Failed to Start named.service on Arch Linux

If you’ve encountered the dreaded error “Failed to start named.service” on Arch Linux system, you’ve come to the right place. In this comprehensive troubleshooting guide, we will walk you through the steps to identify and resolve this issue, ensuring your BIND DNS server is up and running smoothly. So, let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

1. Understanding the named.service Error
2. Checking BIND Configuration Syntax
3. Inspecting System Logs
4. Verifying BIND Installation and Dependencies
5. Ensuring Proper Permissions and Ownership
6. Troubleshooting SELinux Issues
7. Checking Firewall Settings
8. Confirming DNS Records and Zone Files
9. Conclusion

Error: Failed to Start named.service on Arch Linux

Understanding the named.service Error

The named.service error typically occurs when there’s an issue with the BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) DNS server on your Arch Linux system. BIND is one of the most widely used DNS servers, responsible for resolving domain names into IP addresses. If the named.service fails to start, your server may not function as expected.

Checking BIND Configuration Syntax

The first step in troubleshooting the named.service error is to check the syntax of your BIND configuration file (/etc/named.conf). Incorrect syntax or configuration can cause the service to fail during startup. Use the named-checkconf command to check your configuration:

sudo named-checkconf /etc/named.conf

If there are any syntax errors, the output will show you the problematic lines. Correct the errors and restart the named.service using the following command:

sudo systemctl restart named.service

Inspecting System Logs

If the syntax check comes out clean, the next step is to inspect the system logs to identify any errors or issues. To do this, use the journalctl command:

sudo journalctl -u named.service

This command will display the logs related to the named.service. Look for any error messages and address them accordingly.

Verifying BIND Installation and Dependencies on Arch Linux

If you’re still experiencing issues, verify that BIND is correctly installed and that all required dependencies are present. To check the installation, use the following command:

sudo pacman -Qs bind

If BIND is not installed or is missing dependencies, install or reinstall it with:

sudo pacman -S bind

Ensuring Proper Permissions and Ownership

Another common issue causing the named.service to fail is incorrect permissions or ownership for the configuration files and directories. The BIND service runs as the named user, so ensure that the user has the necessary permissions. Check the permissions using the ls command:

sudo ls -la /etc/named.conf
sudo ls -la /var/named

If the permissions are incorrect, update them using the chown and chmod commands:

sudo chown named:named /etc/named.conf
sudo chmod 640 /etc/named.conf
sudo chown -R named:named /var/named
sudo chmod -R 750 /var/named

Troubleshooting SELinux Issues

If your Arch Linux system uses SELinux, it’s possible that the security policies are preventing the named.service from starting correctly. To determine if SELinux is the cause, check the audit logs using the ausearch command:

sudo ausearch -m avc -ts recent

If you see any “denied” entries related to BIND or named.service, you may need to adjust your SELinux policies. You can temporarily set SELinux to permissive mode to test if this resolves the issue:

sudo setenforce 0

If the named.service starts successfully with SELinux in permissive mode, you will need to create a custom SELinux policy to allow the necessary access. To do this, first, set SELinux back to enforcing mode:

sudo setenforce 1

Then, create a custom policy using the audit2allow tool. The following command will generate a policy module called namedlocal:

sudo grep named_t /var/log/audit/audit.log | audit2allow -M namedlocal

To install the custom policy, use the semodule command:

sudo semodule -i namedlocal.pp

Finally, restart the named.service and check its status:

sudo systemctl restart named.service
sudo systemctl status named.service

Checking Firewall Settings

Firewall settings can also interfere with the proper functioning of named.service. Ensure that your firewall allows incoming DNS queries on port 53 for both TCP and UDP. If you are using firewalld, you can achieve this with the following commands:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=dns
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

For more information on configuring firewalls on Arch Linux, refer to our How to Configure Firewall on Arch Linux guide.

Confirming DNS Records and Zone Files

Lastly, verify that your DNS records and zone files are correctly configured. Misconfigured zone files can cause the named.service to fail. Use the named-checkzone command to check the syntax and integrity of your zone files:

sudo named-checkzone example.com /var/named/example.com.zone

Replace example.com with your domain name and /var/named/example.com.zone with the path to your zone file. If any errors are detected, correct them and restart the named.service.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to resolve the “Failed to start named.service” error on your Arch Linux system. From checking BIND configuration syntax to adjusting SELinux policies and firewall settings, troubleshooting this issue requires a methodical approach. With your BIND DNS server now up and running, you’re one step closer to a more stable and secure Arch Linux system.

For more helpful guides on Arch Linux, feel free to explore our other articles:

• How to Install and Configure BIND DNS Server on Arch Linux
• How to Set Up DHCP Server on Arch Linux
• How to Install and Configure NTP on Arch Linux
• How to Set Up an Email Server on Arch Linux