If you’re a user of Ubuntu 20.04 and you’ve encountered the “Temporary failure in name resolution” error, then this guide is for you. This error can be quite frustrating, especially when you’re trying to access the internet or connect to your Ubuntu server from other devices. In this article, we will walk you through some potential solutions to fix this issue.
What Causes This Issue?
The “Temporary failure in name resolution” error typically occurs due to incorrect DNS settings. DNS, or Domain Name System, is a system that translates domain names into IP addresses. If your system cannot resolve the domain names into IP addresses, you’ll encounter this error.
Solution 1: Check DNS Settings
The first step in troubleshooting this error is to check your DNS settings. These settings are typically found in the /etc/resolv.conf file. This file should contain the IP address of a valid DNS server.
To check the contents of this file, open your terminal and type:
cat /etc/resolv.confIf the file is not configured correctly, you can set it to point to a public DNS server like Google’s DNS server (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare’s DNS server (1.1.1.1).
Solution 2: Recreate resolv.conf
If the resolv.conf file is missing or incorrect, you can recreate it. To do this, first remove the existing file with the following command:
sudo rm /etc/resolv.confNext, create a new file using the touch command:
sudo touch /etc/resolv.confNow, edit the file using a text editor like nano:
sudo nano /etc/resolv.confIn the file, add the line nameserver 1.1.1.1 or nameserver 8.8.8.8, save the file and exit. This sets the DNS server to Cloudflare’s or Google’s DNS server respectively.
Finally, restart the systemd-resolved service with the following command:
sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved.serviceSolution 3: Check Network Configuration
Ubuntu 20.04 uses Netplan to manage and configure network settings. The configuration files for Netplan are located in the /etc/netplan/ directory and have a .yaml extension.
To check your network configuration, run the following command:
cat /etc/netplan/*.yamlEnsure that the network settings are correctly configured, including the correct IP address and DNS settings.
Solution 4: Verify IPv6 and Static IP Settings
Check if IPv6 is enabled in your Network Manager. If it is, try disabling it and see if that resolves the issue. Also, check if your IP address is set to static. If it is, try changing it to dynamic.
Solution 5: Reinstall Ubuntu
If none of the above solutions work, you may want to consider reinstalling Ubuntu. While this should be your last resort, it is possible that something went wrong during the initial installation of Ubuntu, causing these network issues.
Conclusion
The “Temporary failure in name resolution” error in Ubuntu 20.04 can be quite a headache, but with the right troubleshooting steps, it can be resolved. Remember to check your DNS settings, recreate the resolv.conf file if necessary, check your network configuration, and verify your IPv6 and static IP settings. If all else fails, reinstalling Ubuntu may be the best option. Good luck!
To check your DNS settings, open your terminal and type cat /etc/resolv.conf. This will display the contents of the /etc/resolv.conf file, which should contain the IP address of a valid DNS server.
To set the DNS server to Google’s DNS server (8.8.8.8), open the /etc/resolv.conf file using a text editor like nano. Add the line nameserver 8.8.8.8, save the file, and exit. This will configure your system to use Google’s DNS server.
If the resolv.conf file is missing or incorrect, you can recreate it. First, remove the existing file using the command sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf. Then, create a new file using sudo touch /etc/resolv.conf. Edit the file with a text editor like nano, add the line nameserver 8.8.8.8 for Google’s DNS server or nameserver 1.1.1.1 for Cloudflare’s DNS server, save the file, and exit. Finally, restart the systemd-resolved service with sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved.service.
The network configuration files for Ubuntu 20.04 are located in the /etc/netplan/ directory. These files have a .yaml extension. You can check your network configuration by running the command cat /etc/netplan/*.yaml.
To disable IPv6 in Network Manager, open the Network Manager configuration file using a text editor like nano. Find the line that says ipv6.method and change its value to ignore. Save the file and exit. This will disable IPv6 in Network Manager.
If none of the solutions mentioned in this guide work, you may consider reinstalling Ubuntu. While this should be your last resort, it is possible that something went wrong during the initial installation of Ubuntu, causing these network issues.
