📖 ~1 min read
Table of contents
Symptom & Impact
Systems take significantly longer to boot while waiting for network-online target.
Environment & Reproduction
Most visible on servers with optional or disconnected interfaces.
Root Cause Analysis
wait-online waits for interfaces that will never become routable due to config mismatch or optional links.
Quick Triage
Identify slow boot units and unresolved interfaces.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
Review networkd configuration and link state transitions.
Solution – Primary Fix
Mark non-critical interfaces optional or limit wait-online to required interfaces.
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Solution – Alternative Approaches
Disable wait-online dependency for services that do not require early network readiness.
Verification & Acceptance Criteria
Boot timing improves and no critical service dependency failures occur.
Rollback Plan
Remove override and restore default wait-online behavior if startup dependencies break.
Prevention & Hardening
Document which interfaces are required at boot and keep network definitions explicit.
Related Errors & Cross-Refs
Related to network-online.target delays and service startup ordering issues.
Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for Debian 10.
View all Debian 10 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →
Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.
References & Further Reading
systemd-networkd and wait-online service documentation.
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