MX Linux Forum

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 7:37 am**

I have a rather weird networking problem going on with my MX Linux installation. I have a tower PC and a laptop and have been accessing the tower via remote using ssh -X my.ip.add.ress and while using Linux Mint, which has been working fine. The laptop is connected using WiFi and runs MX Linux 23.5 (XFCE), but the tower is connected to the router via an Ethernet cable so its using the Ethernet interface to communicate. The tower has a dual boot setup and can be booted into either Linux Mint or MX Linux. Yesterday I tried accessing the tower with MX Linux booted and was unable to ssh to it or even ping it.

[Image removed]

Just to confirm, ssh has been installed and configured on the tower, but as can be seen from the above, this is not just about ssh. Initially I thought this was a network problem, but it turns out that both the laptop and tower can both ping the router and access its admin page. The router can ping the tower. In addition, from the tower it is possible to access the Internet and both ping and ssh onto the laptop, but for some reason, not the other way around - the laptop can't access the tower.

My other thought was to check UFW on the tower, but 'sudo ufw status' returns 'Inactive', so one would not expect any blocking. So what gives?

When booting back into Mint, everything works fine again. Boot into MX again and we have the same problem.

Digging a little further it turns out that the problem was related to DHCP, but I don't know why this is happening. I have a static reservation set on the router for the tower based on the MAC address of the ethernmet interface and when this is booted into Linux Mint, Mint always picks up that static address. However, when I boot into MX Linux, the PC always gets an address from the dynamic pool rather than a static one. Why is this? The MAC address of the NIC as expected remains constant. I had a look in /var/lib/dhcp top find the lease file, but there is nothing in there? Does MX keep its lease file in a different location?

As a workaround, I have set up a static IP address manually for the time being

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 7:43 am**

According to the forum rules (please read): Please provide full Quick System Info, use copy for forum button, no edits.
LiveUSB version is OK if needed.

MX 23 has a firewall, you can find it by typing firewall in the menu's top.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 11:38 am**

check all cable connections
review all files in MX you touched - any syntax err can mess with you even an unexpected Tick or fwrd Tick
Permissions of files you did modify try perms of 755 for starters until your happy 554 could be a better safer for some other files but most leave alone less you know the know.
bad port on router - swap the TWR port with Mint Laptop port on router ? --- does trouble reverse
swap cables as well if keeps on .. looks like a lost connection or a port issue. different ports on your router least for the TWR conn to try diff port. DHCP does not care.
router port is it enabled did it go brain dead state and enabled is unknown?
is/are your interfaces UP no Red X on the desktop icons ip a -- shows UP same will ifconfig -a
power cycle net-Modem Router reboot devices. - fresh start
ip a
ifconfig -a ---mx does not have better ifconfig only lame ip tool - get via sudo apt install net-tools -y
check your network tool bar icon - this matches with /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ Wifi and Wired defs are here as to how configured.
ping -c2 IPaddr -c2 is only ping 2 times all you need to see is it respond - and from both ends each way
ping localhost / router port / router gateway / other laptop
check sshd daemon running if you did install openssh-server pkg on both ps -ef | grep sshd
keep the /ufw/gufw firewall off or disabled - make sure it is off if running each side will require definitions or rules to allow sshd in to each IPaddr from your network to each device,
until you actually find your issue. but sounds not so bad.
many times issues can be between keyboard and chair
we can laugh at our selves when we find it was something silly.
curl ifconfig.me performed on or both should show your Outside /routered/Firewalled facing the dirty internet if this shows your ISP assigned IPaddr then you should be good on the TWR box.
or plan B network troubleshooting 101 is your plan.
browse the internet for other like minds sharing similar issue. good ruck

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 12:13 pm**

To make your post easier to read, please post code in code tags, like so

[code]code output here[/code]

