grobid.jabref.org no longer resolves (NXDOMAIN) — default Grobid URL and all Grobid tests fail

[Pranav-error]

grobid.jabref.org no longer resolves, so every Grobid-backed feature and test fails to connect.

The host is gone from DNS

$ nslookup grobid.jabref.org 8.8.8.8
** server can't find grobid.jabref.org: NXDOMAIN

$ nslookup grobid.jabref.org 1.1.1.1
** server can't find grobid.jabref.org: NXDOMAIN

jabref.org itself resolves normally (150.171.109.129), so it is this subdomain specifically, and it is not a local resolver problem — CI fails the same way from GitHub runners, with java.nio.channels.UnresolvedAddressException:

GrobidServiceTest > processPdfTest() FAILED
    java.net.ConnectException at GrobidServiceTest.java:95
        Caused by: java.nio.channels.UnresolvedAddressException at GrobidServiceTest.java:95

This is not only a test problem

http://grobid.jabref.org:8070 is the shipped default:

// jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/importer/util/GrobidPreferences.java
private GrobidPreferences() {
    this(
            false,                          // Grobid enabled
            false,                          // Grobid use asked
            "http://grobid.jabref.org:8070" // Grobid URL
    );
}

Grobid is opt-in, so users are not broken by default — but anyone who enables it without changing the URL gets a connection error rather than a working service.

Affected tests on main

• GrobidServiceTest — processPdfTest, processEmptyStringTest, processValidCitationTest, extractsReferencesFromPdf
• GrobidPlainCitationParserTest — grobidPerformSearchWithEmptyStringTest
• PdfMergeMetadataImporterTest — 3 tests
• PdfGrobidImporterTest

I did not open a PR because the fix is a hosting decision rather than a code one: either the host comes back, or the default needs to point somewhere else. Happy to do the code change once you decide what the new default should be.

[Siedlerchr]

Yes we had to shutdown grobid due to resource limits on Azure (💵) R Sai Pranav ***@***.***> schrieb am Mo., 24. Aug. 2026, 22:14:

…

*Pranav-error* created an issue (JabRef/jabref#16668) <#16668> grobid.jabref.org no longer resolves, so every Grobid-backed feature and test fails to connect. The host is gone from DNS $ nslookup grobid.jabref.org 8.8.8.8 ** server can't find grobid.jabref.org: NXDOMAIN $ nslookup grobid.jabref.org 1.1.1.1 ** server can't find grobid.jabref.org: NXDOMAIN jabref.org itself resolves normally (150.171.109.129), so it is this subdomain specifically, and it is not a local resolver problem — CI fails the same way from GitHub runners, with java.nio.channels.UnresolvedAddressException: GrobidServiceTest > processPdfTest() FAILED java.net.ConnectException at GrobidServiceTest.java:95 Caused by: java.nio.channels.UnresolvedAddressException at GrobidServiceTest.java:95 This is not only a test problem http://grobid.jabref.org:8070 is the shipped default: // jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/importer/util/GrobidPreferences.javaprivate GrobidPreferences() { this( false, // Grobid enabled false, // Grobid use asked "http://grobid.jabref.org:8070" // Grobid URL ); } Grobid is opt-in, so users are not broken by default — but anyone who enables it without changing the URL gets a connection error rather than a working service. Affected tests on main - GrobidServiceTest — processPdfTest, processEmptyStringTest, processValidCitationTest, extractsReferencesFromPdf - GrobidPlainCitationParserTest — grobidPerformSearchWithEmptyStringTest - PdfMergeMetadataImporterTest — 3 tests - PdfGrobidImporterTest I did not open a PR because the fix is a hosting decision rather than a code one: either the host comes back, or the default needs to point somewhere else. Happy to do the code change once you decide what the new default should be. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#16668?email_source=notifications&email_token=AACOFZH4M4BGLA6FJJ4G4Y35LSO3FA5CNFSL4Z3JMQ5C6L3HNF2C22DVMIXUS43TOVSS6NJSGM4TAMJUGYZDLJTSMVQXG33OVJZXKYTTMNZGSYTFMSSWK5TFNZ2KYZTPN52GK4S7MNWGSY3L>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AACOFZDQE4QLA42UALSS7F35LSO3FAVCNFSNUABEKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHMYTONRTGQYDOMJ3JFZXG5LFHM2TEMZZGAYTINRSGWQXMAQ> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/AACOFZFJMNAX54KY7Z6OW2L5LSO3FA5CNFSL4Z3JMQ5C6L3HNF2C22DVMIXUS43TOVSS6NJSGM4TAMJUGYZDLJTSMVQXG33OVJZXKYTTMNZGSYTFMSSWK5TFNZ2KUZTPN52GK4S7NFXXG> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/AACOFZAHRH6ODENG22GLVHT5LSO3FA5CNFSL4Z3JMQ5C6L3HNF2C22DVMIXUS43TOVSS6NJSGM4TAMJUGYZDLJTSMVQXG33OVJZXKYTTMNZGSYTFMSSWK5TFNZ2K4ZTPN52GK4S7MFXGI4TPNFSA>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[Pranav-error]

Thanks — that settles the cause. Two consequences are still open though, and I'd rather ask than guess which you want:

1. The shipped default still points at the dead host. GrobidPreferences defaults to http://grobid.jabref.org:8070, so with "Grobid" enabled a user now gets a connection failure with no hint that the service is gone rather than misconfigured.
2. Four test classes fail on every CI run — GrobidServiceTest, GrobidPlainCitationParserTest, PdfGrobidImporterTest, PdfMergeMetadataImporterTest — which is part of what makes Fetcher tests red on main.

Options I can send as a small PR, whichever you prefer:

• leave the default as is and just tag the four test classes so they stop failing CI;
• change the default to the public kermitt2-grobid.hf.space demo instance (works today, but it's someone else's demo box, so probably not something to ship as a default);
• empty the default and have the preference require an explicit self-hosted URL, with the error message saying so.

Happy to do any of them, or none if you're planning to bring the service back.

[rish0000-dot]

/assign