Start failed: libxenlight failed to create new domain sys-net

User Support General
1

Hi, I’m trying to install QubesOS on my StarLite (which afaik should be well supported by Qubes).
In the post-installation phase I’m getting this error:

['/usr/bin/qvm-start', 'sys-firewall'] failed:
stdout: ""
stderr: "Start failed: internal error: libxenlight failed to create new domain sys-net, see /var/log/libvirt/libxl/libxl-driver.log for details"

I’d look at the log but I don’t know how — I’m stuck in the installation screen.
I see other people reporting this issue but the proposed solutions (e.g., deleting and creating a new sys-net) seem to rely on having access to the command line, but I don’t know how to get there.

Any suggestions on what I could try?

2

Depending on the installation stage, Alt-F2 (and Alt-F1, Alt-F3, Alt-F4 etc.) will take you to other consoles. If it does not work, try with Ctrl-Alt-F2, Ctrl-Alt-F3 etc.

1 Like
3

Thank you. I managed to get into a console.
sudo cat /var/log/libvirt/libxl/libxl-driver.log shows this:

libxl:libxl_dm.c:2857:stubdom_xswait_cb: Domain 5:Stubdom 6 for 5 startup: startup timed out
libxl:libxl_create.c:1975:domcreate_devmodel_started: Domain 5:device model did not start: -9

I see online some people get this error when the date/time is set incorrectly. I corrected my date/time with these commands:

date -s '2025-03-01 11:11:11'
hwclock --systohc

And rebooted. Now I get this:

[FAILED] Failed to start qubes-vm@s-[0m - Start Qubes VM sys-firewall
[FAILED] Failed to start qubes-vm@sys-whonix.service - Start Qubes VM sys-whonix

Do I need to reinstall since I had the clock set incorrectly?
Or is there a way to fix it from here?