Announcing kiwi v11.1.x

[Marcus Schäfer]

Hi,

I'm happy to announce kiwi v11 has landed. Well it's still
just an image builder :-) Moving into a new major version allows
us also to do changes with less care for backward compatibility
which is sometimes needed also with respect to the many changes
applied to the linux distributions during its lifetime. As
we depend on all of them in some way shape or form I'd like
to announce important changes that might affect you when
moving to v11.

In addition to the normal development cycles that you can follow
on github, there is a label named "kiwi-11" which allows to review
the changes specifically for the new major version.

Here is what might be of interest the most:

* For SUSE users: v11 is planned to become available in openSUSE TW.
There are no plans for Leap/SLES. Changes for Leap/SLES
continue to be a porting effort on https://github.com/SUSE/kiwi_sle15
and https://github.com/SUSE/kiwi_sle16. As such no worries there

* For SUSE users: Drop custom suse grub bls patch.
This is a long standing change (>2 years) for which kiwi uses
BLS as the default layout for grub except for SUSE. If you are
affected make the setting explicit in your image description

<bootloader name="grub2" bls="false"/>

* Default grub output console is set to console.
This is the only console setting that exists across architectures.
The former default gfxterm wasn't a good choice. If you are
affected make the setting explicit in your image description

<bootloader name="grub2" console="gfxterm"/>

* Drop writing /etc/sysconfig/bootloader. This file was subject
for deletion for some time. The file is actually used by perl-bootloader
and not a mainline grub config file. Therefore distribution specific
and not really a part of kiwi. If you are affected make sure
to address the following setting in config.sh

LOADER_TYPE
LOADER_LOCATION
DEFAULT_APPEND
FAILSAFE_APPEND
SECURE_BOOT
TRUSTED_BOOT

* boxbuild and stackbuild/stash plugins are now part of kiwi core.
The former plugin projects
- https://github.com/OSInside/kiwi-stackbuild-plugin
- https://github.com/OSInside/kiwi-boxed-plugin
are in read-only mode and will be archived

Thanks much and feel free to reach out on the mailing list or
the matrix channel in case v11 causes you any headaches.

Thanks much

Best regards,
Marcus
--
Public Key available via: https://keybase.io/marcus_schaefer/key.asc
keybase search marcus_schaefer

[Roger Oberholtzer]

Re the boxed plugin: does this mean that python3-kiwi_boxed_plugin is
obsolete? Maybe that explains the warning:
Detected 1 file conflict:

File /usr/share/man/man8/kiwi::system::boxbuild.8.gz
from install of
kiwi-man-pages-11.1.0-1.1.x86_64 (Virtualization:Appliances:Builder)
conflicts with file from package
python3-kiwi_boxed_plugin-0.2.60-2.1.noarch (@System)

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Roger Oberholtzer

[Roger Oberholtzer]

I just tried building an OEM image with the latest release. It had
been working last week before this release.

My command line:

kiwi-ng --debug --type tbz system boxbuild --box leap kiwi
--description $(pwd)/spec --target-dir $(pwd)/image

Results in this:

