[ZBX-26918] Invalid fping(6) default paths on Debian Linux Created: 2025 Aug 26  Updated: 2025 Sep 05

Status: Confirmed
Project: ZABBIX BUGS AND ISSUES
Component/s: Packages (C)
Affects Version/s: 7.0.18
Fix Version/s: None

Type: Problem report Priority: Trivial
Reporter: Markku Leiniö Assignee: Jurijs Klopovskis
Resolution: Unresolved Votes: 2
Labels: debian, packages
Remaining Estimate: Not Specified
Time Spent: Not Specified
Original Estimate: Not Specified


 Description   

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Install Zabbix 7.0.18 server on Debian 12 (as per Zabbix instructions)
  2. Add template ICMP Ping to Zabbix server host
  3. Wait a small moment and see zabbix_server.log

Result:

 11773:20250826:165601.965 At least one of '/usr/sbin/fping', '/usr/sbin/fping6' must exist. Both are missing in the system.
 11746:20250826:165602.032 item "Zabbix server:icmpping" became not supported: At least one of '/usr/sbin/fping', '/usr/sbin/fping6' must exist. Both are missing in the system.

In /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf:

# Default:
# FpingLocation=/usr/sbin/fping

# Default:
# Fping6Location=/usr/sbin/fping6

Fping binary locations:

$ dpkg -L fping | grep bin
/usr/bin
/usr/bin/fping
/usr/bin/fping6

Expected:

No manual configuration for fping binary locations should be required in the Zabbix server configuration.

 Comments   
Comment by Jon Lusky [ 2025 Aug 27 ]

OS-specific packages should include the correct defaults for the target OS.

There's also an archaic comment in the packaged zabbix_server.conf and fping needing to be suid-root. On modern linux distros, it should not be suid-root. Instead, it should have the cap_net_raw capability: 

sudo setcap cap_net_raw+ep fping

The fping package for Ubuntu 24.04 already sets this capability.

Comment by Markku Leiniö [ 2025 Aug 27 ]

See also ZBX-26921 (invalid reference to Oracle in SocketDir comment) when making the change to the default zabbix_server.conf

Comment by user185953 [ 2025 Sep 04 ]

This used to be overriden in all previous versions, no idea why it was removed.
I trusted this is no longer needed so I removed it from my config. Broken ping checks are unpleasant surprise.
If others follow change in example config, maybe 7.0.18 should be labeled broken?

Comment by Jurijs Klopovskis [ 2025 Sep 05 ]

Will publish update on Monday.
Currently having some issues with repo.zabbix.com

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