Qemu fails to start with error " There is no option group 'spice'"

[Edvinas Valatka]

After upgrade from 5.1.0 to 5.2.0, qemu fails on start with error:
`
/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 -S -name trinti -uuid f8ad2ff6-8808-4f42-8f0b-9e23acd20f84 -daemonize -cpu host -nographic -serial chardev:console -nodefaults -no-reboot -no-user-config -sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=allow,spawn=deny,resourcecontrol=deny -readconfig /var/log/lxd/trinti/qemu.conf -pidfile /var/log/lxd/trinti/qemu.pid -D /var/log/lxd/trinti/qemu.log -chroot /var/lib/lxd/virtual-machines/trinti -smbios type=2,manufacturer=Canonical Ltd.,product=LXD -runas nobody:
qemu-system-x86_64:/var/log/lxd/trinti/qemu.conf:27: There is no option group 'spice'
qemu-system-x86_64: -readconfig /var/log/lxd/trinti/qemu.conf: read config /var/log/lxd/trinti/qemu.conf: Invalid argument
`
Bisected to first bad commit: https://github.com/qemu/qemu/commit/cbe5fa11789035c43fd2108ac6f45848954954b5

[Edvinas Valatka (edacval)]

Additional information: This error occurs only if spice is compiled as module (`--enable-modules`) and spice parameters are supplied from file with `-readconfig /path/to/file` . If spice parameters are supplied from the command line (`-spice param1=a,param2=b`) , an error does not occur.

Possible workaround: Build most modules statically (https://salsa.debian.org/qemu-team/qemu/-/blob/master/debian/patches/build-most-modules-statically-hack.diff) or disable modules entirely (`--disable-modules`)

[Sven (sven-koehler)]

Due to this bug, I cannot start LXD virtual machines on Arch Linux anymore.

$ lxc start debian10vm
Error: Failed to run: forklimits limit=memlock:unlimited:unlimited -- /usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 -S -name debian10vm -uuid e265f257-85ca-445f-be5c-0170dca5955d -daemonize -cpu host -nographic -serial chardev:console -nodefaults -no-reboot -no-user-config -sandbox on,obsolete=deny,elevateprivileges=allow,spawn=deny,resourcecontrol=deny -readconfig /var/log/lxd/debian10vm/qemu.conf -pidfile /var/log/lxd/debian10vm/qemu.pid -D /var/log/lxd/debian10vm/qemu.log -chroot /var/lib/lxd/virtual-machines/debian10vm -smbios type=2,manufacturer=Canonical Ltd.,product=LXD -runas nobody: qemu-system-x86_64:/var/log/lxd/debian10vm/qemu.conf:27: There is no option group 'spice'
qemu-system-x86_64: -readconfig /var/log/lxd/debian10vm/qemu.conf: read config /var/log/lxd/debian10vm/qemu.conf: Invalid argument
: Process exited with a non-zero value
Try `lxc info --show-log debian10vm` for more info

[Anatol Pomozov (anatol)]

Are there any downsides of compiling modules statically (like what Debian folks do)?

[Thomas Huth (th-huth)]

The QEMU project is currently moving its bug tracking to another system.
For this we need to know which bugs are still valid and which could be
closed already. Thus we are setting the bug state to "Incomplete" now.

If the bug has already been fixed in the latest upstream version of QEMU,
then please close this ticket as "Fix released".

If it is not fixed yet and you think that this bug report here is still
valid, then you have two options:

1) If you already have an account on gitlab.com, please open a new ticket
for this problem in our new tracker here:

    https://gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu/-/issues

and then close this ticket here on Launchpad (or let it expire auto-
matically after 60 days). Please mention the URL of this bug ticket on
Launchpad in the new ticket on GitLab.

2) If you don't have an account on gitlab.com and don't intend to get
one, but still would like to keep this ticket opened, then please switch
the state back to "New" or "Confirmed" within the next 60 days (other-
wise it will get closed as "Expired"). We will then eventually migrate
the ticket automatically to the new system (but you won't be the reporter
of the bug in the new system and thus you won't get notified on changes
anymore).

Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for QEMU because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Thomas Huth (th-huth)]

Fixed here:
https://gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu/-/commit/632a8873500d27022c