Network configuration is wiped and replace under 3.23.12.0

[hickey]

Describe the bug

I have just brought up a new node running 3.23.12.0 (x86_64) on a Proxmox VM to be a supernode. After getting the initial configuration done to set the node name and the root password it was rebooted.

Upon the reboot I needed to update /etc/config/network to set the network interfaces. Because this is a VM I have added 2 ethernet interfaces (one for the WAN and one for the dtdlink). I have also created 2 bridges (br0 for WAN and br1 for dtdlink) and applied them appropriately to br-wan and br-dtdlink. I then configure br-wan for a static IP and set the gateway address. Save the file and reboot. The node comes up correctly and I can hit the node on the WAN address. I can then view the mesh status page and see the mesh nodes being populated through the dtdlink correctly.

Everything is fine up to this point. I then went and changed the node name and saved the configuration (through the GUI). The node rebooted and /etc/config/network was then reverted to the original state (just after the node name and password was set). All network configuration was lost.

In looking closer at this problem, I do see the basic template for /etc/config/network in /etc/config.mesh/network, but I am not sure how the template place holders are receiving their values. I would be happy to make updates to the locations where the original data for these templated sections originates from. That is probably the real solution for this, but there is not an obvious way to know how or where the configuration comes from. Maybe a few comments a the top of /etc/config.mesh/network (and the other templates in /etc/config.mesh) would be a good thing to lead people to where the real configuration is located.

• Does this issue still occur on the latest version? (Required)

Expected behavior

Network configuration should not have been modified unless I was changing the network settings in the setup pages (i.e. mesh IP address/netmask, LAN configuration, or advanced networking).

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Additional context

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[aanon4]

Nothing in /etc/config will be preserved and will be replace when you run node-config (or the GUI does) or when you upgrade. Direct changes to /etc/config are unsupported and too much of the system relies on generating /etc/config from /etc/config.mesh for this to change anytime soon.

However, take a look at how node-setup generate the /etc/config/network file and you'll see there's override files in /etc/aredn_include/XXX.network.user (XXX can be dtdlink, wan, wifi, lan or bridge) which might provide you with a mechanism to get what you want.

[hickey]

That worked perfectly. Thank you.

I am going to create a PR to put some comments in the template so that others have a way of figuring out how to control the config for special circumstances.

[aanon4]

I'm glad it worked. And I'm happy to add additional hooks if needed (most people never touch this stuff).

I wanted to add that the next release will double down on /etc/config.mesh being the definitive configuration, and /etc/config just being the generated, ethereal version as I'm trying to get us to a place where less rebooting is required when stuff changes.

[hickey]

I think that the existing hooks are adequate -- at least I can not think of a situation where they could not cover a specific network configuration. Also agree that most people (except a few of us crazy ones) would never need to go to the extent of overriding the generated network configuration. I am glad that you had the hooks in there though.