Packer virtualbox ssh can't connect to unattended Ubuntu 20.04.1/2/3/4 but can connect to Ubuntu 20.4

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I am not sure of this bug being related to the openssh package, but the Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot has asked me to fill this field.

Yeah it seems unlikely to be ssh to me -- can you ping the machine? does virtualbox networking do interfaces that can ping? Does virtualbox offer a 'console view' that you can use to debug the system?

Thanks for reporting this bug.

As Seth said, it seems unlikely that this is ssh's fault. I don't have an easy way to use virtualbox/packer here, so I'm wondering if you could either provide more info (as Seth also requested) or an out-of-the-box way to reproduce what you're seeing (i.e., without involving third-party applications).

Thanks.

sergiojd: The problem I have reported happens using Packer to create VirtualBox .ova images of Ubuntu Server guests. As I have said, everything works OK using the Ubuntu Server 20.04 iso (released in 2020.04), but fails with the 20.04.1, 20.04.2, 20.04.3 or 20.04.4 isos. I would say that something has changed in Ubuntu after 20.04.

seth: During the creation of the VM, Packer uses a NAT network, so I would say I can not ping the machine.
The VM is created OK, I can login into the machine, but as Packer can not connect with SSH, the VM is destroyed some minutes later when Packer cancels the build. Virtualbox defines port forwarding (127.0.0.1:xxxx) and I have tried to connect the guest using WinSCP or Putty, but both can't connect neither.

I send attached the log file created by VirtualBox.

Hello Barto,

If I understand it correctly you can create working images using 20.04 ISOs *right now*, but with the exact same tooling images created with 20.04.x ISOs do not work. I think you have been clear about this, but it is of course very important to know that the only moving part is the ISO image.

Given that you have console access to the machine, at least for a few minutes before Virtualbox tears it down, can you please share the output of the following commands?

 - ip addr
 - systemctl status
 - systemctl status ssh

My wild guess here is that for some reason the 20.04.x images get a different Ethernet interface name (you hardcoded ens33 in cloud-config).

Also: can you login from the machine to itself (ssh mclibre@127.0.0.1)?

Also: can you share the contents of /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf and /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml?

Thank you.

Thank you for your help, paride. Now, answering your questions:

Yes, I am using last versions of Packer (1.8.0) and VirtualBox (6.1.32). Host is Windows 10. Ubuntu 20.04 works, but .1, .2, .3 and .4 update releases don't. By the way, the situation is worse in jammy daily builds because I can not even begin the unattended instalation (I have opened a question about this problem in Ubuntu forums https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2472899).

ens33 is in user-data file just because I copied a working example of autoinstall file.

I can ssh login from the machine to itself.

I have made some screenshots showing the output of commands you asked me for.

ip_addr

systemctl status (1)

systemctl status (2)

systemctl status ssh

ssh mclibre@127.0.0.1

/etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf (1)

/etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf (2)

/etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml

[Expired for openssh (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

Hi Barto,

Sorry for the delay on getting beck to this one.

Is dhcp running? It seems there is a network configuration issue here. Therefore, I am marking this bug as invalid.

If you still believe this is a bug and not a configuration issue, please, add the steps needed to get the issue reproduced and include the ssh debugging logs here.