How to get UFW to read current iptables rules after modification? (Ubuntu)

Question

I am adding a chain using iptables:

iptables -N ETDROP

When I reboot, this is lost. I read of many ways to make iptables rules permanent... however

You must remember, I am using UFW and UFW has this job of remembering your rules.

So the question is, how do I get UFW to realize that a new rule has just been added directly by iptables?

I tried ufw reload but no cookie.

Answer 1

iptables are not persistent by default. You need to save them and re-load on startup. There is a package to do that automatically for that on most distrebutions.

On Ubuntu, Debian, Mint try:

sudo apt-get install iptables-persistent

Answer 2

Based on various member's input, it seems that the answer is that:

UFW can not IMPORT iptables rules, it can only write them.

UFW command->UFW->iptables and never the other way round.

So if you use UFW and want to add some complicated rule, you are stuffed! e.g. adding a zone.

Work arounds

1. Use only iptables with iptables-persistent to reload its configuration on reboot.
2. Hybrid solution by editing ufw init files:
   Add your custom iptable 'compatible' rules in:
   /etc/ufw/before.rules or /etc/ufw/after.rules or /etc/ufw/user.rules
   These will be read by UFW after you restart it.
3. Hybrid solution by editing startup files e.g. rc.local
   Add your iptables command in a startup script and it will be available after reboot!