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:41 pm**

atomick wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 11:38 am check all cable connections
review all files in MX you touched - any syntax err can mess with you even an unexpected Tick or fwrd Tick
Permissions of files you did modify try perms of 755 for starters until your happy 554 could be a better safer for some other files but most leave alone less you know the know.
bad port on router - swap the TWR port with Mint Laptop port on router ? --- does trouble reverse
swap cables as well if keeps on .. looks like a lost connection or a port issue. different ports on your router least for the TWR conn to try diff port. DHCP does not care.
router port is it enabled did it go brain dead state and enabled is unknown?
is/are your interfaces UP no Red X on the desktop icons ip a -- shows UP same will ifconfig -a
power cycle net-Modem Router reboot devices. - fresh start
ip a
ifconfig -a ---mx does not have better ifconfig only lame ip tool - get via sudo apt install net-tools -y
check your network tool bar icon - this matches with /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ Wifi and Wired defs are here as to how configured.
ping -c2 IPaddr -c2 is only ping 2 times all you need to see is it respond - and from both ends each way
ping localhost / router port / router gateway / other laptop
check sshd daemon running if you did install openssh-server pkg on both ps -ef | grep sshd
keep the /ufw/gufw firewall off or disabled - make sure it is off if running each side will require definitions or rules to allow sshd in to each IPaddr from your network to each device,
until you actually find your issue. but sounds not so bad.
many times issues can be between keyboard and chair
we can laugh at our selves when we find it was something silly.
curl ifconfig.me performed on or both should show your Outside /routered/Firewalled facing the dirty internet if this shows your ISP assigned IPaddr then you should be good on the TWR box.
or plan B network troubleshooting 101 is your plan.
browse the internet for other like minds sharing similar issue. good ruck

Wow! Lots of ideas here. Thank you!.
I did a lot of this networking 101 stuff last night and determined that its not network connectivity.
Today discovered it is actually a DHCP issue.... The MX OS did not acquire the address I was expecting it to have done and I was trying to connect to thin air....

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:42 pm**

Here is all of the Quick System Info.

