bug#71238: Installer image consistently fails to run system init due to TLS error

[Richard Sent]

Richard Sent <richard@freakingpenguin.com> writes:

> 1. There was a transient network issue for ~3 hours when I attempted to
> install Guix ~4 times using different installation media that caused a
> specific TLS handshake to fail.
>
> 2. A specific TLS handshake Guix undertakes during the installation
> process fails to pass one of the built-in firewall rules shipped with
> opnsense.
>
> 3. Some other odd aspect of my network messes things up for a specific
> TLS handshake.
>
> My money is on 2 given how this is a seemingly common issue on
> enterprise networks [1] and the rules I have added seem irrelevant. (I'd
> rather not talk openly about my firewall rules in an archived public
> forum, but can discuss off-list). However, there is another comment in
> that thread that says IT didn't notice any firewall blocking.

I ran the 1.4.0 installer again today behind my opnsense router and it
completed successfully, which is horrifying. I was hoping starting from
a constant image would make the error reproducible but that doesn't seem
to be the case. Even with a consistent system image and network, it's
only reproducible for somewhere between a few hours and one day. Perhaps
server load plays a part?

(Technically my process was a little bit different. Instead of fully
completing the graphical installer I swapped to a TTY after activating
the wired connection, mounted the root fs, and run $ guix system build
/mnt/etc/config.scm, where config.scm was unmodified since initial
installation. I'd be stunned if this caused the change in behavior but
figured I'd mention for completeness.)

-- 
Take it easy,
Richard Sent
Making my computer weirder one commit at a time.