[ INFO ]: 14:06:56 | Reading boxes config file:
/usr/lib/python3.13/site-packages/kiwi/config/kiwi_boxed_plugin.yml
[ DEBUG ]: 14:06:56 | Creating directory /root/.kiwi_boxes/leap
[ INFO ]: 14:06:56 | Building with:
['--debug', '--type', 'tbz', 'system', 'build', '--description',
'/home/roger/source/RSofT_Diskless/kiwi/RSofT-Devel-mingw/spec',
'--target-dir',
'/home/roger/source/RSofT_Diskless/kiwi/RSofT-Devel-mingw/image']
[ INFO ]: 14:09:05 | Checksum test
/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/Leap-Box.x86_64-Kernel.tar.xz ->
/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/Leap-Box.x86_64-Kernel.tar.xz.sha256
[ DEBUG ]: 14:09:05 | Looking for tar in
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
[ DEBUG ]: 14:09:05 | EXEC: [tar -C /root/.kiwi_boxes/leap
--transform s/.*/kernel.x86_64/ --wildcards -xf
/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/Leap-Box.x86_64-Kernel.tar.xz *.kernel]
[ DEBUG ]: 14:09:05 | Looking for tar in
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
[ DEBUG ]: 14:09:05 | EXEC: [tar -C /root/.kiwi_boxes/leap
--transform s/.*/initrd.x86_64/ --wildcards -xf
/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/Leap-Box.x86_64-Kernel.tar.xz *.initrd]
[ INFO ]: 14:09:07 | Checksum test
/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/Leap-Box.x86_64-System.qcow2 ->
/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/Leap-Box.x86_64-System.qcow2.sha256
[ DEBUG ]: 14:09:07 | Looking for qemu-system-x86_64 in
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
[ DEBUG ]: 14:09:07 | Set TMPDIR: /root/.kiwi_boxes
[ DEBUG ]: 14:09:07 | Calling Qemu: ['/bin/qemu-system-x86_64',
'-m', '8096M', '-accel', 'accel=kvm', '-cpu', 'host', '-nographic',
'-nodefaults', '-snapshot', '-kernel',
'/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/kernel.x86_64', '-append', '"console=hvc0
root=/dev/vda1 rd.plymouth=0 kiwi=\\"--debug --type tbz system
build\\" sharing_backend=_9p_"', '-drive',
'file=/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/Leap-Box.x86_64-System.qcow2,if=virtio,driver=qcow2,cache=off,snapshot=on',
'-nic', 'user,model=virtio,hostfwd=tcp::10022-:22', '-device',
'virtio-serial', '-chardev', 'stdio,id=virtiocon0', '-device',
'virtconsole,chardev=virtiocon0', '-fsdev',
'local,security_model=mapped,id=fsdev0,path=/home/roger/source/RSofT_Diskless/kiwi/RSofT-Devel-mingw/spec',
'-device', 'virtio-9p-pci,id=fs0,fsdev=fsdev0,mount_tag=kiwidescription',
'-fsdev', 'local,security_model=mapped,id=fsdev1,path=/home/roger/source/RSofT_Diskless/kiwi/RSofT-Devel-mingw/image',
'-device', 'virtio-9p-pci,id=fs1,fsdev=fsdev1,mount_tag=kiwibundle',
'-initrd', '/root/.kiwi_boxes/leap/initrd.x86_64', '-smp', '4']
qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: Could not access KVM kernel
module: No such file or directory
qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: failed to initialize kvm: No
such file or directory


Roger Oberholtzer

[Marcus Schäfer]

Hi,

> Re the boxed plugin: does this mean that python3-kiwi_boxed_plugin is
> obsolete? Maybe that explains the warning:
> Detected 1 file conflict:
>
> File /usr/share/man/man8/kiwi::system::boxbuild.8.gz
> from install of
> kiwi-man-pages-11.1.0-1.1.x86_64 (Virtualization:Appliances:Builder)
> conflicts with file from package
> python3-kiwi_boxed_plugin-0.2.60-2.1.noarch (@System)

Correct. The code from the plugin is now part of kiwi itself.
So you can uninstall python3-kiwi_boxed_plugin.

Actually a good point, thinking how to correctly solve this
on the packaging side (Obsoletes/Provides)

[Marcus Schäfer]

Hi,

> I just tried building an OEM image with the latest release. It had
> been working last week before this release.
>
> My command line:
>
> kiwi-ng --debug --type tbz system boxbuild --box leap kiwi
> --description $(pwd)/spec --target-dir $(pwd)/image
>
> Results in this:
>

> qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: Could not access KVM kernel
> module: No such file or directory
> qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: failed to initialize kvm: No
> such file or directory

This just means the host you are building has no support for
KVM. Either because the kvm module cannot be laoded (your CPU has no virtualization support) or the respective component is not installed.

You can solve this via:

zypper install kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild

This will pull in the requires boxbuild software

qemu, sshfs, virtiofsd, podman

If this has worked for you before the update to v11 I can only
imagine that the uninstall of the former plugin package, cleaned
your host and also uninstalled the dependency packages. So you
need to bring them back via the new (kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild)

Let me know if this helps

Regards,

[Marcus Schäfer]

Hi,

> You can solve this via:
>
> zypper install kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild

Actually this is also how I documented it

https://osinside.github.io/kiwi/build_methods/build_self_contained.html#requirements

Let me know if this needs to improve

[Roger Oberholtzer]

On Mon, Sep 28, 2026 at 2:54 PM Marcus Schäfer
<marcus....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> > I just tried building an OEM image with the latest release. It had
> > been working last week before this release.
> >
> > My command line:
> >
> > kiwi-ng --debug --type tbz system boxbuild --box leap kiwi
> > --description $(pwd)/spec --target-dir $(pwd)/image
> >
> > Results in this:
> >
> > qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: Could not access KVM kernel
> > module: No such file or directory
> > qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: failed to initialize kvm: No
> > such file or directory
>
> This just means the host you are building has no support for
> KVM. Either because the kvm module cannot be laoded (your CPU has no virtualization support) or the respective component is not installed.