Code: Select all

System:    Kernel: 6.1.0-31-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0 
           parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-31-amd64 
           root=UUID=cdee41bb-b26e-4570-ad55-18ce274d5802 ro quiet splash 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.20.0 tk: Gtk 3.24.38 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm 4.20.0 
           dm: LightDM 1.32.0 Distro: MX-23.5_x64 Libretto October 5  2021 
           base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm) 
Machine:   Type: Desktop System: Dell product: Precision Tower 5810 v: N/A 
           serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 7 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Dell model: 0K240Y v: A01 serial: <filter> UEFI: Dell v: A34 
           date: 10/19/2020 
Battery:   Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Mouse MX Master 3 
           serial: <filter> charge: 50% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes 
           status: N/A 
           Device-2: hidpp_battery_1 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard ERGO K860 
           serial: <filter> charge: 50% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes 
           status: N/A 
CPU:       Info: 8-Core model: Intel Xeon E5-2667 v3 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Haswell 
           family: 6 model-id: 3F (63) stepping: 2 microcode: 49 cache: L2: 20 MiB 
           flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
           bogomips: 102159 
           Speed: 1200 MHz min/max: 1200/3600 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1200 2: 1500 
           3: 1500 4: 1200 5: 1200 6: 1200 7: 1197 8: 1200 9: 1200 10: 1300 11: 1500 
           12: 1200 13: 1200 14: 1200 15: 1200 16: 1200 
           Vulnerabilities: Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected 
           Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled 
           Type: l1tf 
           mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable 
           Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable 
           Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
           Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable 
           Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected 
           Type: retbleed status: Not affected 
           Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected 
           Type: spec_store_bypass 
           mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl 
           Type: spectre_v1 
           mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
           Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines; IBPB: conditional; IBRS_FW; STIBP: 
           conditional; RSB filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected 
           Type: srbds status: Not affected 
           Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected 
Graphics:  Device-1: NVIDIA GK104GL [Quadro K4200] driver: nouveau v: kernel 
           bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:11b4 class-ID: 0300 
           Device-2: Logitech Webcam C930e type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo 
           bus-ID: 2-7:5 chip-ID: 046d:0843 class-ID: 0102 serial: <filter> 
           Display: server: X.Org 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.20.0 driver: 
           loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa display-ID: localhost:10.0 
           screens: 1 
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 4480x1440 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1186x382mm (46.7x15.0") 
           s-diag: 1246mm (49.1") 
           Monitor-1: DP-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 142 size: 344x194mm (13.5x7.6") 
           diag: 395mm (15.5") 
           Monitor-2: DP-2.1 res: 2560x1440 hz: 60 dpi: 109 size: 597x336mm (23.5x13.2") 
           diag: 685mm (27") 
           OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 15.0.6 256 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 22.3.6 
           direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel C610/X99 series HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel 
           v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:8d20 class-ID: 0403 
           Device-2: NVIDIA GK104 HDMI Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel 
           bus-ID: 03:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:0e0a class-ID: 0403 
           Device-3: Texas Instruments PCM2902 Audio Codec type: USB 
           driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid bus-ID: 2-13:7 chip-ID: 08bb:2902 
           class-ID: 0300 
           Device-4: Logitech Webcam C930e type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo 
           bus-ID: 2-7:5 chip-ID: 046d:0843 class-ID: 0102 serial: <filter> 
           Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k6.1.0-31-amd64 running: yes 
           Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 16.1 running: yes 
Network:   Device-1: Intel Ethernet I217-LM vendor: Dell driver: e1000e v: kernel 
           port: f020 bus-ID: 00:19.0 chip-ID: 8086:153a class-ID: 0200 
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 1.79 TiB used: 922.93 GiB (50.2%) 
           SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required. 
           ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Micron model: SK hynix SC300B SATA 512GB 
           size: 476.94 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s 
           type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 2P00 scheme: GPT 
           ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Western Digital 
           model: WDS500G1R0A-68A4W0 size: 465.76 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B 
           logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 00WR 
           scheme: GPT 
           ID-3: /dev/sdc maj-min: 8:32 vendor: SanDisk model: SDSSDHII960G 
           size: 894.25 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s 
           type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 10RL scheme: GPT 
Partition: ID-1: / raw-size: 200 GiB size: 195.8 GiB (97.90%) used: 116.6 GiB (59.5%) 
           fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb2 maj-min: 8:18 
           ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 256 MiB size: 252 MiB (98.46%) used: 13 MiB (5.1%) 
           fs: vfat dev: /dev/sdb1 maj-min: 8:17 
Swap:      Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) 
           ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 
           dev: /dev/sdb4 maj-min: 8:20 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 37.0 C mobo: N/A sodimm: SODIMM C gpu: nouveau 
           temp: 49.0 C 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 1048 gpu: nouveau fan: 2640 
Repos:     Packages: note: see --pkg apt: 2570 lib: 1329 flatpak: 0 
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
           1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
           2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
           1: deb http://mxlinux.mirrors.uk2.net/packages/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
Info:      Processes: 319 Uptime: 10h 0m wakeups: 38 Memory: 31.27 GiB 
           used: 2.28 GiB (7.3%) Init: systemd v: 252 runlevel: 5 default: 5 
           tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 10/12 Shell: Bash v: 5.2.15 
           running-in: sshd (SSH) inxi: 3.3.06

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:43 pm**

BTW, I did discover that I can actually IPv6 ping the tower PC and it responds.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:02 pm**

Your lack of a swap partition is cause for concern. There are a lot of folks touting the idea that with enough ram available you can forgo creating a swap partition or file, but the reality is that some of our applications still expect it to be there (even though it may never be used) and can give unpridictable results when swap space is not present. The good news is that you can add a swap file at any time and here’s how:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/ ... -debian-11

