# Help with Opennebula on aarch64

**URL:** <https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975>\
**Category:** Product Support\
**Created:** [July 10, 2025, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975 "2025-07-10T07:38:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marc](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.opennebula.io/marc/32/8623_2.png) [@marc](https://forum.opennebula.io/u/marc)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2025, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975/1 "2025-07-10T07:38:33Z")

</div>

Hello everyone

I’m in the process of evaluating Opennebula and wanted to use one of our Raspberry Pi 5 Bs (with 16 GB of Memory). I installed Opennebula through the minione script on debian 12 and the installation went smoothly. I modified the necessary files (based on the information on [this page](https://docs.opennebula.io/7.0/product/operation_references/hypervisor_configuration/kvm_driver/#arm64specifics)) and restarted opennebula.service.

I then logged into sunstone web ui and tried to create a alpine linux (aarch64) based vm. But sadly I always get the error message:

Wed Jul 9 22:36:46 2025 [Z0][VMM][D]: Message received: DEPLOY FAILURE 3 cp: cannot stat ‘/usr/share/OVMF/OVMF\_VARS.fd’: No such file or directoryerror: Failed to create domain from /var/lib/one//datastores/0/3/deployment.0error: internal error: process exited while connecting to monitor: 2025-07-09T21:36:45.432664Z qemu-kvm-one: KVM is not supported for this guest CPU type2025-07-09T21:36:45.432710Z qemu-kvm-one: kvm\_init\_vcpu: kvm\_arch\_init\_vcpu failed (0): Invalid argumentCould not create domain from /var/lib/one//datastores/0/3/deployment.0ExitCode: 255

See the below configuration for the domain configuration of the vm.

I tried to manually instatiate a vm with virt-install and the following command (with a fedora aarch64 image) and that works flawlessly:

virt-install -v --name fedora-36-aarch64 --ram 4096 --disk path=f42,cache=none --nographics --os-variant fedora37 --import --arch aarch64 --vcpus 2 --network none

I tried finding solutions or further information online, but sadly came up empty. Does anybody have an idea of what I can try to make this work?

Cheers, Marc

**Domain Configuration**

```auto
<domain type='kvm' xmlns:qemu='http://libvirt.org/schemas/domain/qemu/1.0'>
        <name>one-3</name>
        <title>testy</title>
        <uuid>71396d7b-2d1e-453b-8627-09f65ea11108</uuid>
        <cputune>
                <shares>100</shares>
        </cputune>
        <memory>524288</memory>
        <os>
                <type arch='aarch64' machine='virt'>hvm</type>
                <loader readonly="yes" type="pflash" secure="no">/usr/share/AAVMF/AAVMF_CODE.fd</loader>
                <nvram>/var/lib/one//datastores/0/3/testy_VARS.fd</nvram>
        </os>
        <devices>
                <emulator><![CDATA[/usr/bin/qemu-kvm-one]]></emulator>
                <disk type='file' device='disk'>
                        <source file='/var/lib/one//datastores/0/3/disk.0.snap/0'/>
                        <target dev='vda' bus='virtio'/>
                        <boot order='1'/>
                        <driver name='qemu' type='qcow2' cache='none' discard='unmap'/>
                </disk>
                <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>
                        <source file='/var/lib/one//datastores/0/3/disk.1'/>
                        <target dev='sda'/>
                        <readonly/>
                        <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
                </disk>
                <controller type='scsi' index='0' model='virtio-scsi'>
                        <driver queues='1'/>
                </controller>
                <interface type='bridge'>
                        <source bridge='minionebr'/>
                        <mac address='02:00:ac:10:64:02'/>
                        <target dev='one-3-0'/>
                        <model type='virtio'/>
                </interface>
                <graphics type='vnc' listen='0.0.0.0' port='5903'/>
        </devices>
        <devices>
                <controller index='0' type='pci' model='pcie-root'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-root-port'/>
                <controller type='pci' model='pcie-to-pci-bridge'/>
        </devices>
        <features>
                <acpi/>
        </features>
        <devices>
                <channel type='unix'>
                        <source mode='bind'/><target type='virtio' name='org.qemu.guest_agent.0'/>
                </channel>
        </devices>
        <devices><input type='keyboard' bus='virtio'/></devices>
        <metadata>
                <one:vm xmlns:one="http://opennebula.org/xmlns/libvirt/1.0">
                        <one:system_datastore><![CDATA[/var/lib/one//datastores/0/3]]></one:system_datastore>
                        <one:name><![CDATA[testy]]></one:name>
                        <one:uname><![CDATA[oneadmin]]></one:uname>
                        <one:uid>0</one:uid>
                        <one:gname><![CDATA[oneadmin]]></one:gname>
                        <one:gid>0</one:gid>
                        <one:opennebula_version>7.0.0</one:opennebula_version>
                        <one:stime>1752096998</one:stime>
                        <one:deployment_time>1752097004</one:deployment_time>
                </one:vm>
        </metadata>
</domain>

