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Accepted
Sergey
Asked: 2012-04-27 20:40:35 +0800 CST

Un-removable /etc/resolv.conf

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During an upgrade to 12.04 today I've got an error when running post-install hook for resolvconf package:

Setting up resolvconf (1.63ubuntu11) ...
resolvconf.postinst: Error: Cannot replace the current /etc/resolv.conf with a symbolic link because it is immutable. To correct this problem, gain root privileges in a terminal and run 'chattr -i /etc/resolv.conf' and then 'dpkg --configure resolvconf'. Aborting.

Well, surely I tried running chattr -i /etc/resolv.conf, but dpkg --configure resolvconf produced the same error.

I tried to move or delete the file manually, but I can't do this even as root:

sudo mv /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf.old 
mv: cannot move `/etc/resolv.conf' to `/etc/resolv.conf.old': Operation not permitted

sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf                                                       
rm: cannot remove `/etc/resolv.conf': Operation not permitted

I am able to create and then delete a file in /etc (as root), so the root partition is not mounted read-only or anything. Also:

lsattr /etc/resolv.conf
-----a--------- /etc/resolv.conf
filesystem permissions resolv.conf

2 Answers

  1. For my case, is the immutable attribute of the file causing it. So do sudo chattr -a -i /etc/resolv.conf

    • 8
  2. Best Answer

    as per the help files (man chattr),

    A  file  with the `a' attribute set can only be open in append mode for writing.

    In your case the file has this attribute

    The  operator  `+'  causes  the  selected attributes to be added to the
       existing attributes of the files; `-' causes them to  be  removed;

    So the command to try would be

    sudo chattr -a /etc/resolv.conf

    and try listing the attributes once again using 

    lsattr /etc/resolv.conf

    Then try deleting the file

    • 5