ERROR: problem running ufw-init

Question

I tried setting up ufw on my remote Ubuntu 14.04 server so i installed it and allowed ssh with the command

sudo ufw allow ssh

after that I tried to enable ufw but I get the following error:

ERROR: problem running ufw-init
iptables-restore: line 77 failed
iptables-restore: line 30 failed
iptables-restore: line 10 failed
iptables-restore: line 39 failed
iptables-restore v1.4.21: Couldn't load target `ufw-user-input':No such file or directory

Error occurred at line: 2
Try `iptables-restore -h' or 'iptables-restore --help' for more information.

Problem running '/etc/ufw/before.rules'
Problem running '/etc/ufw/after.rules'
Problem running '/lib/ufw/user.rules'

Then I found this troubleshooting guid which recommends to comment some lines in the mentioned .rules files, but I would have to comment every line in all the files to get it starting. I can't do that since I need at least the allow ssh rule.

The most suspicious line is the one mentioning a iptables-restore error:

iptables-restore v1.4.21: Couldn't load target `ufw-user-input':No such file or directory
Error occurred at line: 2
Try `iptables-restore -h' or 'iptables-restore --help' for more information.

The in the error mentioned .rules files are as following now:

before.rules:

# rules.before
#
# Rules that should be run before the ufw command line added rules. Custom
# rules should be added to one of these chains:
#   ufw-before-input
#   ufw-before-output
#   ufw-before-forward
#

# Don't delete these required lines, otherwise there will be errors
*filter
:ufw-before-input - [0:0]
:ufw-before-output - [0:0]
:ufw-before-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-not-local - [0:0]
# End required lines


# allow all on loopback
-A ufw-before-input -i lo -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-output -o lo -j ACCEPT

# quickly process packets for which we already have a connection
-A ufw-before-input -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-output -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-forward -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

# drop INVALID packets (logs these in loglevel medium and higher)
-A ufw-before-input -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j ufw-logging-deny
-A ufw-before-input -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP

 # ok icmp codes for INPUT
-A ufw-before-input -p icmp --icmp-type destination-unreachable -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-input -p icmp --icmp-type source-quench -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-input -p icmp --icmp-type time-exceeded -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-input -p icmp --icmp-type parameter-problem -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-input -p icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j ACCEPT

# ok icmp code for FORWARD
-A ufw-before-forward -p icmp --icmp-type destination-unreachable -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-forward -p icmp --icmp-type source-quench -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-forward -p icmp --icmp-type time-exceeded -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-forward -p icmp --icmp-type parameter-problem -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-forward -p icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j ACCEPT

# allow dhcp client to work
-A ufw-before-input -p udp --sport 67 --dport 68 -j ACCEPT

#
# ufw-not-local
#
-A ufw-before-input -j ufw-not-local

# if LOCAL, RETURN
#-A ufw-not-local -m addrtype --dst-type LOCAL -j RETURN

# if MULTICAST, RETURN
#-A ufw-not-local -m addrtype --dst-type MULTICAST -j RETURN

# if BROADCAST, RETURN
#-A ufw-not-local -m addrtype --dst-type BROADCAST -j RETURN

# all other non-local packets are dropped
-A ufw-not-local -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j ufw-logging-deny
-A ufw-not-local -j DROP

# allow MULTICAST mDNS for service discovery (be sure the MULTICAST line above
# is uncommented)
#-A ufw-before-input -p udp -d 224.0.0.251 --dport 5353 -j ACCEPT

# allow MULTICAST UPnP for service discovery (be sure the MULTICAST line above
# is uncommented)
#-A ufw-before-input -p udp -d 239.255.255.250 --dport 1900 -j ACCEPT

# don't delete the 'COMMIT' line or these rules won't be processed
COMMIT

after.rules:

# rules.input-after
#
# Rules that should be run after the ufw command line added rules. Custom
# rules should be added to one of these chains:
#   ufw-after-input
#   ufw-after-output
#   ufw-after-forward
#

# Don't delete these required lines, otherwise there will be errors
*filter
:ufw-after-input - [0:0]
:ufw-after-output - [0:0]
:ufw-after-forward - [0:0]
# End required lines

# don't log noisy services by default
-A ufw-after-input -p udp --dport 137 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p udp --dport 138 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p tcp --dport 139 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p tcp --dport 445 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p udp --dport 67 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p udp --dport 68 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input

# don't log noisy broadcast
#-A ufw-after-input -m addrtype --dst-type BROADCAST -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input

# don't delete the 'COMMIT' line or these rules won't be processed
COMMIT

user.rules:

*filter
:ufw-user-input - [0:0]
:ufw-user-output - [0:0]
:ufw-user-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-before-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw-before-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw-before-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-user-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw-user-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw-user-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-after-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw-after-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw-after-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-logging-deny - [0:0]
:ufw-logging-allow - [0:0]
:ufw-user-limit - [0:0]
:ufw-user-limit-accept - [0:0]
### RULES ###

### tuple ### allow any 22 0.0.0.0/0 any 0.0.0.0/0 in
-A ufw-user-input -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p udp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT

### END RULES ###

### LOGGING ###
-A ufw-after-logging-input -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] " -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10
-A ufw-after-logging-forward -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] " -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10
-I ufw-logging-deny -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j RETURN -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10
-A ufw-logging-deny -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] " -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10
-A ufw-logging-allow -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW ALLOW] " -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10
### END LOGGING ###

### RATE LIMITING ###
-A ufw-user-limit -m limit --limit 3/minute -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW LIMIT BLOCK] "
-A ufw-user-limit -j REJECT
-A ufw-user-limit-accept -j ACCEPT
### END RATE LIMITING ###
COMMIT

Does anyone have had similar issues and solved it or has any idea how to solve the problem(s)?

Thanks in advance.

Solution

There is a /usr/share/ufw/check-requirements script that checks for everything needed for ufw to work. You'll get hints about what's missing.

ufw is not meant to work without the full iptables/netfilter build in the kernel or loaded by modules. If you can't build a new kernel, you're in for some trouble.

The post you linked tries to go around these problems. They also say the ufw application scripts still don't work. You could try port 22 instead of ssh.