Arch Linux

cannot reproduce:

# systemctl status libvirtd
● libvirtd.service - Virtualization daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/libvirtd.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since Tue 2015-04-21 14:02:34 MSK; 9s ago
Docs: man:libvirtd(8)
http://libvirt.org
Main PID: 8481 (libvirtd)
CGroup: /system.slice/libvirtd.service
└─8481 /usr/bin/libvirtd

Apr 21 14:02:33 pupykin systemd[1]: Starting Virtualization daemon...
Apr 21 14:02:34 pupykin systemd[1]: Started Virtualization daemon.
Apr 21 14:02:34 pupykin libvirtd[8481]: libvirt version: 1.2.14
Apr 21 14:02:34 pupykin libvirtd[8481]: operation failed: network 'default' already exists with uuid 9a77350d-45e9-48e...8749d0
Apr 21 14:02:34 pupykin libvirtd[8481]: direct firewall backend requested, but /sbin/ebtables is not available: No suc...ectory
Apr 21 14:02:34 pupykin libvirtd[8481]: out of memory
Apr 21 14:02:34 pupykin libvirtd[8481]: internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
Apr 21 14:02:40 pupykin libvirtd[8481]: internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
Hint: Some lines were ellipsized, use -l to show in full.


# getent group kvm
gives no output, group was removed before starting libvirtd

Now this is weird:

[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl start libvirtd
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl status libvirtd
● libvirtd.service - Virtualization daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/libvirtd.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: inactive (dead)
Docs: man:libvirtd(8)
http://libvirt.org

Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost systemd[1]: Starting Virtualization daemon...
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost systemd[1]: Started Virtualization daemon.
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: libvirt version: 1.2.14
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: Cannot check dnsmasq binary /sbin/dnsmasq: No such file or directory
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: direct firewall backend requested, but /sbin/ebtables is not available: No such file or directory
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: out of memory
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: Initialization of QEMU state driver failed: invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
Apr 21 19:54:33 localhost libvirtd[680]: Driver state initialization failed
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo libvirtd
2015-04-21 11:54:46.433+0000: 709: info : libvirt version: 1.2.14
2015-04-21 11:54:46.433+0000: 709: error : dnsmasqCapsRefreshInternal:726 : Cannot check dnsmasq binary /sbin/dnsmasq: No such file or directory
2015-04-21 11:54:46.472+0000: 709: error : virFirewallValidateBackend:193 : direct firewall backend requested, but /sbin/ebtables is not available: No such file or directory
2015-04-21 11:54:46.472+0000: 709: error : virFirewallApply:936 : out of memory
2015-04-21 11:54:46.473+0000: 709: error : virSysinfoRead:836 : internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
2015-04-21 11:54:46.474+0000: 709: error : virGetGroupID:1034 : invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
2015-04-21 11:54:46.474+0000: 709: error : virStateInitialize:783 : Initialization of QEMU state driver failed: invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
2015-04-21 11:54:46.474+0000: 709: error : daemonRunStateInit:909 : Driver state initialization failed
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo groupadd kvm -f -g 78
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo libvirtd
2015-04-21 11:55:48.063+0000: 736: info : libvirt version: 1.2.14
2015-04-21 11:55:48.063+0000: 736: error : dnsmasqCapsRefreshInternal:726 : Cannot check dnsmasq binary /sbin/dnsmasq: No such file or directory
2015-04-21 11:55:48.100+0000: 736: error : virFirewallValidateBackend:193 : direct firewall backend requested, but /sbin/ebtables is not available: No such file or directory
2015-04-21 11:55:48.100+0000: 736: error : virFirewallApply:936 : out of memory
2015-04-21 11:55:48.101+0000: 736: error : virSysinfoRead:836 : internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
2015-04-21 11:55:48.169+0000: 736: error : virSysinfoRead:836 : internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
2015-04-21 11:55:48.749+0000: 736: error : virFirewallApply:936 : out of memory
^C[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl start libvirtd
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl status libvirtd
● libvirtd.service - Virtualization daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/libvirtd.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since Tue 2015-04-21 19:56:00 HKT; 3s ago
Docs: man:libvirtd(8)
http://libvirt.org
Main PID: 761 (libvirtd)
CGroup: /system.slice/libvirtd.service
└─761 /usr/bin/libvirtd

Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost systemd[1]: Starting Virtualization daemon...
Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost systemd[1]: Started Virtualization daemon.
Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost libvirtd[761]: libvirt version: 1.2.14
Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost libvirtd[761]: Cannot check dnsmasq binary /sbin/dnsmasq: No such file or directory
Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost libvirtd[761]: direct firewall backend requested, but /sbin/ebtables is not available: No such file or directory
Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost libvirtd[761]: out of memory
Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost libvirtd[761]: internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
Apr 21 19:56:00 localhost libvirtd[761]: internal error: Failed to find path for dmidecode binary
Apr 21 19:56:01 localhost libvirtd[761]: out of memory

Another version (avoid noise error by installing related optdep, including qemu):

[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo libvirtd
^C[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl start libvirtd
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl status libvirtd
● libvirtd.service - Virtualization daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/libvirtd.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since Tue 2015-04-21 19:59:10 HKT; 2s ago
Docs: man:libvirtd(8)
http://libvirt.org
Main PID: 1284 (libvirtd)
CGroup: /system.slice/libvirtd.service
├─1121 /sbin/dnsmasq --conf-file=/var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.conf --leasefile-ro --dhcp-script=/usr/lib/libvirt/libvirt_leaseshelper
├─1122 /sbin/dnsmasq --conf-file=/var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.conf --leasefile-ro --dhcp-script=/usr/lib/libvirt/libvirt_leaseshelper
└─1284 /usr/bin/libvirtd

Apr 21 19:59:10 localhost systemd[1]: Starting Virtualization daemon...
Apr 21 19:59:10 localhost systemd[1]: Started Virtualization daemon.
Apr 21 19:59:10 localhost dnsmasq[1121]: read /etc/hosts - 2 addresses
Apr 21 19:59:10 localhost dnsmasq[1121]: read /var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.addnhosts - 0 addresses
Apr 21 19:59:10 localhost dnsmasq-dhcp[1121]: read /var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.hostsfile
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl stop libvirtd
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo groupdel kvm
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo libvirtd
2015-04-21 11:59:28.896+0000: 1365: info : libvirt version: 1.2.14
2015-04-21 11:59:28.896+0000: 1365: error : virGetGroupID:1034 : invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
2015-04-21 11:59:28.896+0000: 1365: error : virStateInitialize:783 : Initialization of QEMU state driver failed: invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
2015-04-21 11:59:28.896+0000: 1365: error : daemonRunStateInit:909 : Driver state initialization failed
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl start libvirtd
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo systemctl status libvirtd
● libvirtd.service - Virtualization daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/libvirtd.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: inactive (dead) since Tue 2015-04-21 19:59:32 HKT; 1s ago
Docs: man:libvirtd(8)
http://libvirt.org
Process: 1411 ExecStart=/usr/bin/libvirtd $LIBVIRTD_ARGS (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 1411 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
CGroup: /system.slice/libvirtd.service
├─1121 /sbin/dnsmasq --conf-file=/var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.conf --leasefile-ro --dhcp-script=/usr/lib/libvirt/libvirt_leaseshelper
└─1122 /sbin/dnsmasq --conf-file=/var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.conf --leasefile-ro --dhcp-script=/usr/lib/libvirt/libvirt_leaseshelper

Apr 21 19:59:31 localhost systemd[1]: Starting Virtualization daemon...
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost systemd[1]: Started Virtualization daemon.
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost dnsmasq[1121]: read /etc/hosts - 2 addresses
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost dnsmasq[1121]: read /var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.addnhosts - 0 addresses
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost dnsmasq-dhcp[1121]: read /var/lib/libvirt/dnsmasq/default.hostsfile
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost libvirtd[1411]: libvirt version: 1.2.14
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost libvirtd[1411]: invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost libvirtd[1411]: Initialization of QEMU state driver failed: invalid argument: Failed to parse group 'kvm'
Apr 21 19:59:32 localhost libvirtd[1411]: Driver state initialization failed

By the way, the kvm group doesn't seem to matter if I run libvirtd with a non-root user:
[tom@localhost ~]$ sudo groupdel kvm
[tom@localhost ~]$ libvirtd
^C[tom@localhost ~]$

will it start if you just comment out group= line in qemu.conf?

Oh yes it does.

I've changed default config to
group="78" according to https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/DeveloperWiki:UID_/_GID_Database
in svn/trunk but did not do rebuild