iptablesrestore hang during system boot

-------- SUMMARY --------

OS: * Fedora Core 3 (kernel 2.6)

Files involved: *etc-sysconfig-iptables *sbin-iptables-restore

Issues: * iptables setup during system boot hangs * nat table

-------- THE STORY --------

I have recompiled the kernel disabling IP routing. Now iptables lacks the nat table. iptables-save's output lists no nat table:

# Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005 *mangle ...rules... COMMIT # Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005 # Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005 *filter ...rules... COMMIT # Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005

This is fine.

-------- THE PROBLEM --------

But now the system hangs during boot on "Starting firewall...". This is when the scriptetc-init.d-iptables executes iptables-restore trying to read firewall rules frometc-sysconfig-iptables (where iptables-save's output is stored). It recovers, in fact, but after 20 minutes or so. I didn't watch that long and don't know what happens. Then the firewall seems to be properly configured.

-------- DIAGNOSTICS AND ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE --------

I used the --verbose option to iptables-restore during system boot:

# Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005 Flushing chain `PREROUTING' Flushing chain `INPUT' Flushing chain `FORWARD' Flushing chain `OUTPUT' Flushing chain `POSTROUTING' # Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005 # Generated by iptables-save v1.2.11 on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005 Flushing chain `INPUT' Flushing chain `FORWARD' Flushing chain `OUTPUT' Hang here, expected this line: # Completed on Tue May 17 09:17:49 2005

After system is booted the same script (-etc-init.d-iptables start) seems to work fine.

-------- HELP NEEDED --------

Any ideas on what's going on in iptables-restore then? I guess I must be having something misconfigured, but what?

Thanks!

-- Enter through the narrow gate! (Mt 7:13-14)