No network connection on default netinst / DVD install of Fedora-eln-20260510.n.0

[AdamWill]

When doing a default network / DVD install of Fedora-eln-20260510.n.0, there is no network connection on the installed system. This does not happen with a minimal ("Custom") install, or when installing the GNOME live image.

On the installed system there are no files in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections. ip addr shows the ethernet interface as "UP" but with no IP addresses. nmcli con show only shows lo. In the journal we see these messages:

May 10 08:11:42 eln NetworkManager[1393]: <info>  [1778415102.1246] manager: (enp0s3): new Ethernet device (/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/2)
May 10 08:11:42 eln NetworkManager[1393]: <info>  [1778415102.1247] device (enp0s3): state change: unmanaged -> unavailable (reason 'managed', managed-type: 'external')
May 10 08:11:42 eln NetworkManager[1393]: <info>  [1778415102.1319] device (enp0s3): carrier: link connected
May 10 08:11:42 eln NetworkManager[1393]: <info>  [1778415102.1325] device (enp0s3): state change: unavailable -> disconnected (reason 'carrier-changed', managed-type: 'full')

[AdamWill]

By comparison, on the "custom" install:

May 10 08:54:44 eln NetworkManager[1085]: <info>  [1778417684.4325] manager: (enp1s0): new Ethernet device (/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/2)
May 10 08:54:44 eln NetworkManager[1085]: <info>  [1778417684.4330] settings: (enp1s0): created default wired connection 'Wired connection 1'
May 10 08:54:44 eln NetworkManager[1085]: <info>  [1778417684.4330] device (enp1s0): state change: unmanaged -> unavailable (reason 'managed', managed-type: 'external')
May 10 08:54:44 eln NetworkManager[1085]: <info>  [1778417684.4365] device (enp1s0): carrier: link connected
May 10 08:54:44 eln NetworkManager[1085]: <info>  [1778417684.4367] device (enp1s0): state change: unavailable -> disconnected (reason 'carrier-changed', managed-type: 'full')
May 10 08:54:44 eln NetworkManager[1085]: <info>  [1778417684.4371] device (enp1s0): Activation: starting connection 'Wired connection 1' (627d174e-3dcc-3e67-b81f-83c315d4331f)

...etc (and the network comes up). /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections is empty after install and before boot - we're relying on NM's automatic connection creation, which we can see kicking in above (created default wired connection 'Wired connection 1'). So the difference is that, for some reason, that does not kick in.

[yselkowitz]

@sgallagher iirc there was a similar issue with RHEL 10 bootstrap around the time of branching, do you recall the details?

[sgallagher]

I have no idea, but if that's bouncing up and down, doesn't that suggest a driver problem with the network device?

I'm very confused that it doesn't happen on boot.iso or the Live, though.

[AdamWill]

There's no driver problem. It's simply that NetworkManager automatic connection creating is not happening, apparently depending on the package set (happens on Custom, does not happen on Graphical Server). I don't know why not yet, though.

[AdamWill]

Aha, OK, I figured it out. It's intentional, for some degree of "intentional". There's a package called NetworkManager-config-server which has a file /usr/lib/NetworkManager/conf.d/00-server.conf:

# This configuration file changes NetworkManager's behavior to
# what's expected on "traditional UNIX server" type deployments.
#
# See "man NetworkManager.conf" for more information about these
# and other keys.

[main]
# Do not do automatic (DHCP/SLAAC) configuration on ethernet devices
# with no other matching connections.
no-auto-default=*

# Ignore the carrier (cable plugged in) state when attempting to
# activate static-IP connections.
ignore-carrier=*

So, it's clearly doing what it's meant to. If this is still how we want things to be OOTB in RHEL 11, I guess it's fine? I can just tweak the openQA tests to create a connection profile, I guess, or wipe that file and restart NM.

[AdamWill]

Worked around with this change. If you think it's correct behavior for ELN, just close this ticket.

[yselkowitz]

Just tried a default install from C10S DVD (on libvirt), it has that identical 00-server.conf file, but there is a wired network connection enabled by default. On ELN, the wired connection is seemingly present but disabled by default (at least in Server with GUI configuration), but clicking on (Wired) in the control dropdown activates the network. Therefore, this does seem to be a regression.

Not sure if it's relevant, but there is a difference in anaconda between RHEL/CS/ELN and Fedora in that the former sets [Network] default_on_boot = DEFAULT_ROUTE_DEVICE where the latter sets FIRST_WIRED_WITH_LINK.

[AdamWill]

Honestly, to me, that kinda sounds like it's C10S that's wrong. The file clearly states that it intends to disable automatic configuration because this is the expectation for "traditional UNIX server" type deployments.

"clicking on (Wired) in the control dropdown" probably creates a connection (in NM terms).