Okay. But there must be a change in kiwi in the latest release because
last week before updating to it, all this had been working. The only
change to my syatem was the update of kiwi.

>
> You can solve this via:
>
> zypper install kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild

I already have this installed:

kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild-11.1.0-1.1.x86_64

>
> This will pull in the requires boxbuild software
>
> qemu, sshfs, virtiofsd, podman
>
> If this has worked for you before the update to v11 I can only
> imagine that the uninstall of the former plugin package, cleaned
> your host and also uninstalled the dependency packages. So you
> need to bring them back via the new (kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild)

I forced a reinstall, and it only installed this package:

The following package is going to be reinstalled:
kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild

1 package to reinstall.

>
> Let me know if this helps

Nope. Exact same problem.

I have used boxbuild --box leap, even though the thing being built is
for Tumbleweed. In this case I'm making a tgz image with development
tools. It has been working. Could this be related to the new issue?

No other package dependency is needed? The system is an up-to-date Tumbleweed.



--
Roger Oberholtzer

[Marcus Schäfer]

Hi Roger,

> Okay. But there must be a change in kiwi in the latest release because
> last week before updating to it, all this had been working. The only
> change to my syatem was the update of kiwi.

Hmm, I'm sorry you are having trouble. We are still talking about
this problem:

> qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: Could not access KVM kernel
> module: No such file or directory

correct ?

If so, that is really not related to kiwi or the boxbuild
implementation. You will get this error with any VM that you
run with qemu+kvm on this host.

Let's check the following:

1. Is the KVM module loaded on your system ?

lsmod | grep kvm

On Intel systems it looks like this

kvm_intel 507904 4
kvm 1372160 1 kvm_intel

2. what does the kernel say:

modinfo kvm
modinfo kvm_intel

3. Is the running kernel the same as the installed one ?

uname -a

in my case: Linux asterix 6.12.0-160000.35-default ...

and the actual kernel files:

ls -l /lib/modules/6.12.0-160000.35-default/
ls -l /usr/lib/modules/6.12.0-160000.35-default/

4. Does the user you call boxbuild with belong to the kvm
group. As this has worked before I'm just double checking

id

... 487(kvm)

> I already have this installed:
>
> kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild-11.1.0-1.1.x86_64

ok, so everything is there as before and the boxbuild code
hasn't changed. I'm also actively using it almost every day, so
a general bug in code I would have spotted.

> I have used boxbuild --box leap, even though the thing being built is
> for Tumbleweed.

That is not an issue and actually the reason why we have boxbuild.
It can run everywhere with working qemu.

> No other package dependency is needed? The system is an up-to-date Tumbleweed.

So you are running on TW ? That means your host system is
under constant change (rolling release), correct ?

[Roger Oberholtzer]

On Tue, Sep 29, 2026 at 10:07 AM Marcus Schäfer
<marcus....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Roger,
>
> > Okay. But there must be a change in kiwi in the latest release because
> > last week before updating to it, all this had been working. The only
> > change to my syatem was the update of kiwi.
>
> Hmm, I'm sorry you are having trouble. We are still talking about
> this problem:
>
> > qemu-system-x86_64: -accel accel=kvm: Could not access KVM kernel
> > module: No such file or directory
>
> correct ?

correct.

> If so, that is really not related to kiwi or the boxbuild
> implementation. You will get this error with any VM that you
> run with qemu+kvm on this host.
>
> Let's check the following:
>
> 1. Is the KVM module loaded on your system ?
>
> lsmod | grep kvm

kvm 1474560 0
irqbypass 16384 1 kvm

>
> On Intel systems it looks like this
>
> kvm_intel 507904 4
> kvm 1372160 1 kvm_intel

I don't have the kvm_intel module loaded. If I try to load it, I get this:

root@acme: /tmp > modprobe kvm_intel
modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'kvm_intel': Operation not supported


I see this in the kernel logs when I try to load it:

[72051.524050] [ T355091] kvm_intel: VMX not fully enabled on CPU 4.
Check kernel logs and/or BIOS

That seems odd.

