systemd: domainname.service failing to start at boot

[l0b0]

Nixpkgs version

• Unstable (25.05)

Describe the bug

sudo /nix/store/7zbg91n5qxdh755g838mblynfikvh725-net-tools-2.10/bin/domainname [domain name omitted]

Steps to reproduce

1. Set networking.domain
2. Apply
3. Reboot

Expected behaviour

All services should start successfully

Screenshots

No response

Relevant log output

-- Boot 1e5176912dc44e6f8e12183874c44948 --
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Failed with result 'start-limit-hit'.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: Failed to start domainname.service.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Failed with result 'start-limit-hit'.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: Failed to start domainname.service.

Additional context

Using nixpkgs 5df4362.

Service description:

❯ systemctl status --lines=0 domainname.service 
× domainname.service
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/domainname.service; enabled; preset: ignored)
     Active: failed (Result: start-limit-hit) since Sat 2025-01-18 10:23:48 CET; 58min ago
 Invocation: c0cd4cb515df4ee58f208546a6442ecc
    Process: 1274 ExecStart=/nix/store/7zbg91n5qxdh755g838mblynfikvh725-net-tools-2.10/bin/domainname [omitted] (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
   Main PID: 1274 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)

I'm confused why it says "Active: failed", but the process exit status says "status=0/SUCCESS". running the ExecStart command above (with the actual domain name) as root succeeds.

System metadata

• system: "x86_64-linux"
• host os: Linux 6.12.9, NixOS, 25.05 (Warbler), 25.05.20250116.5df4362
• multi-user?: yes
• sandbox: yes
• version: nix-env (Nix) 2.24.11
• channels(root): ""
• nixpkgs: /nix/store/l9nb64iii15y0nr37qrs1cfm6rlpg6gh-source

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[cything]

Can you get more logs with journalctl -xeu domainname.service?

[l0b0]

Can you get more logs with journalctl -xeu domainname.service?

For sure, but it doesn't look very illuminating:

Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 158.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
░░ Subject: Unit succeeded
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ The unit domainname.service has successfully entered the 'dead' state.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 158.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 342.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
░░ Subject: Unit succeeded
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ The unit domainname.service has successfully entered the 'dead' state.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 342.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 1133.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
░░ Subject: Unit succeeded
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ The unit domainname.service has successfully entered the 'dead' state.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 1133.
Jan 18 10:23:47 sus systemd[1]: Starting domainname.service...
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has begun execution.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 1232.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Deactivated successfully.
░░ Subject: Unit succeeded
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ The unit domainname.service has successfully entered the 'dead' state.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: Finished domainname.service.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has finished successfully.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 1232.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Failed with result 'start-limit-hit'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ The unit domainname.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 'start-limit-hit'.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: Failed to start domainname.service.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has finished with a failure.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 1319 and the job result is failed.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: domainname.service: Failed with result 'start-limit-hit'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ The unit domainname.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 'start-limit-hit'.
Jan 18 10:23:48 sus systemd[1]: Failed to start domainname.service.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit domainname.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░ 
░░ A start job for unit domainname.service has finished with a failure.
░░ 
░░ The job identifier is 1420 and the job result is failed.