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:06 pm**

j2mcgreg wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:02 pm Your lack of a swap partition is cause for concern. There are a lot of folks touting the idea that with enough ram available you can forgo creating a swap partition or file, but the reality is that some of our applications still expect it to be there (even though it may never be used) and can give unpridictable results when swap space is not present. The good news is that you can add a swap file at any time and here’s how:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/ ... -debian-11

I have been categorically told that MX Linux does not need one so never added one. Have used one with other Linux distributions in the past including with Mint.
Will consider adding one.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:10 pm**

This forum software is driving me nuts!
Seems to keep adding posts instead of editing them!
Is it possible to delete posts added in error?

BTW, if anyone knows where MX stores DHCP lease information I would be interested to know. Also why does MX behave differently to Mint when the statically bound IP address from DHCP? Why does it instead acquire an address from the DHCP pool regardless?

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:11 pm**

Code: Select all

SecureBoot enabled

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:12 pm**

Forum software driving me up the wall !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry for multiple posts.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:19 pm**

@MultipleX wrote:

I have been categorically told that MX Linux does not need one so never added one. Have used one with other Linux distributions in the past including with Mint.
Will consider adding one.

Well you should contact those people and give them what for because it's absolutely not true.

PS: I'll delete you duplicate entries. We are under a DDoS attack and have been for some time. That's why there can be a distinct delay between clicking on the 'Submit' button and the post appearing in the forum

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:20 pm**

MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:41 pm
Wow! Lots of ideas here. Thank you!.
I did a lot of this networking 101 stuff last night and determined that its not network connectivity.
Today discovered it is actually a DHCP issue.... The MX OS did not acquire the address I was expecting it to have done and I was trying to connect to thin air....

Sounds like you have it resolved. If you need / want to make your MX machine a static IPv4, then you can use Network Manager Applet to change to a static ip. edit the connection, change to the IPv4 tab, and change from autmomatic ( dhcp) and to static and assign the ip you want. ( just keep it out of your routers dhcp pool.)

OR

If you can, go into your router and assign an ip FOR the MX machine using it's MAC address. This is a better method imo, but not everyone has this ability.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:34 pm**

MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:10 pm This forum software is driving me nuts!
Seems to keep adding posts instead of editing them!

Click on the pencil.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 3:16 pm**

Tom Dooley wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:11 pm
Code: Select all
SecureBoot enabled

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:16 pm**

Eadwine Rose wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 3:16 pm
Tom Dooley wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:11 pm
Code: Select all
SecureBoot enabled

From "QSI".

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:20 pm**

I see files per connection here -

/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/

but have never had a need to edit them, I just let the GUI handle it.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:21 pm**

Tom Dooley wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:16 pm
Eadwine Rose wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 3:16 pm
Tom Dooley wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:11 pm
Code: Select all
SecureBoot enabled
From "QSI".

Are you trying to say having secureBoot enabled is causing his network issue?

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:23 pm**

CharlesV wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:21 pm Are you trying to say having secureBoot enabled is causing his network issue?

Maybe.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:28 pm**

Do you have anything that supports that conclusion?

I have several test machines that I have used under SecureBoot and have never had any issues with networking.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:48 pm**

Ok, then just go on with secure boot enabled.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 5:20 pm**

DukeComposed wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:34 pm
MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:10 pm This forum software is driving me nuts!
Seems to keep adding posts instead of editing them!
Click on the pencil.

Yup, the pencil is what I have been clicking on to edit. Can't rule out clicking the quote by mistake but not as far as I am aware.

CharlesV wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:20 pm
MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:41 pm
Wow! Lots of ideas here. Thank you!.
I did a lot of this networking 101 stuff last night and determined that its not network connectivity.
Today discovered it is actually a DHCP issue.... The MX OS did not acquire the address I was expecting it to have done and I was trying to connect to thin air....
Sounds like you have it resolved. If you need / want to make your MX machine a static IPv4, then you can use Network Manager Applet to change to a static ip. edit the connection, change to the IPv4 tab, and change from autmomatic ( dhcp) and to static and assign the ip you want. ( just keep it out of your routers dhcp pool.)

