dnsmasq@zone1.service is not active

molotch · Monday at 19:13

Hello,

Proxmox 8.4.14

I'm trying out SDN so I created a zone with a subnet. When I attach a lxc to the vnet and try to start it, it fails with dnsmasq@zone1.service is not active followed by 'systemctl reload dnsmasq@zone1' failed: exit code 1.

My Simple Zone the VNET is located in is called zone1. What does it mean that dnsmasq@zone1.service is not active and fails to reload.

I installed dnsmasq and everything looks to be alright in the GUI. The VNET have DHCP enabled and a DHCP range assigned.

shanreich · Tuesday at 10:28

What is the content of the following files?

Code:

cat /etc/pve/sdn/zones.cfg
cat /etc/pve/sdn/vnets.cfg

Can you also post the full task logs when applying the SDN configuration? You should find them in the Task history.

Also, the status of the service might be interesting (if it even exists):

Code:

systemctl status dnsmasq@zone1
journalctl -u dnsmasq@zone1

molotch · Tuesday at 17:18

Thanks!

vnet1 gateway == 192.168.0.1
vnet2 gateway == 192.168.100.1

Physical LAN Proxmox host is connected to is 192.168.1.0/24 with host ip of 192.168.1.99.

cat /etc/pve/sdn/zones.cfg

simple: zone1
dhcp dnsmasq
ipam pve

cat /etc/pve/sdn/vnets.cfg

vnet: vnet1
zone zone1

vnet: vnet2
zone zone1

systemctl status dnsmasq@zone1

dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/dnsmasq@.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/system/dnsmasq@.service.d
└─00-dnsmasq-after-networking.conf
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2025-12-08 16:07:06 CET; 1 day 1h ago
Process: 1472 ExecStartPre=/usr/share/dnsmasq/systemd-helper checkconfig zone1 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Process: 1491 ExecStart=/usr/share/dnsmasq/systemd-helper exec zone1 (code=exited, status=2)
CPU: 16ms

Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: Starting dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server...
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd-helper[1491]: dnsmasq: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.100.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute dnsmasq[1491]: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.100.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute dnsmasq[1491]: FAILED to start up
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: Failed to start dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server.
Dec 08 16:26:16 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.
Dec 08 16:26:37 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.
Dec 08 19:05:50 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.

journalctl -u dnsmasq@zone1

Dec 07 20:03:38 wintermute systemd[1]: Starting dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server...
Dec 07 20:03:38 wintermute systemd-helper[321457]: dnsmasq: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.0.1: Address already in use
Dec 07 20:03:38 wintermute dnsmasq[321457]: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.0.1: Address already in use
Dec 07 20:03:38 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Dec 07 20:03:38 wintermute dnsmasq[321457]: FAILED to start up
Dec 07 20:03:38 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 07 20:03:38 wintermute systemd[1]: Failed to start dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server.
Dec 07 23:28:36 wintermute systemd[1]: Starting dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server...
Dec 07 23:28:36 wintermute systemd-helper[396743]: dnsmasq: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.0.1: Address already in use
Dec 07 23:28:36 wintermute dnsmasq[396743]: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.0.1: Address already in use
Dec 07 23:28:36 wintermute dnsmasq[396743]: FAILED to start up
Dec 07 23:28:36 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Dec 07 23:28:36 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 07 23:28:36 wintermute systemd[1]: Failed to start dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server.
Dec 08 15:54:55 wintermute systemd[1]: Starting dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server...
Dec 08 15:54:55 wintermute systemd-helper[758057]: dnsmasq: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.0.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 15:54:55 wintermute dnsmasq[758057]: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.0.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 15:54:55 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Dec 08 15:54:55 wintermute dnsmasq[758057]: FAILED to start up
Dec 08 15:54:55 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 08 15:54:55 wintermute systemd[1]: Failed to start dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server.
Dec 08 16:00:59 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.
Dec 08 16:01:23 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.
Dec 08 16:04:28 wintermute systemd[1]: Starting dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server...
Dec 08 16:04:28 wintermute systemd-helper[762114]: dnsmasq: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.100.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 16:04:28 wintermute dnsmasq[762114]: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.100.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 16:04:28 wintermute dnsmasq[762114]: FAILED to start up
Dec 08 16:04:28 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Dec 08 16:04:28 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 08 16:04:28 wintermute systemd[1]: Failed to start dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server.
-- Boot b811270566454589a446aca47c1dba06 --
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: Starting dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server...
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd-helper[1491]: dnsmasq: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.100.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute dnsmasq[1491]: failed to create listening socket for 192.168.100.1: Address already in use
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute dnsmasq[1491]: FAILED to start up
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 08 16:07:06 wintermute systemd[1]: Failed to start dnsmasq@zone1.service - dnsmasq (zone1) - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server.
Dec 08 16:26:16 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.
Dec 08 16:26:37 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.
Dec 08 19:05:50 wintermute systemd[1]: dnsmasq@zone1.service: Unit cannot be reloaded because it is inactive.

