Fixing SDDM Weather Service API Resolution Issues

Dec 5, 2025 by Alex Johnson 50 views

Are you experiencing trouble with your SDDM weather service on Arch Linux, specifically with resolving the api.open-meteo.com address? You're not alone! This is a common issue that can prevent your weather information from displaying correctly on your SDDM login screen. Let's dive into the problem and explore solutions to ensure your weather updates are always accurate and readily available. This article will thoroughly explore the underlying cause of the issue, examine the original problem description provided, and propose several solutions with detailed explanations. We'll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method, helping you choose the best approach for your specific setup.

Understanding the Problem: SDDM, Weather Services, and DNS Resolution

The core of the problem lies in the DNS resolution process. When your sddm-weather.service attempts to fetch weather data, it relies on resolving the domain name api.open-meteo.com to its corresponding IP address. The error message, curl: (6) Could not resolve host: api.open-meteo.com, clearly indicates that the system couldn't translate the domain name into an IP address. This can happen for several reasons, and it's essential to understand them to implement an effective fix.

Several factors can contribute to DNS resolution failures. First, the network configuration of your system plays a crucial role. If your network connection isn't established or configured correctly during the service startup, the DNS resolution will fail. Second, the DNS server settings themselves could be problematic. If your system is configured to use an unreliable DNS server, it might not be able to resolve the domain name. Finally, the service's dependencies could be a factor. The sddm-weather.service depends on the network being available. It needs to start after the network connection is up. Understanding these elements is key to troubleshooting the problem.

Analyzing the Logs

The provided logs offer valuable insights into the problem. The lines Dec 05 18:20:29 RiceBox systemd[1]: Starting Update weather string for SDDM... and Dec 05 18:20:29 RiceBox update-sddm-weather[413]: curl: (6) Could not resolve host: api.open-meteo.com show the service attempting to run and failing due to the DNS resolution issue. The subsequent lines confirm that the service deactivated and finished without completing its task. These logs clearly pinpoint the moment of failure and offer crucial clues to guide your troubleshooting efforts.

The Root Cause: Timing and Network Availability

One of the most common reasons for this issue is that the sddm-weather.service starts before the network connection is fully established. When the service tries to resolve api.open-meteo.com, the network might not be ready yet. This leads to the curl command failing to resolve the host and, consequently, the weather string not being updated. This timing problem is a very common issue on systems that boot quickly. The service, eager to provide weather updates, attempts to contact the API before the network interface is ready to send the request. This creates a race condition, where the service loses the race against the network setup.

The Importance of `network-online.target`

The network-online.target in systemd is designed to address precisely this problem. It signifies that the network is up and configured, and it’s generally a good practice to include Wants=network-online.target and After=network-online.target in your service file. These lines ensure that your service will start only after the network is fully operational. This approach ensures that the necessary network resources, including the DNS configuration, are available before the service tries to resolve the domain name and fetch the weather data. This is typically the best and most robust solution, but there might be other things to consider.

Solutions: Fixing the SDDM Weather Service

Several methods can be used to resolve the issue where the api.open-meteo.com domain name cannot be resolved by your sddm-weather.service. Each of these solutions has pros and cons. We will discuss several methods, including editing the service file, adjusting the service dependencies, and implementing network configuration adjustments.

Method 1: Editing the Service File (Recommended)

As the original poster has already identified, editing the sddm-weather.service file to include Wants=network-online.target and After=network-online.target is an excellent approach. This method ensures that the service starts only after the network is up and running, thereby preventing DNS resolution issues.

Here’s how to do it:

Locate the Service File: The service file is typically located in /etc/systemd/system/sddm-weather.service. You might need root privileges to edit this file.
Edit the File: Open the file with a text editor (e.g., sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/sddm-weather.service).

Add the following lines under the [Unit] section:

Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target

Save the file.
Reload the systemd daemon to apply the changes: sudo systemctl daemon-reload.
Restart the service: sudo systemctl restart sddm-weather.service.

This method is generally the most straightforward and reliable because it addresses the timing issue directly. By ensuring that the service starts after the network is available, you significantly reduce the chance of DNS resolution failures. It’s also considered best practice as it adheres to the recommended systemd service design patterns.

Method 2: Increasing the Service Start Delay

If the service is still having problems, you can introduce a delay before the ExecStart command runs. This provides additional time for the network connection and DNS resolution to complete.

Edit the sddm-weather.service file: Follow the steps above to open the service file.
Add ExecStartPre=/bin/sleep 10 before ExecStart: This will make the service wait for 10 seconds before executing the main command. Adjust the sleep duration as needed.
```
[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStartPre=/bin/sleep 10
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/update-sddm-weather
```
Save the file, reload the daemon, and restart the service as described in Method 1.

This is a quick fix, but it's less elegant than the network-online.target approach. It can also unnecessarily delay the startup of your system if the network connection is quick to establish. However, it can be useful in specific situations, especially if the network setup takes longer than usual.

Method 3: Modifying DNS Configuration

If you consistently experience DNS resolution issues across your system, the problem might lie with your DNS server settings. You can try changing your DNS servers to more reliable options, such as Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1).

Edit your network configuration. This depends on your network setup (e.g., NetworkManager, systemd-networkd, or a static configuration).
Specify the DNS servers in your configuration. For example, in NetworkManager, you can configure DNS servers through the graphical interface or the nmcli command-line tool. You can set up the DNS servers to Google's public DNS servers.
```
nmcli con mod <your_connection_name> ipv4.dns 
```