Updated: 11 October 2026 · Applies to: AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9, Ubuntu 24.04 and Debian 12
This message comes from the resolvconf package on Ubuntu or Debian when /etc/resolv.conf is a normal file instead of the link it expects, usually because another tool or a person replaced it.
Current Ubuntu (systemd-resolved)
Ubuntu 18.04 and later normally use systemd-resolved instead of resolvconf. Restore the standard link:
sudo ln -sf ../run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved
Set DNS servers in Netplan (/etc/netplan/*.yaml, then sudo netplan apply) rather than editing resolv.conf.
Systems that use resolvconf
sudo ln -sf ../run/resolvconf/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf sudo resolvconf -u
Note: Check which one your system uses with ls -l /etc/resolv.conf and systemctl is-active systemd-resolved before changing anything.