>
> 2. what does the kernel say:
>
> modinfo kvm
> modinfo kvm_intel
>
> 3. Is the running kernel the same as the installed one ?
>
> uname -a

Linux acme 7.2.7-1-default #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Tue Sep 22 08:00:24
UTC 2026 (e601a2d) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

> in my case: Linux asterix 6.12.0-160000.35-default ...
>
> and the actual kernel files:
>
> ls -l /lib/modules/6.12.0-160000.35-default/
> ls -l /usr/lib/modules/6.12.0-160000.35-default/
>
> 4. Does the user you call boxbuild with belong to the kvm
> group. As this has worked before I'm just double checking
>
> id
>
> ... 487(kvm)

I run it as root. I thought that was required. Mayby it was before the
buildbox stuff when it was built directly? I would be happy not to do
this as root!

>
> > I already have this installed:
> >
> > kiwi-systemdeps-boxbuild-11.1.0-1.1.x86_64
>
> ok, so everything is there as before and the boxbuild code
> hasn't changed. I'm also actively using it almost every day, so
> a general bug in code I would have spotted.
>
> > I have used boxbuild --box leap, even though the thing being built is
> > for Tumbleweed.
>
> That is not an issue and actually the reason why we have boxbuild.
> It can run everywhere with working qemu.
>
> > No other package dependency is needed? The system is an up-to-date Tumbleweed.
>
> So you are running on TW ? That means your host system is
> under constant change (rolling release), correct ?

Yes. But I only update it when I choose. It is not automatically run.
I have updated it (zypper dup) a week or so ago. It still worked after
that. It was when I updated kiwi that something happened.

>
> Regards,
> Marcus
> --
> Public Key available via: https://keybase.io/marcus_schaefer/key.asc
> keybase search marcus_schaefer
>

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--
Roger Oberholtzer

[Roger Oberholtzer]

Mystery solved. Somehow the intel virtualization was disabled in the
BIOS. I haven't been in the BIOS is ages. So maybe the kvm stuff is
somehow different now? That sounds unlikely. When I enabled that then
the build is progressing. And a week ago it also worked. One of life's
many mysteries, I guess.

Thanks for your help!

--
Roger Oberholtzer

[Marcus Schäfer]

Hi,

> Mystery solved. Somehow the intel virtualization was disabled in the
> BIOS. I haven't been in the BIOS is ages. So maybe the kvm stuff is
> somehow different now? That sounds unlikely. When I enabled that then
> the build is progressing. And a week ago it also worked. One of life's
> many mysteries, I guess.

So happy you solved it and it wasn't caused by someting I did wrong :))

I recommend you run boxbuild as normal user. It is one of the
nice features to be able to build as normal user without any
root permissions. The only requirement is that you can run
qemu+kvm as this user. That needs access to /dev/kvm which is
normally granted by making that user part of the kvm group

sudo usermod -a -G kvm userName

> Thanks for your help!

You are welcome

[Roger Oberholtzer]

On Tue, Sep 29, 2026 at 12:10 PM Marcus Schäfer
<marcus....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> > Mystery solved. Somehow the intel virtualization was disabled in the
> > BIOS. I haven't been in the BIOS is ages. So maybe the kvm stuff is
> > somehow different now? That sounds unlikely. When I enabled that then
> > the build is progressing. And a week ago it also worked. One of life's
> > many mysteries, I guess.
>
> So happy you solved it and it wasn't caused by someting I did wrong :))
>
> I recommend you run boxbuild as normal user. It is one of the
> nice features to be able to build as normal user without any
> root permissions. The only requirement is that you can run
> qemu+kvm as this user. That needs access to /dev/kvm which is
> normally granted by making that user part of the kvm group
>
> sudo usermod -a -G kvm userName

I ran it as myself (not root) and it worked okay. I'm not in the kvm
group, but that seems not to matter:

uid=1000(roger) gid=100(users)
groups=100(users),446(docker),452(vboxusers),471(systemd-coredump),472(systemd-timesync),473(systemd-resolve),474(systemd-network),475(systemd-journal),481(video),490(audio)

I'm back in business!

--
Roger Oberholtzer