config file at /usr/local/etc/unbound/ but that one is a generic one, enumerating all the default config values, and it won't work in the pfSEnse environment.
        The actual unbound config file isn't there, it's here : /var/unbound/unbound.conf

        A manual unbound startup would look like

        unbound -c /var/unbound/unbound.conf

        That said, I"'m using 24.11 since yesterday, maybe things changed ?

        No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
        Edit : and where are the logs ??

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          Nope it's using that conf file from the custom location and failing for some reason.

          The first thing I would do is just resave the DNS Resolver settings to regenerate that conf file. Though nothing in that current file looks obviously like a problem to me.

          M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • M
            michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @stephenw10
            last edited by

            @stephenw10

            Starting unbound the way i did did allow the service to show green in the pfsense GUI but no DNS resolution was occurring

             ps auxx | grep unbound
root    73481   0.0  0.2   12860   1936  -  Is   19:55      0:00.02 /usr/local/sbin/dhcpleases -l /var/dhcpd/var/db/dhcpd.leases -d moore.lan -p /var/run/unbound.pid -u /var/unbound/d
unbound 87474   0.0  0.7   40588   6956  -  Is   Thu23      0:18.40 /usr/local/sbin/unbound
root       27   0.0  0.2   12952   2064  0  S+   19:58      0:00.01 grep unbound
[24.11-RELEASE][admin@nyc-fw1-inet.moore.lan]/root: kill -9 87474
[24.11-RELEASE][admin@nyc-fw1-inet.moore.lan]/root: ps auxx | grep unbound
root   73481   0.0  0.2   12860   1936  -  Is   19:55      0:00.02 /usr/local/sbin/dhcpleases -l /var/dhcpd/var/db/dhcpd.leases -d moore.lan -p /var/run/unbound.pid -u /var/unbound/dh
root    2975   0.0  0.2   12952   2064  0  S+   19:59      0:00.01 grep unbound
[24.11-RELEASE][admin@nyc-fw1-inet.moore.lan]/root:

            I have re-saved the unbound configuration again, apply changes , and still the service remains down with the following error seen in the log

            dc726a88-bdbe-413d-9ebf-fc9b95f4ae5f-image.png

            Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
            Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
            Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
            Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
            JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

            M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • M
              michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @michmoor
              last edited by

              Manually starting the service

               unbound -c /var/unbound/unbound.conf
/var/unbound/unbound.conf:17: error: number expected
/var/unbound/unbound.conf:17: error: unknown keyword 'yes'
/var/unbound/unbound.conf:33: error: number expected
read /var/unbound/unbound.conf failed: 3 errors in configuration file
[1733101412] unbound[3798:0] fatal error: Could not read config file: /var/unbound/unbound.conf. Maybe try unbound -dd, it stays on the commandline to see more errors, or unbound-checkconf

              Here is the unbound.conf again.

               cat /var/unbound/unbound.conf
##########################
# Unbound Configuration
##########################

##
# Server configuration
##
server:

chroot: /var/unbound
username: "unbound"
directory: "/var/unbound"
pidfile: "/var/run/unbound.pid"
use-syslog: yes
port: 53
verbosity:
hide-identity: yes
hide-version: yes
harden-glue: yes
do-ip4: yes
do-ip6: yes
do-udp: yes
do-tcp: yes
do-daemonize: yes
module-config: "validator iterator"
unwanted-reply-threshold: 0
num-queries-per-thread: 4096
jostle-timeout: 200
infra-keep-probing: yes
infra-host-ttl: 900
infra-cache-numhosts: 10000
outgoing-num-tcp:
incoming-num-tcp:
edns-buffer-size: 1332
cache-max-ttl: 86400
cache-min-ttl: 0
harden-dnssec-stripped: yes
msg-cache-size: 4m
rrset-cache-size: 8m

num-threads: 2
msg-cache-slabs: 2
rrset-cache-slabs: 2
infra-cache-slabs: 2
key-cache-slabs: 2
outgoing-range: 4096
so-rcvbuf: 12m
auto-trust-anchor-file: /var/unbound/root.key
prefetch: no
prefetch-key: no
use-caps-for-id: no
serve-expired: no
sock-queue-timeout: 0
aggressive-nsec: no
# Statistics
# Unbound Statistics
statistics-interval: 0
extended-statistics: yes
statistics-cumulative: yes

# TLS Configuration
tls-cert-bundle: "/etc/ssl/cert.pem"

# Interface IP addresses to bind to
interface-automatic: yes


# DNS Rebinding




# Access lists
include: /var/unbound/access_lists.conf

# Static host entries
include: /var/unbound/host_entries.conf

# dhcp lease entries
include: /var/unbound/dhcpleases_entries.conf



# Domain overrides
include: /var/unbound/domainoverrides.conf
# Forwarding
forward-zone:
        name: "."
        forward-addr: 9.9.9.9
        forward-addr: 149.112.112.112




###
# Remote Control Config
###
include: /var/unbound/remotecontrol.conf

              Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
              Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
              Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
              Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
              JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

              M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • M
                michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @michmoor
                last edited by

                Counting the lines in the conf file, Line 17 is the following

                hide-version: yes

                I went into the GUI, DNS Resolver , Advanced Settings, and unchecked Hide Version.
                Apply changes.
                DNS Resolver starts without issues and name resolution finally works.

                @stephenw10 what is that setting and why did having it checked break Unbound? Seems like a redmine issue but i don't know what the fault is.
                Checking my 6100 HighAvailability pair, they have it enabled and no Unbound issues post upgrade. Even did a failover to test and it works.

