Author Archives: Kaven Gagnon

About Kaven Gagnon

System Engineer / Network Administrator

JunOS : logger: transfer-file failed to transfer /var/transfer/config/juniper.conf.gz

Having the following log error entry using the archival function to backup your configuration on your Juniper device?

logger: transfer-file failed to transfer /var/transfer/config/re0.HostName_juniper.conf.gz_20181129_034459

I have experienced the following, where no further details provided, under the following conditions :

– The backup server (ftp, sftp) is reachable and working properly
– The credentials to the backup server are working
– The public key is accepted/entered in known_hosts (in case of scp/sftp)
– The archival parameters are set properly
– The local folder /var/transfer/config exist and writeable by root

I have found that the syntax between some JunOS version slightly differ when comes to supply the password.

JunOS 11.4R5.7 and earlier :

set system archival configuration archive-sites "scp://User@IP_Address/path/to/device/config" password "PASSWORD"

1	set system archival configuration archive-sites "scp://User@IP_Address/path/to/device/config" password "PASSWORD"

JunOS 11.4R6.7 and later :

set system archival configuration archive-sites "scp://User:PASSWORD@IP_Address/path/to/device/config"

1	set system archival configuration archive-sites "scp://User:PASSWORD@IP_Address/path/to/device/config"

Windows : Feature update to Windows 10, version 1803 – Error 0x8007007e

I have encountered the following error while attempting to install the latest Windows Updates (on Windows 10).

Feature update to Windows 10, version 1803 – Error 0x8007007e

The update was blocking at “Status: Installing – 49%” and then failing.

It appeared that since this PC have not been updated for a while, the update version 1803 was conflicting with the newer update 1809.

To resolve this issue, simply follow these steps :

1. Download the “Show or hile updates (WUShowHide)” utility from Microsoft (http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/2/2/f22d5fdb-59cd-4275-8c95-1be17bf70b21/wushowhide.diagcab)

2. Run “wushowhide.diagcab”, click on “Hide updates” and check everything except the updates that is blocking (in that case Windows 10, version 1803 need to be unhided)

3. Run the disk space cleaner from “This PC” on the C drive and click “Cleanup system files” at the lower left corner (check everything and click OK).

4. Reboot your computer and try running Windows Updates again.

The issue should be resolved at this point. Make sure to run “wushowhide.diagcab” again after to unhide the other updates – then run Windows Updates again to install the remaining ones.

Linux : How To send a copy of outgoing emails of a sender to another address with Exim/cPanel

This article will show you how to copy all outgoing email (transparently) of a specific user to another email account with Exim/cPanel.

There is no built-in feature to do so, but we will use the Exim highly flexible filter scripting capability that can be achieve from the command line.

1. Log into your cPanel server using SSH.

NOTE : In this example, we will assume that the source address is “outgoing.user@domain.tld” and the recipient address where we want to silently send a copy of all outgoing emails will be “recipient.user@domain.tld”.

2. Create and edit the following file using your favourite text editor :

/usr/local/cpanel/etc/exim/sysfilter/options/copy.outgoing_user_domain.tld

1	/usr/local/cpanel/etc/exim/sysfilter/options/copy.outgoing_user_domain.tld

3. Copy and edit the following matching the sender and recipient addresses :

if first_delivery
and ("$h_from:" contains "outgoing.user@domain.tld")
and not ("$h_X-Spam-Checker-Version:" begins "SpamAssassin")
then
unseen deliver "recipient.user@domain.tld"
endif

if first_delivery

and ("$h_from:" contains "outgoing.user@domain.tld")

and not ("$h_X-Spam-Checker-Version:" begins "SpamAssassin")

then

unseen deliver "recipient.user@domain.tld"

endif

4. In WHM, look at Exim Configuration Manager > Basic Editor > Filters

Look at the bottom, you should see a “Custom filter” matching “copy.outgoing_user_domain.tld”.

5. Ensure it is set to “On” and click “Save”.

Windows : Install Ubiquiti Unifi SDN Controller as a service

If you are operating Ubiquiti wireless gear compatible with the Unifi controller, and running it on a Windows machine, you may have noticed that you need to start the application manually every time you restart the computer.

Fortunately, there is a way of adding it “as a service”, just like any OS/system services. Follow the procedure below to achieve this.

Prerequisite : Ubiquiti Unifi SDN Controller for Windows need to be installed prior doing this procedure. The software can be found on the manufacturer Web site (https://www.ubnt.com/download/unifi).

1. Open the Command Prompt with elevated priviledges (run as administrator)

2. Browse to the following path :

"C:\Users\Administrator\Ubiquiti UniFi\bin\UniFi"

1	"C:\Users\Administrator\Ubiquiti UniFi\bin\UniFi"

3. Execute the following command :

java -jar lib/ace.jar installsvc

1	java -jar lib/ace.jar installsvc

It should now be installed as a service and will start/stop automatically with the OS.

