Log File Pihole_updateGravity.log Grows Until Partitions Space Fills Up.

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Introduction

As a Pi-hole user, you expect your device to run smoothly and efficiently, providing you with a reliable and secure DNS filtering experience. However, in some cases, you may encounter issues that can lead to unexpected behavior, such as a log file growing endlessly until it fills up the entire partition space. In this article, we will explore the issue of the pihole_updateGravity.log file growing excessively and causing the partition space to fill up.

Versions

  • Core version: v6.0.5 (Latest: N/A)
  • Web version: v6.0.2 (Latest: N/A)
  • FTL version: v6.0.4 (Latest: N/A)

Platform

  • OS and version: Raspbian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)

Expected Behavior

You don't expect a log file to grow endlessly. Log files are meant to record important events and errors that occur on your Pi-hole device, but they should not consume excessive space on your device.

Actual Behavior / Bug

My Pi-hole is running on a Pi Zero, and I've had it running for years without problems, so this behavior is likely associated with v6. I discovered that the Pi-hole's filesystem was 100% full. I located the problem to the file /var/log/pihole/pihole_updateGravity.log which had grown to 26 gigabytes on its 32 Gb flash card.

The first line of the file read:

[✗] DNS resolution is currently unavailable

and the following N lines read:

[i] Waiting until DNS resolution is available.........................................................................................

Apparently, my Pi-hole lost access to DNS, why this is is a separate problem that I need to investigate. I did configure the Pi-hole to make use of my two unbound DNS resolvers. I suspect something went wrong there, but I have not discovered it because I have a primary Pi-hole. This is what I get from dig without having rebooted the Pi:

$ dig 8.8.8.8
;; communications error to 127.0.0.1#53: connection refused
;; communications error to 127.0.0.1#53: connection refused
;; communications error to 127.0.0.1#53: connection refused

; <<>> DiG 9.18.33-1~deb12u2-Raspbian <<>> 8.8.8.8
;; global options: +cmd
;; no servers could be reached

Steps to Reproduce

Unfortunately, I don't know the steps to reproduce this behavior. However, I will provide some possible causes and solutions that may help you troubleshoot the issue.

Possible Causes

  1. DNS resolution issues: As mentioned earlier, my Pi-hole lost access to DNS, which may be causing the pihole_updateGravity.log file to grow excessively.
  2. Unbound DNS resolver configuration: I suspect that something went wrong with the configuration of my unbound DNS resolvers, which may be causing the issue.
  3. Log file rotation issues: Log file rotation is an essential feature that helps log files from growing excessively. However, if log file rotation is not configured correctly, it may lead to issues like this.

Solutions

  1. Check DNS resolution: Verify that your Pi-hole has access to DNS. You can use the dig command to test DNS resolution.
  2. Check unbound DNS resolver configuration: Review your unbound DNS resolver configuration to ensure that it is correct.
  3. Configure log file rotation: Ensure that log file rotation is configured correctly on your Pi-hole device.
  4. Monitor log file growth: Regularly monitor the growth of the pihole_updateGravity.log file to detect any issues early.

Debug Token

If you are experiencing similar issues, you can generate a debug token using the pihole -d command. This will provide you with a unique token that you can share with the Pi-hole support team to help them troubleshoot the issue.

Conclusion

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the issue of the pihole_updateGravity.log file growing excessively until it fills up the entire partition space on your Pi-hole device. In this article, we will provide a Q&A section to help you better understand the issue and its possible causes.

Q: What is the pihole_updateGravity.log file?

A: The pihole_updateGravity.log file is a log file that records important events and errors related to the Pi-hole's update process. It is located in the /var/log/pihole/ directory.

Q: Why is the pihole_updateGravity.log file growing excessively?

A: There are several possible reasons why the pihole_updateGravity.log file is growing excessively. Some possible causes include:

  • DNS resolution issues
  • Unbound DNS resolver configuration issues
  • Log file rotation issues
  • Other software or hardware issues

Q: How can I check if my Pi-hole has access to DNS?

A: You can use the dig command to test DNS resolution on your Pi-hole device. For example, you can use the following command to test DNS resolution for the Google public DNS server:

$ dig 8.8.8.8

Q: How can I check my unbound DNS resolver configuration?

A: You can check your unbound DNS resolver configuration by reviewing the /etc/unbound/unbound.conf file. This file contains the configuration settings for your unbound DNS resolver.

Q: How can I configure log file rotation on my Pi-hole device?

A: You can configure log file rotation on your Pi-hole device by editing the /etc/logrotate.conf file. This file contains the configuration settings for log file rotation on your Pi-hole device.

Q: What is a debug token, and how can I generate one?

A: A debug token is a unique token that you can generate using the pihole -d command. This token provides the Pi-hole support team with access to your Pi-hole device's debug logs, which can help them troubleshoot issues.

To generate a debug token, follow these steps:

  1. Open a terminal on your Pi-hole device.
  2. Type the following command: pihole -d
  3. Follow the prompts to generate a debug token.

Q: How can I share my debug token with the Pi-hole support team?

A: Once you have generated a debug token, you can share it with the Pi-hole support team by providing them with the token URL. For example, if your debug token URL is https://tricorder.pi-hole.net/wim5hft4rq, you can share it with the support team by providing them with this URL.

Q: What should I do if I am experiencing issues with my Pi-hole device?

A: If you are experiencing issues with your Pi-hole device, you can try the following steps:

  1. Check your DNS resolution by using the dig command.
  2. Review your unbound DNS resolver configuration by checking the /etc/unbound/un.conf file.
  3. Configure log file rotation by editing the /etc/logrotate.conf file.
  4. Generate a debug token using the pihole -d command and share it with the Pi-hole support team.

By following these steps, you can troubleshoot and resolve issues with your Pi-hole device and ensure that it runs smoothly and efficiently.