shanreich · Tuesday at 17:20

Did you disable the default dnsmasq service via

Code:

systemctl disable --now dnsmasq

If that doesn't work, could you also post the output of

Code:

ip a
cat /etc/pve/sdn/subnets.cfg

molotch · Tuesday at 18:31

Nope, didn't disable dnsmasq. Should I try that command?

ip a

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 ::1/128 scope host noprefixroute
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: enp2s0f0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast master vmbr0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether f0:2f:74:c3:de:67 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
3: wlp3s0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 qdisc noop state DOWN group default qlen 1000
link/ether 68:54:5a:aa:84:d0 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
4: vmbr0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether f0:2f:74:c3:de:67 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
inet 192.168.1.99/24 scope global vmbr0
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 fe80::f22f:74ff:fec3:de67/64 scope link
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
5: vmbr1: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/ether 66:ae:d3:4d:3e:18 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
inet 192.168.3.0/24 scope global vmbr1
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 fe80::64ae:d3ff:fe4d:3e18/64 scope link
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
6: vnet1: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/ether f6:3a:d1:19:66:10 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
inet 192.168.0.1/24 scope global vnet1
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 fe80::f43a:d1ff:fe19:6610/64 scope link
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
7: vnet2: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/ether da:b7:67:ce:15:ff brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
inet 192.168.100.1/24 scope global vnet2
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 fe80::d8b7:67ff:fece:15ff/64 scope link
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
8: tap100i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,PROMISC,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast master fwbr100i0 state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/ether e6:0c:5b:22:dd:16 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
9: fwbr100i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether c2:b8:c0:e5:cb:bb brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
10: fwpr100p0@fwln100i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master vmbr0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 9e:53:25:5b:63:89 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
11: fwln100i0@fwpr100p0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master fwbr100i0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether c2:b8:c0:e5:cb:bb brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
12: tap101i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,PROMISC,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast master vmbr0 state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/ether 66:0e:83:fe:6c:74 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
13: veth102i0@if2: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master vmbr0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether fe:c5:1b:a6:81:ba brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff link-netnsid 0
14: tap103i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,PROMISC,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast master fwbr103i0 state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/ether ea:26:54:08:1e:07 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
15: fwbr103i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether ce:72:a8:84:f9:bd brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
16: fwpr103p0@fwln103i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master vmbr0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 7e:d6:f3:9a:1b:78 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
17: fwln103i0@fwpr103p0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master fwbr103i0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether ce:72:a8:84:f9:bd brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
18: veth104i0@if2: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master fwbr104i0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether fe:fb:1b:36:3f:1d brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff link-netnsid 1
19: fwbr104i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 66:0b:11:00:af:b4 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
20: fwpr104p0@fwln104i0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master vmbr0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether ca:63:02:38:67:94 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
21: fwln104i0@fwpr104p0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master fwbr104i0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether 66:0b:11:00:af:b4 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
22: veth108i0@if2: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master vmbr0 state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether fe:29:e0:12:1e:ee brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff link-netnsid 2

cat /etc/pve/sdn/subnets.cfg

subnet: zone1-192.168.0.0-24
vnet vnet1
dhcp-range start-address=192.168.0.100,end-address=192.168.0.199
gateway 192.168.0.1

subnet: zone1-192.168.100.0-24
vnet vnet2
dhcp-range start-address=192.168.100.100,end-address=192.168.100.199
gateway 192.168.100.1

shanreich · 2025-12-10T10:49:56+0100

molotch said:
Nope, didn't disable dnsmasq. Should I try that command?

Yes, the error you're seeing is because the default instance is binding on ports, so the specific instances cannot bind to them anymore.

molotch · 2025-12-10T10:58:58+0100

Ok, thanks alot. I see now that I missed that line in the guide. Sorry about that, sometimes things go to fast.

https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/chapter-pvesdn.html#pvesdn_install_dhcp_ipam

EDIT: disabling dnsmasq did solve the problem

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