OR

If you can, go into your router and assign an ip FOR the MX machine using it's MAC address. This is a better method imo, but not everyone has this ability.

Assigning an IP gfor the MAC address on the router is exactly what I did quite some time ago as my router does have this ability. I also use that for a couple of Raspberry Pis. It works fine for the Pis and for Mint but for some reason not for MX. If anyone has any ideas as to why, then I am interested to know. Could it be a bug in dhclient on MX perhaps? As a workaround I have manually assigned a static IP in MX - by as you say, changing from automatic to manual and add the IP/mask/gateway details.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 5:23 pm**

Tom Dooley wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:23 pm
CharlesV wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 4:21 pm Are you trying to say having secureBoot enabled is causing his network issue?
Maybe.

Please elaborate. Secure boot affects the boot up process for sure, but once the system is booted, it should behave the same as usual. I am aware that secure boot can cause DKMS drivers to fail because they would need to be signed, but I am using the shim so it shouldn't be an issue. I can always test it with secure boot disabled. It only needs to be on for Win anyway.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 5:49 pm**

Have you looked at The Debian Administrator's Handbook section 8.2. Configuring the Network

or https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch05.en.html ?

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 7:37 pm**

MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 5:20 pm
DukeComposed wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:34 pm
MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:10 pm This forum software is driving me nuts!
Seems to keep adding posts instead of editing them!
Click on the pencil.
Yup, the pencil is what I have been clicking on to edit. Can't rule out clicking the quote by mistake but not as far as I am aware.

checkmark.png

From left to right. Edit post, Information, Reply with quote and Accept this answer.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 11:05 pm**

Try this here are examples of 1st .
/etc/network/interfaces file this works better for DHCP alone in MX

cat /etc/network/interfaces looks like this with 2 lines I added to common MX-defined entry to interfaces.

Code: Select all

 # interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)

# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# The primary network interface
auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp

only these 2 lines, next we move over to /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/

Continue to setting your Static via NetworkManager and or the Icon on the Desktop Tool panel beside speaker apps button there. right click
I'm going to add an idea for you to which you may actually manually write your own network definitions for each interface
or use this info as a template to build in your own. Details to figures and numbers game entries.

Code: Select all

  #----------------/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections   
:::::::::::::: Example: -more of both my devices.nmconnection  files wlan0 an eth0  yet filenames would be myWifi.nmconnection and StaticWired.nmconnection
myWifi.nmconnection
::::::::::::::
[connection]
id=SSIDname   # this is your SSID on your router as you defined
uuid=83935c68-2222-1111-3333-1c4efba11zd2
type=wifi
interface-name=wlan0
timestamp=11111111

[wifi]
mode=infrastructure
ssid=aSSIDname

[wifi-security]
key-mgmt=wpa-psk
psk=funkyKeypass

[ipv4]
method=auto

[ipv6]
addr-gen-mode=stable-privacy
method=disabled

[proxy]
::::::::::::::  
StaticWired.nmconnection
::::::::::::::
[connection]
id=myPrivate_Static_eth0
uuid=e7de3bcd-cd08-3439-a605-ccffa7e38333   # all these are none real your own hardware will fill in similar
type=ethernet
autoconnect-priority=-999
interface-name=eth0
timestamp=111111111

[ethernet]
duplex=full
mac-address=n2:R1:65:44:D2:36
mtu=9000
speed=10000

[ipv4]
address1=10.10.100.2/29
may-fail=false
method=manual
never-default=true
route1=10.10.100.2/29,10.10.100.1,100

[ipv6]
addr-gen-mode=stable-privacy
method=disabled

[proxy]