                Any guidance you can offer i would greatly appreciate it!

                Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • GertjanG
                  Gertjan @michmoor
                  last edited by

                  @michmoor

                  This one :

                  a82c85f9-4bcf-42d1-a940-79213a4aeccf-image.png

                  runs because you've set :

                  22f836bd-0629-45cc-905d-a69f7320c418-image.png

                  If it is possible : disable that option.

                  dhcpdleases restarts unbound every time a new DHCP lease event is received.
                  This can give you the impression that 'unbound' wasn't running as it was 'restarting again (and again, and again etc etc).
                  Unbound restarts do take some time, several seconds, or more.

                  You see the command line option of that dhcpdleases process ?

                  -p /var/run/unbound.pid

                  which means that when you restart manually unbound, the PID changes.
                  dhcpdleases also has to be restarted - not sure if you can do this manually.

                  No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                  Edit : and where are the logs ??

                  M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • M
                    michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @Gertjan
                    last edited by

                    @Gertjan Thanks Gertjan but you are misunderstanding the problem.

                    DNS resolver wasn't running due to a parameter set it did not recognize or like for some reason. After negating that in the advanced options in Unbound, it started up successfully and resolved hostnames.

                    The issue here is why was it broken in the first place. The only connection i have to KEA is that it was the last change i made on the system before i reverted back.

                    Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                    Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                    Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                    Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                    JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                      last edited by

                      Line 17 is actually hide-identity: yes. But that's not the issue that's a default setting. The problem is that you had no log verbosity value on the line before. It's expecting a number for the log verbosity and sees not-a-number at the start of line 17.

                      Resaving the Unbound Advanced page will have added that value back.

                      The same applies to the values for:

                      outgoing-num-tcp: 
incoming-num-tcp:

                      However I have no idea what might have caused those to not be populated. Unbound should never have allowed those empty values.

                      M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • M
                        michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @stephenw10
                        last edited by

                        @stephenw10 I gotcha.
                        As mentioned, the last change I made was the KEA switchover. I don't know if KEA is involved with Unbound in this case, but that was the last change I made. I don't understand what could suddenly cause Unbound to find a problem with the conf file. Outside of configuring Unbound via the GUI as far as i know there is no direct way to modify the configuration and have it saved. I could be wrong of course.

                        Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                        Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                        Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                        Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                        JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          Indeed. I can see why it rejected that conf file because there are values missing. What I can't understand is how that was ever generated and passed the Unbound tests. 🤔

                          If you revert that change to the Unbound settings I imagine it will still start no problem.

                          M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • M
                            michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @stephenw10
                            last edited by

                            @stephenw10 I reverted my change in Unbound and here is the conf file now.

                            ##########################
# Unbound Configuration
##########################

##
# Server configuration
##
server:

chroot: /var/unbound
username: "unbound"
directory: "/var/unbound"
pidfile: "/var/run/unbound.pid"
use-syslog: yes
port: 53
verbosity: 1
hide-identity: yes
hide-version: yes
harden-glue: yes
do-ip4: yes
do-ip6: yes
do-udp: yes
do-tcp: yes
do-daemonize: yes
module-config: "validator iterator"
unwanted-reply-threshold: 0
num-queries-per-thread: 512
jostle-timeout: 200
infra-keep-probing: yes
infra-host-ttl: 900
infra-cache-numhosts: 10000
outgoing-num-tcp: 10
incoming-num-tcp: 10
edns-buffer-size: 1332
cache-max-ttl: 86400
cache-min-ttl: 0
harden-dnssec-stripped: yes
msg-cache-size: 4m
rrset-cache-size: 8m

num-threads: 2
msg-cache-slabs: 2
rrset-cache-slabs: 2
infra-cache-slabs: 2
key-cache-slabs: 2
outgoing-range: 4096
so-rcvbuf: 12m
auto-trust-anchor-file: /var/unbound/root.key
prefetch: no
prefetch-key: no
use-caps-for-id: no
serve-expired: no
sock-queue-timeout: 0
aggressive-nsec: no
# Statistics
# Unbound Statistics
statistics-interval: 0
extended-statistics: yes
statistics-cumulative: yes

# TLS Configuration
tls-cert-bundle: "/etc/ssl/cert.pem"

# Interface IP addresses to bind to
interface-automatic: yes


# DNS Rebinding




# Access lists
include: /var/unbound/access_lists.conf

# Static host entries
include: /var/unbound/host_entries.conf

# dhcp lease entries
include: /var/unbound/dhcpleases_entries.conf



# Domain overrides
include: /var/unbound/domainoverrides.conf
# Forwarding
forward-zone:
	name: "."
	forward-addr: 9.9.9.9
	forward-addr: 149.112.112.112




###
# Remote Control Config
###
include: /var/unbound/remotecontrol.conf

                            Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                            Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                            Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                            Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                            JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              Yup so now those 3 values are all populated. And I imagine it starts fine?

                              M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • M
                                michmoor LAYER 8 Rebel Alliance @stephenw10
                                last edited by

                                @stephenw10

                                Yep starts up fine, no issues.

                                Unless i can reproduce it or others have a similar issue might have to throw this in the mystery box.

                                Firewall: NetGate,Palo Alto-VM,Juniper SRX
                                Routing: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                Switching: Juniper, Arista, Cisco
                                Wireless: Unifi, Aruba IAP
                                JNCIP,CCNP Enterprise

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • First post
                                  Last post
                                Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.