```

* * *

**Versions of the related components and OS (frontend, hypervisors, VMs):**

**Steps to reproduce:**

**Current results:**

**Expected results:**

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ruben](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.opennebula.io/ruben/32/19_2.png) [@ruben](https://forum.opennebula.io/u/ruben)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2025, 7:47am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975/2 "2025-07-10T07:47:10Z")

</div>

The problem appears to be a missing firmware file:

> [@marc](#):
>
> cp: cannot stat ‘/usr/share/OVMF/OVMF\_VARS.fd’: No such file or directory:

In OpenNebula 7.0 there are 2 methods to specify the firmware for the VMs. See [OS section in the template definition](https://docs.opennebula.io/7.0/product/operation_references/configuration_references/template/#os-and-boot-options-section)

The UEFI method should make libvirt select the available firmware in the hypervisor. If this is failing in your case, you can specify the full path, like

```auto
OS = [ FIRMWARE = "..."

```

If you need to use a custom path, don’t forget to [add it in the KVM configuration file](https://docs.opennebula.io/7.0/product/operation_references/hypervisor_configuration/kvm_driver/#driver-defaults) and restart OpenNebula.

Cheers!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marc](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.opennebula.io/marc/32/8623_2.png) [@marc](https://forum.opennebula.io/u/marc)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2025, 9:53am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975/3 "2025-07-10T09:53:56Z")

</div>

Hi @ruben

Thanks for your reply. I checked the configuration and the file /etc/one/vmm\_exec/vmm\_exec\_kvm.conf has the following config entry

```auto
OS=[
  ARCH="aarch64",
  FIRMWARE="/usr/share/AAVMF/AAVMF_CODE.ms.fd",
  FIRMWARE_SECURE="no",
  MACHINE="virt-7.2"
]

```

and the OS template (from the marketplacee) has the following entries:

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/opennebula/original/2X/9/93b77d0994bd3bf886136ee026fcc0cb70af422b.png)

I’m not 100% certain where this reference to ‘/usr/share/OVMF/OVMF\_VARS.fd’ comes from. Is there some other configuration that I should focus on?

Sorry for the stupid questions. Opennebula is very new to me and my kvm/libvirt knowhow could also benefit from a boost.

Cheers,  
Marc

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ruben](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.opennebula.io/ruben/32/19_2.png) [@ruben](https://forum.opennebula.io/u/ruben)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 6:51am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975/4 "2025-07-11T06:51:18Z")

</div>

My bad @marc I’ve just stopped reading after the first warning (which actually should not be a problem). The actual error is this one:

> [@marc](#):
>
> qemu-kvm-one: KVM is not supported for this guest CPU type2025-07-09T21:36:45.432710Z

So if the processor does not have virtualization extensions probably the best option is to use LXC hypervisor

Cheers

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ruben](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.opennebula.io/ruben/32/19_2.png) [@ruben](https://forum.opennebula.io/u/ruben)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 6:52am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975/5 "2025-07-11T06:52:26Z")

</div>

Ah, if it is actually supported try to setup the CPU model as passthrough

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marc](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.opennebula.io/marc/32/8623_2.png) [@marc](https://forum.opennebula.io/u/marc)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2025, 10:47am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975/6 "2025-07-11T10:47:58Z")

</div>

Thank you very much @ruben for your support. Changing the CPU Type to “host-passthrough” **and** the hypervisor to “qemu” in the VM template worked like a charm.

For anybody else encountering this problem, here is the template configuration:

```auto
{
  "CONTEXT": {
    "NETWORK": "YES",
    "SSH_PUBLIC_KEY": "$USER[SSH_PUBLIC_KEY]"
  },
  "CPU": "1",
  "CPU_MODEL": {
    "MODEL": "host-passthrough"
  },
  "DISK": {
    "IMAGE_ID": "3"
  },
  "GRAPHICS": {
    "LISTEN": "0.0.0.0",
    "TYPE": "vnc"
  },
  "HYPERVISOR": "qemu",
  "LOGO": "images/logos/fedora.png",
  "LXD_SECURITY_PRIVILEGED": "true",
  "MEMORY": "768",
  "OS": {
    "ARCH": "aarch64",
    "FIRMWARE": "/usr/share/AAVMF/AAVMF_CODE.fd",
    "FIRMWARE_SECURE": "no"
  },
  "SCHED_REQUIREMENTS": "HYPERVISOR=qemu & ARCH=aarch64"
}

```

The relevant sections from /etc/one/vmm/vmm\_exec\_kvm.conf:

```auto
OS=[
  ARCH="aarch64",
  FIRMWARE="/usr/share/AAVMF/AAVMF_CODE.ms.fd",
  FIRMWARE_SECURE="no",
  MACHINE="host-passthrough"
]

CPU = [
  CPU_MODEL="host-passthrough"
]

```

Great stuff and awesome community, thanks again!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/opennebula/original/2X/1/14d66f1130b9cd292905f575da9b68a9f574dd03.png) [@system](https://forum.opennebula.io/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 10:48am UTC](https://forum.opennebula.io/t/help-with-opennebula-on-aarch64/13975/7 "2025-07-13T10:48:51Z")

</div>

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