Here you can write these files or configure them matching what the NetworkManager Icon provides to each tab at the top. "Ethernet IPv4 IPv6" tabs
simply set thru match and configure to your own detail schema. once you have set

sudo /etc/init.d/NetworkManager restart

to reset the network although be real honest. A warm reboot cycle would set things all right! this is all standard text so featherpad can work setting things up. Worth a try.
PS: my wired are 2.5gig speeds so seeing 9000 as mtu is in some hs docs for such settings. /etc/sysctl.conf has kernel settings will leave out but 1500 could least get you started to change from 9000.
and set speed to 1000. Again depending on your net. Pi-devices don't really work at Gig Speeds but setting all the same can work.
All numbers are changed from my own network and used a cool Perl tool ipcalc for the 10.10.100.1/29 network information.
All hopes this pokes a hole in the elephant at the end 'it works' or hard codes getting you close w/o hair pull.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2025 11:37 pm**

MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 5:20 pm
CharlesV wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:20 pm
MultipleX wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:41 pm
Wow! Lots of ideas here. Thank you!.
I did a lot of this networking 101 stuff last night and determined that its not network connectivity.
Today discovered it is actually a DHCP issue.... The MX OS did not acquire the address I was expecting it to have done and I was trying to connect to thin air....
Sounds like you have it resolved. If you need / want to make your MX machine a static IPv4, then you can use Network Manager Applet to change to a static ip. edit the connection, change to the IPv4 tab, and change from autmomatic ( dhcp) and to static and assign the ip you want. ( just keep it out of your routers dhcp pool.)

OR

If you can, go into your router and assign an ip FOR the MX machine using it's MAC address. This is a better method imo, but not everyone has this ability.
Assigning an IP gfor the MAC address on the router is exactly what I did quite some time ago as my router does have this ability. I also use that for a couple of Raspberry Pis. It works fine for the Pis and for Mint but for some reason not for MX. If anyone has any ideas as to why, then I am interested to know. Could it be a bug in dhclient on MX perhaps? As a workaround I have manually assigned a static IP in MX - by as you say, changing from automatic to manual and add the IP/mask/gateway details.

Using the router and assigning on the MAC address is exactly how my MX machines work. Something is off with your mac or router if its not working for you.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 12:19 am**

CharlesV wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 11:37 pm Using the router and assigning on the MAC address is exactly how my MX machines work. Something is off with your mac or router if its not working for you.

DHCP works like this: You build or buy a network device, something like a cable modem from your ISP or a wireless access point or you build a server yourself. It runs dhcpd and it listens for machines on your LAN that are booting up and connecting for the first time asking for an IP address. The network device says "I've been told you can have something between 192.168.0.10 and 192.168.0.100, so you get, um, 192.168.0.11 and no one else will get that address from me. I'll write that down." And then it does.

DHCP servers issue ephemeral leases, and those leases can be renewed... or not. If a machine drops off the network and fails to renew the lease before it expires it isn't guaranteed to get the same IP address again.

How do you get an IP address on a LAN without an IP address? You use your MAC address. MAC addresses are hard-coded strings like "00:11:22:33:44:55" and they're unique per network interface. If you have a laptop, the laptop's Ethernet port has a different MAC address than the 802.11 wireless adapter. But there's something else.

Hard-coded IPs. I can set up DHCP as perfectly as anyone could, but if a friend comes over to my place with a laptop and has his wireless card set to always use 192.168.0.11 because that's how he runs his home network, it's going to conflict with my LAN. My DHCP server just assigns IP addresses. That's it. But it's already allocated 192.168.0.11, so its job is done. The machine with a DHCP client got 192.168.0.11 assigned to it and it's happy. Now my buddy comes alone with a machine that didn't touch DHCP, doesn't care what DHCP is, and says, "Hey, LAN. I'm 192.168.0.11. Here are my packets."

IP is really, really bad at conflicting address resolution. Packets can go to my machine. Packets can go to my buddy's laptop. It's chaos. Avoid chaos.

