NetworkManager.service failed to load properly: File exists.

[^rooker]

[PROBLEM]

Booting Xubuntu 20.04.6, after upgrading packages - the network-icon in the notification panel was gone, I had no network connection(s) anymore - and couldn't start the NetworkManager service.

Code: Select all

$ systemctl status NetworkManager

returned:

● NetworkManager.service - Network Manager
Loaded: error (Reason: Unit NetworkManager.service failed to load properly: File exists.)
Active: inactive (dead)
Docs: man:NetworkManager(8)

Also the error:

"NetworkManager.service: Two services allocated for the same bus name org.freedesktop.NetworkManager, refusing operation."

[SOLUTION]
The "file exists" means that something registered as "a service seemingly identical for systemd".
Weirdly there are 2 very similar services:

1. network-manager.service
2. NetworkManager.service

After i "systemctl stop network-manager", I could start the NetworkManager (and my icon re-appeared in the panel).

There seems to be some kind of naming-collision here, but I didn't have the time to find out (=read more) on what is what.
I guess "networkd" is for headless/CLI and NetworkManager for GUI?

Related links:

• https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/70301