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NetworkManager Dispatcher Scripts Not Running? Common Fixes

Check dispatcher paths, permissions, event arguments, logs, and execution timing to find why a NetworkManager script did not appear to run.
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If a NetworkManager dispatcher script appears not to run, first verify that it is in a recognized dispatcher directory, meets the required ownership and permission rules, and matches the action NetworkManager actually sends. Then reproduce the event while checking the NetworkManager and dispatcher logs. A script may also have run but looked silent, been delayed behind earlier work, or executed after the network state changed.

Check whether NetworkManager can run the file

NetworkManager’s dispatcher checks /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d and /usr/lib/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d, including applicable subdirectories. Scripts run alphabetically; a file in /etc takes precedence over a same-named file in /usr/lib. See the NetworkManager-dispatcher reference manual for the directory and execution rules.

For a script to be eligible, it must be a regular file owned by root, executable, not writable by group or others, and not setuid. Check both its location and metadata:

sudo find /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d /usr/lib/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d -type f -ls
sudo stat /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/your-script

Replace your-script with the actual filename. A typical repair, if appropriate for your system, is to set root ownership and remove group/other write permissions while retaining execute permission:

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sudo chown root:root /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/your-script
sudo chmod 755 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/your-script

Do not apply those commands blindly if the script is intentionally managed another way; confirm its path and intended permissions first. Also check for a same-named file in the other dispatcher tree, since the /etc version takes precedence.

Match the event NetworkManager actually emits

A dispatcher script receives two positional arguments: the interface name first and the action second. The action can be up, down, pre-up, pre-down, vpn-up, vpn-down, hostname, dhcp4-change, dhcp6-change, connectivity-change, reapply, or dns-change. A script that handles only up will not run its matching branch for a different action.

Log the arguments temporarily to confirm what your script receives, writing to a file or the system logger rather than relying on an interactive terminal:

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#!/bin/sh
logger -t nm-dispatcher "interface=$1 action=$2 env_action=${NM_DISPATCHER_ACTION:-unset}"

For the hostname action, the first argument is none; interface-related environment variables are not set. For other events, the relevant interface can depend on the device or VPN. NetworkManager documents VPN_IP_IFACE, DEVICE_IP_IFACE, and DEVICE_IFACE, as well as NM_DISPATCHER_ACTION, in its dispatcher manual.

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Use a valid interpreter line such as #!/bin/sh, and do not assume the script inherits your login shell’s PATH, aliases, or interactive environment. Use explicit command paths where needed and capture errors in a deliberate log destination.

Reproduce the problem and inspect logs

NetworkManager writes to syslog or journald depending on system configuration. Start with the current boot’s service logs and basic state checks:

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sudo journalctl -b -u NetworkManager -u NetworkManager-dispatcher
nmcli device status
nmcli connection show
ip link show
ip address show
ip route show

Check that the expected device, address, route, connection profile, or transition exists; an event may not have occurred in the form your script expects. NetworkManager’s reference manual documents its command-line and state-inspection tools.

Default logs may not be detailed enough to diagnose a failure. NetworkManager recommends raising logging to TRACE across all domains while reproducing the issue:

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nmcli general logging level TRACE domains ALL

When finished, restore the logging level that was in effect before troubleshooting. Verbose network logs can contain local addresses and network details, so review them before sharing.

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One source of apparent silence is standard output: the dispatcher captures it to parse result keys, so ordinary text printed by a script may not show up in the dispatcher service journal. Send diagnostics to logger or a dedicated file instead. This behavior is described in the dispatcher reference manual.

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Account for ordering, time limits, and stale events

Dispatcher scripts normally run one at a time, in alphabetical order, asynchronously from the main NetworkManager process. A slow earlier script can delay later work, and scripts that run too long can be killed. Keep synchronous work short. If an operation may take an unpredictable amount of time, start it as a child process and let the dispatcher script return.

There is also a parallel-execution option: symlinks into /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/no-wait.d/ run without waiting for earlier scripts. This changes ordering and concurrency, so use it only when the work does not depend on another dispatcher script finishing first.

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Queued events are not discarded just because a newer event makes them obsolete. For example, an up handler may run after the interface has already gone down. Before taking action, have the script check that the network state still matches the event it is handling. These execution details are covered by the NetworkManager dispatcher documentation.

Investigate boot and network-online delays

If the symptom is a slow startup or delayed network activation, inspect any pre-up handler. The NetworkManager wait-online documentation notes that dispatcher scripts for pre-up run late in profile activation, so a slow or blocked handler can affect activation timing. Check the unit and activation messages as well as the script itself; see the NetworkManager-wait-online reference manual.

Quick Recap

A practical troubleshooting order

  1. Confirm the script is under /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/ or the installed /usr/lib/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/ tree, and check for same-named files.
  2. Verify it is a root-owned regular executable file, is not group/world writable, and has no setuid bit.
  3. Log its arguments and compare the second argument with the action branch it expects.
  4. Use an explicit interpreter and avoid assumptions about an interactive shell; direct diagnostics to a file or system logger.
  5. Reproduce the event, inspect journald, and temporarily enable TRACE logging if routine logs are insufficient.
  6. Check device, connection, address, and route state to establish whether the expected transition took place.
  7. Keep synchronous work brief; make background work and delayed events safe against a changed network state.
  8. If activation or boot is slow, review pre-up scripts for blocking work.

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