📖 ~1 min read
Table of contents
Symptom & Impact
Network config changes in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts are ignored.
Environment & Reproduction
CentOS Stream 9 defaults to NetworkManager keyfile plugin, not ifcfg.
Root Cause Analysis
The ifcfg-rh plugin is deprecated; keyfiles live under /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/.
Quick Triage
nmcli -t -f NAME,FILENAME c show lists each connection’s source file.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
Inspect /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/ for plugin directives.

Solution – Primary Fix
Migrate with nmcli c migrate or edit the keyfile and nmcli c reload.
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Solution – Alternative Approaches
Install NetworkManager-config-server and re-enable ifcfg-rh plugin temporarily.
Verification & Acceptance Criteria
nmcli c up succeeds and ip a shows expected addressing.
Rollback Plan
Restore the ifcfg file and run nmcli c reload to fall back.
Prevention & Hardening
Standardize on keyfile and store configs in Ansible nmcli module.
Related Errors & Cross-Refs
Related: dispatcher script paths and connection.autoconnect settings.
Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for centos-stream-9.
View all centos-stream-9 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →
Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.
References & Further Reading
Red Hat ‘Configuring and managing networking’ guide.
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