[Dnsmasq-discuss] What's this error in syslog mean?

[Simon Kelley]

On 04/09/2021 21:19, Geert Stappers via Dnsmasq-discuss wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 04, 2021 at 08:16:44PM +0100, Chris Green wrote:
>> On Sat, Sep 04, 2021 at 07:09:30PM +0200, john doe wrote:
>>> On 9/4/2021 6:14 PM, Chris Green wrote:
>>>> When [re]starting dnsmasq I see the following in syslog:-
>>>>
>>>> Sep 4 17:01:08 dns dnsmasq[18991]: started, version 2.80 cachesize 150
>>>> Sep 4 17:01:08 dns dnsmasq[18991]: DNS service limited to local subnets
>  91
> 
>>>> Sep 4 17:01:08 dns dnsmasq[18991]: read /etc/hosts - 12 addresses
>>>> Sep 4 17:01:08 dns dnsmasq[18992]: Too few arguments.
>  92
> 
>>>> Sep 4 17:01:08 dns systemd[1]: Started dnsmasq - A lightweight DHCP and caching DNS server. 
>>>> Sep 4 17:02:17 dns dnsmasq[18991]: read /etc/hosts - 12 addresses
>>>> Sep 4 17:05:05 dns dnsmasq-dhcp[18991]: DHCPREQUEST(eth0) 192.168.1.95 cc:ab:2c:39:69:2b
>>>> Sep 4 17:05:05 dns dnsmasq-dhcp[18991]: DHCPACK(eth0) 192.168.1.95 cc:ab:2c:39:69:2b benYouview 
>>>>
>>>> What does that error from process 18992 mean "Too few arguments."?
>>>> Does it indicate any sort of problem?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Would be better if you could increase the log verbosity
>>> to troubleshoot this...
>>>
>> Well, I've turned on the extra logging and it looks much the same:-
>  ;-)
> 
>>     Sep  4 20:12:56 dns dnsmasq[1744]: started, version 2.80 cachesize 150
>>     Sep  4 20:12:56 dns dnsmasq[1744]: DNS service limited to local subnets
>  44
> 
>>     Sep  4 20:12:56 dns dnsmasq[1745]: Too few arguments.
>  45
> 
> 
> 
>> This is with log-queries=extra and log-dhcp set.
> 
> And how is dnsmasq started?  What is in configuration file?
> 
>  
>> Is there anything else I can do to get more diagnostics?
> 
> Do see already that dnsmasq is started (with some PID)
> And there is another dnsmasq, probably a dnsmasq script,
> with another PID.
> 
> Answering "And how is dnsmasq started?  What is in configuration file?"
> might reveal what is the other dnsmasq (script).
> 
> 

When using the DHCP-script, a dnsmasq daemon actually consists of two
processes, which normally end up with consecutive PIDs, so this is
probably npt a case of dnsmasq being invoked twice, but an error during
the running of the script by the second process which exists to do
exactly that.


Simon.


> 
> Groeten
> Geert Stappers
> 
> PID:  Process IDentifer
>