In this case, OP needs to check the MAC address of the machine, confirm the network interface has the same MAC address in Mint and MX, meaning there's no macchanger-style MAC address randomizing software being used here, and when both Mint and MX agree that the network interface has, say, "11:22:33:44:55:66" as its MAC address, to put a DHCP reservation into the network device -- a reservation is a lease that never expires -- so that this exact hardware device will always, always, be issued the same IP address, and that no other device will get that address just because it hasn't been leased recently.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 12:22 pm**

@DukeComposed Thank you duke. What I was trying to convey to the op, and did a very poor job of saying, is that MX works like all the rest of the linux distro's in how it does dhcp. And that the pinning the ip with his Mac SHOULD work just like all the rest. This method is exactly how I run many networks - letting the router be the brain on "static" ips.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 3:30 pm**

CharlesV wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 12:22 pm MX works like all the rest of the linux distro's in how it does dhcp. And that the pinning the ip with his Mac SHOULD work just like all the rest. This method is exactly how I run many networks - letting the router be the brain on "static" ips.

When I first started using alternative operating systems back in college, my FreeBSD CD-ROM didn't come with a DHCP client. I still don't know why. My Windows install, however, did.

This meant that in order to get my machine on the network I first had to boot my machine into Windows, write down the DHCP network config it was assigned, shut the machine down, replace the hard disk in the box with my FreeBSD setup, and use the same IP address and config as a static IP just so I could download a DHCP client for it.

I think it's pretty common these days for home users to define DHCP reservations on their home equipment, and for most devices to come with DHCP clients enabled by default prepared to use them. This is not strictly what network administrators would call "static IP configuration" -- a DHCP server is still involved and the D stands for "dynamic", but the reservations ensure a consistent IP configuration for each device, permanently. If you're particularly annoyed by IPs changing and don't want to touch reservations, you can usually increase the lease validity period on the DHCP server as well.

That way if you take your laptop with you on vacation and come back, say, a week later, the DHCP server will still have the old lease cached... provided you've set the lease duration to 8 days or more. Just make sure your DHCP leases last slightly longer than your longest vacation.

In short, *should work just like all the rest* is an understatement. MX Linux and Mint don't futz with hardware MAC addresses unless you tell them to do so. I'm still not entirely clear on why a dual-boot system would get a different IP address if it's using the same interface on the same network -- it's a fundamental principle of networking that you can reuse the same IP address on the same network card whether you've put the Windows hard drive in it or the FreeBSD hard drive, but the short version is that this is a network issue, not an MX issue.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 3:58 pm**

I agree. For YEARS I resisted using the router to pin an IP.. and just set things to a true static ip. However, after YEARS of having issues with people traveling and that static ip bringing my calls from hotels, family homes etc.. I started keying in on the "pin the ip" concept as a better approach to 'static' ip.

I dont dual boot - ever. I find it extremely problematic. However, in testing one of my latest HP laptops I kept windows on board to provide me with easier bios firmware updates - and found that indeed MY pfSense router did keep my same ip when I switched from linux to windows.

Specifically in this topic, the OP stated his IP had changed - although pinned and was working in mint etc... I find it very odd that a router would change the pinned ip... thinking that the MAC "somehow" changed. ( Years of cisco, pfSense and other router programmed have led me to believe that some techs will infact change leases, cache clearing and other nefarious "normal" things to "clean up networking" too! ) And frankly some of the garbage routers / firewalls and other "nest type" systems out there currently I see sporadic norms on just about everything - so not sure 'normal' is even a given these days!

I also find it very odd that an OS would change an ip / mac around, however some OS's do this - Ubuntu and puppy linux both did this to me on installs - my MAC addy on the same machine moved all over the place causing my router to lock it out!

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 11:59 pm**

CharlesV wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 3:58 pm Specifically in this topic, the OP stated his IP had changed - although pinned and was working in mint etc... I find it very odd that a router would change the pinned ip...

