Topic: VPN problems

[henry44]

At this point I don't want to do a bug report yet. What I want to find out of there is a problem with my particular installation that I can fix.

Here is the problem.

I have been using a vpn connection between an up-to-date SME installation with no add-ons or contribs and a XP Pro service pack 3 install. This connection has been working flawlessly for sometime. As of late last week, the connection attempt results in an 619 error.

I can ping the SME box, but not connect.  Any ideas to look at before I file a bug report?

[Stefano]

is there anything in /var/log/messages about it?

Stefano

[henry44]

A vpn request generates this message in /var/log/messages

Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pptpd[20871]: CTRL: Client 128.193.138.247 control connection started
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pptpd[20871]: CTRL: Starting call (launching pppd, opening GRE)
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pppd[20872]: Plugin radius.so loaded.
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pppd[20872]: RADIUS plugin initialized.
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server modprobe: FATAL: Could not open '/lib/modules/2.6.9-78.0.22.ELsmp/weak-updates/lib/modules/2.6.9-78.0.8.ELsmp/updates/ppp/ppp_generic.ko': No such file or directory
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pppd[20872]: This system lacks kernel support for PPP.  This could be because the PPP kernel module could not be loaded, or because PPP was not included in the kernel configuration.  If PPP was included as a module, try `/sbin/modprobe -v ppp'.  If that fails, check that ppp.o exists in /lib/modules/`uname -r`/net. See README.linux file in the ppp distribution for more details.
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pptpd[20871]: GRE: read(fd=6,buffer=804e5a0,len=8196) from PTY failed: status = -1 error = Input/output error, usually caused by unexpected termination of pppd, check option syntax and pppd logs
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pptpd[20871]: CTRL: PTY read or GRE write failed (pty,gre)=(6,7)
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pptpd[20871]: CTRL: Reaping child PPP[20872]
Jul 16 14:30:01 larry-server pptpd[20871]: CTRL: Client 128.193.138.247 control connection finished

Looks like somehow the ppp module was not loaded maybe? How do I install the ppp module?

[kryptos]

hi all,

Same Problem here also.Before i can connect VPN suddently it won't allow SME 7.4. Linux integra 2.6.9-78.0.13.EL

Jul 17 12:55:37 integra pptpd[22338]: CTRL: Client xxx.xxx.xx.xxx control connection started
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pptpd[22338]: CTRL: Starting call (launching pppd, opening GRE)
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: Plugin radius.so loaded.
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: RADIUS plugin initialized.
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: pppd 2.4.4 started by root, uid 0
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: Using interface ppp0
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/pts/0
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra kernel: divert: not allocating divert_blk for non-ethernet device ppp0
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pptpd[22338]: GRE: read(fd=7,buffer=8056600,len=8260) from network failed: status = -1 error = Pro
tocol not available
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pptpd[22338]: CTRL: GRE read or PTY write failed (gre,pty)=(7,6)
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pptpd[22338]: CTRL: Reaping child PPP[22341]
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: Modem hangup
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: Connection terminated.
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra kernel: divert: no divert_blk to free, ppp0 not ethernet
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pppd[22341]: Exit.
Jul 17 12:55:38 integra pptpd[22338]: CTRL: Client xxx.xxx.xx.xxx control connection finished
[/i

Were else i can check this problem. Any log files i need to check.


Regards,
Rocel

[janet]

henry44

Please learn to do advanced searches on the forums eg on
VPN kernel
This post gives you some clues what to do
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,36544.0.html

On my sme7.4 system

rpm -q kernel

kernel-2.6.9-78.0.8.EL
kernel-2.6.9-78.0.13.EL
kernel-2.6.9-78.0.22.EL

uname -r

2.6.9-78.0.22.ELsmp

rpm -qa |grep ppp

rp-pppoe-3.5-22.2.RHEL4.1
kmod-ppp-smp-1.0.2-4.el4.sme
ppp-2.4.4-1.3.el4.sme
kmod-ppp-1.0.2-4.el4.sme

Did you change the kernel used at start up ?
If your system is not up to date and modules do not match the kernel then you will have VPN problems.
You might like to try
yum update
signal-event post-upgrade
signal-event reboot

[henry44]

Thanks for your suggestion, Mary. I do know how to use the advanced search. If you look at my original post, you would see that I mentioned that I am running an up to date SME install. Before I posted this question, I verified that I was using the current kernel. Additionally, vpn was working then stopped working with no actions on my part. The post you referred to is about 2 years old and was about, what at this time, is an out dated kernel. That is why I didn't refer to that post. Unless there was a kernel up-date in the last 7 days that broke the vpn subsystem by un-installing the ppp module, this isn't a "you are using the wrong kernel" kernel problem.

back to my original problem............
After a bit more thought, here is a little more information that might be useful.
I had a drive failure in the raid 1 array SME managed for me. I replaced the 2 disc SCSI array with a new SATA 2 drive array (see post http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,44337.0.html) by making a backup of the original system via tape backup, doing a fresh install on the new array and restoring from the tape backup, just like the manual suggests. I then did an yum update and yum upgrade. The vpn feature worked fine after that for about a week.

Is there a way I can reinstall the kernel? I think that should reinstall the ppp module. Alternatively, can I install the ppp module alone?

[henry44]

Mary, Thanks for the idea. I rolled back to an older kernel and I have VPN back again. I'll file a bug report about the missing ppp.o module in the my version of the .22 kernel.

[Stefano]

Mary, Thanks for the idea. I rolled back to an older kernel and I have VPN back again. I'll file a bug report about the missing ppp.o module in the my version of the .22 kernel.

you could try this:

Code: [Select]

rpm -e kernel-2.6.9-78.0.22.EL
rpm -e kernel-smp-2.6.9-78.0.22.EL

yum update
'if you upgrade your kernel, then do
signal-event post-upgrade; signal-event reboot

it should work

Ciao
Stefano

[henry44]

Thanks. I think somewhere in the reinstall/restore/update cycle, something got borked in the kernel and killed the ppp module. While I have kludged a fix by rolling back to the previous kernel, that isn't the way I want to do it. I'll give this process a try.

[henry44]

Stefano,

Reinstalling the kernel did the trick. That was just what I needed to do. Since this was a problem with my particular install and not a bug in general, I won't file a bug report.

Thanks again to Mary and Stefano for their suggestions.

[CharlieBrady]

Reinstalling the kernel did the trick. That was just what I needed to do. Since this was a problem with my particular install and not a bug in general, I won't file a bug report.

Wrong logic. The upgrade process shouldn't allow your "particular install" to get into a state where it doesn't work. A bug report is appropriate.

[henry44]

OK, I'll file one and include the /var/log/messages output as that was the most descriptive information I could find.

[dave simmons]

I have also suddenly started having this problem.

Standard SME 7.4 install, all updates done.  Used to work, now doesn't!


Can anyone advise?

Sorry - please ignore - blocked by the client site I was at!