NOTE : If you previously had it installed or having issue and would like to re-install, simply use the following command to uninstall it “java -jar lib/ace.jar uninstallsvc” and repeat the procedure above again.

JunOS : LIBJNX_FILE_SYSTEM_FAIL: /var/transfer/config/: No such file or directory

Encountered such issue in your log file of your Juniper network device?

LIBJNX_FILE_SYSTEM_FAIL: /var/transfer/config/: No such file or directory

This is most likely related to your configuration archival (backup), with such statement :

set system archival configuration [transfer-on-commit | transfer-interval]
set system archival configuration archive-sites "scp://user@IP_Address/path/to/folder" password "USER_Password"

1 2	set system archival configuration [transfer-on-commit \| transfer-interval] set system archival configuration archive-sites "scp://user@IP_Address/path/to/folder" password "USER_Password"

This is most likely caused by filesystem corruption and/or inexisting transfer folder on the filesystem. To resolve this issue, enter into shell mode and create the folder(s) :

In CLI mode ( > ), enter the following command :

start shell

1	start shell

Then create the folder(s) :

mkdir -p /var/transfer/config/

1	mkdir -p /var/transfer/config/

The next time the config archival will be attempted, it should work as expected.

Windows : Remote Desktop crash immediately after session opening

I ran on this issue where the Remote Desktop Client crashed the second it opened the session.

There was a related entry in the Event Viewer that stated the following :

Faulting application name: mstsc.exe, version: 10.0.17134.112, time stamp: 0x82251f4e

It turned out that the issue was caused by a mapped printer. To resolve this issue I had to disable the printer mapping.

To do so, do the following the RDP client :

– Click on “Local Resources” tab
– Locate the “Local devices and resources” section at the bottom
– Uncheck the box “Printers”

Windows : How to remove license key and unregister

You may require sometimes to remove the license from a Windows installation, whatever this is to re-assign a license to another machine, or before publishing an appliance, etc.

Follow this procedure to put back your Windows installation to the original installation state, license wise.

The following commands need to be performed with the Command Prompt or PowerShell terminal with elevated privileges.

1. Uninstall the product key and unlicense Windows :

slmgr /upk

1	slmgr /upk

2. Remove the product key from the registry :

slmgr /cpky

1	slmgr /cpky

3. Reset the activation timer :

slmgr /rearm

1	slmgr /rearm

Following these steps, all license trace and activation will be gone.

JunOS : Upgrade return ERROR: Package signature validation failed. Aborting install.

Experiencing the following error while upgrading JunOS?

Verify the signature of the new package
verify-sig: cannot validate certs.pem
certificate is not yet valid: /C=US/ST=CA/L=Sunnyvale/O=Juniper Networks/OU=Juniper CA/CN=PackageProductionRSA_2018/emailAddress=ca@juniper.net

ERROR: Package signature validation failed. Aborting install.

This error could be caused by incorrect date and time set on your device (back in time).

To validate the current value, enter in shell mode and issue the “date” command.

Example :

root@:RE:0% date
Wed Jan 20 09:19:48 UTC 2016"

1 2	root@:RE:0% date Wed Jan 20 09:19:48 UTC 2016"

To set the date and time, use the command “date YYYMMDDHH.MM” (Year | Month | Day | Hour | Minute)

Example :

root@:RE:0% date 201809130608.00
date: connect: Can't assign requested address
Thu Sep 13 06:08:00 UTC 2018

root@:RE:0% date 201809130608.00

date: connect: Can't assign requested address

Thu Sep 13 06:08:00 UTC 2018

Then go back in “cli” mode and attempt the upgrade again

root@:RE:0% cli

1	root@:RE:0% cli

[…]

Linux : There is no screen to be resumed matching …

Using “screen” on Linux to perform your important work? Way to go, SysAdmin 🙂

Then you might at some point encountered the following behavior – while attempting to resume a session using “screen -r”, the following message occurred :

There is a screen on:
1610.pts-0.host (25/08/18 08:25:36 PM) (Attached)
There is no screen to be resumed matching 1610

This behavior actually result from using multi-display mode. When you detach a screen session on multi-display, it will only detach on the current terminal.

You can easily workaround this issue using “-x” option instead of the usual “-r” as followed :

screen -x <screen_session_ID>

1	screen -x <screen_session_ID>

Example :

screen -x 1610

1	screen -x 1610

Windows : How to display a message at the Windows logon

Similar as what you can do on linux with the Message Of The Day (MOTD), there is a way to display a message to users when they login to their session.

Microsoft refer to this as a “legal notice” and can be achieved through the registry.

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor with elevated privileges :

regedit.exe

1	regedit.exe

2. Browse to the following key :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

3. Double-click on “legalnoticecaption” and write the notice title

4. Double-click on “legalnoticetext” and enter the content message of your notice

You are all set!