I also find it very odd that an OS would change an ip / mac around, however some OS's do this - Ubuntu and puppy linux both did this to me on installs - my MAC addy on the same machine moved all over the place causing my router to lock it out!

There's what could happen, what should happen, and what did happen. And in networking, the Venn diagram of these three circles have very different diameters. It's easy for me to say "DHCP should behave like this, you must be crazy", but truth is we don't know anything about OP's network setup. It might be a bug in OP's router's in-house DHCP server, or a poorly-timed reboot between power-off and power-on that led to a new DHCP lease. If the MAC address was reserved/pinned on the DHCP server, there's no chance MX Linux is going to change that. MAC addresses are assigned by the manufacturer and cannot be changed without some hackery. This is why I mentioned macchanger, which OP almost certainly isn't using and is obligated to mention if the opposite is true. Network tomfoolery tools like that fit into the category of "if you know enough to install and use them, you know enough to turn them off when troubleshooting a real problem". I can trick the coffeeshop's wifi into thinking my MAC address is different for any number of reasons, but on a home network there's no good reason to engage in subterfuge.

OP has some network investigation to do, that much is certain. It's not that something is wrong, per se, because in network administration there are only two states: "broken" and "less broken". We can confidently say from our armchairs that MX didn't cause the breaking this time. A "proper" setup is going involve a DHCP reservation and maybe some split-horizon DNS entries so that "ssh mylinuxbox.internal" always resolves correctly and connects as intended.

This is not a wild and crazy one-off. Getting networking connectivity right is hard. Like really, really hard. It's one of the reason why things like mesh VPNs were invented. Installing and relying on a third-party solution like Tailscale solves a lot of these kinds of issues, but let's take a second to appreciate that even though Tailscale's "always connect my machines point-to-point anywhere in the world" approach would work when both devices are on the same LAN, that's not the intended purpose of the technology.

Posted: **Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:21 am**

@DukeComposed Very good sir!

Posted: **Sun Mar 16, 2025 1:01 pm**

"...the Venn diagram of these three circles have very different diameters."

Spock says, "It's not the length of the radii that that matters. It's the content of the categories."

Posted: **Mon Mar 17, 2025 7:17 pm**

DHCP Handshake; https://medium.com/@sajerestan/demystif ... 2f0c553a53

might provide a more accurate understanding of this more "Simple Protocol Handshake" at a time back long ago another galaxy and other hats worn. Protocols used to be a specialty. Ascii / Ebcdic / X.25 / SDLC / ISDN / etc.

the old addy " don't use it you lose it " some is there bootp boots ports 67 and 68 are the 2 working the UDP:port handshake - read the web site and its simple explanation.

example:

Code: Select all

 --OutPut: netstat -tulanp:---  <<< this is my script cmdline syntax to get the below output. 

Active Internet connections (servers and established)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address           Foreign Address         State       PID/Program name    
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:631           0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      91728/cupsd         
tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:47070           0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      3549/sshd: /usr/sbi 
tcp        1      0 127.0.0.1:52498         127.0.0.1:631           CLOSE_WAIT  3449/cups-browsed   
tcp        1      0 127.0.0.1:22348         127.0.0.1:631           CLOSE_WAIT  3449/cups-browsed   
udp        0      0 192.168.1.188:68      192.168.1.161:67      ESTABLISHED 3599/NetworkManager

Change of some info slightly .. See or Look at the Last Line start left UDP. my network I modified out of the box to a different Class networking xxx.yyy.xxx.zzz/2x most all are set to /24 which is 255 all out address schema with 1 and 255 isolated not for user access 1 is gateway 255 broadcast. This .255 is where what broadcast multi-plex request uses an DHCP. which "is there anyone out there" your device Mac responds Yes I am powered online and sending syn chars . stop there. rest is Your online who cares about the details. As it seems Tic Tok.

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