I was testing the fix from a ppa: With debug enabled this looks much better now.
Install: Setting up qemu-system-common (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2) ... (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) is purge = no (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) action = unmask, scriptname = qemu-kvm.service, service_path = /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) rmdir_if_empty /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-masked (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) rmdir(/var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-masked) failed (No such file or directory) (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) is purge = no (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) action = was-enabled, scriptname = qemu-kvm.service, service_path = /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Reading state file /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-enabled/qemu-kvm.service.dsh-also (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Contents: $VAR1 = []; (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) All links present, considering qemu-kvm.service was-enabled. (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) is purge = no (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) action = enable, scriptname = qemu-kvm.service, service_path = /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Using systemctl preset to enable qemu-kvm.service Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/qemu-kvm.service → /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service. (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Renaming temp file /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-enabled/.stateJvURx.tmp to state file /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-enabled/qemu-kvm.service.dsh-also ● qemu-kvm.service - QEMU KVM preparation - module, ksm, hugepages Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled) Active: active (exited) since Mon 2017-10-16 14:27:33 UTC; 1s ago Process: 4559 ExecStart=/usr/share/qemu/init/qemu-kvm-init start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS) Main PID: 4559 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS) CPU: 4ms Oct 16 14:27:33 artful-test-qemukvm systemd[1]: Starting QEMU KVM preparation - module, ksm, hugepages... Oct 16 14:27:33 artful-test-qemukvm systemd[1]: Started QEMU KVM preparation - module, ksm, hugepages. More critical - upgrade on a system that was formerly in the broken state (all since zesty and artful so far). [...] Setting up qemu-system-common (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu2) ... ● qemu-kvm.service - QEMU KVM preparation - module, ksm, hugepages Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled) Active: inactive (dead) # _DEB_SYSTEMD_HELPER_DEBUG=1 apt install -y qemu-system-common; systemctl status qemu-kvmReading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required: libfreetype6 Use 'apt autoremove' to remove it. The following additional packages will be installed: qemu-block-extra The following packages will be upgraded: qemu-block-extra qemu-system-common 2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 4 not upgraded. Need to get 441 kB of archives. After this operation, 2048 B of additional disk space will be used. Get:1 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ci-train-ppa-service/2992/ubuntu artful/main amd64 qemu-system-common amd64 1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2 [401 kB] Get:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ci-train-ppa-service/2992/ubuntu artful/main amd64 qemu-block-extra amd64 1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2 [40.0 kB] Fetched 441 kB in 1s (342 kB/s) (Reading database ... 26809 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../qemu-system-common_1%3a2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking qemu-system-common (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2) over (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu2) ... Preparing to unpack .../qemu-block-extra_1%3a2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking qemu-block-extra:amd64 (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2) over (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu2) ... Setting up qemu-block-extra:amd64 (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.6.1-2) ... Setting up qemu-system-common (1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3~ppa2) ... (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) is purge = no (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) action = unmask, scriptname = qemu-kvm.service, service_path = /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) rmdir_if_empty /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-masked (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) rmdir(/var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-masked) failed (No such file or directory) (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) is purge = no (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) action = was-enabled, scriptname = qemu-kvm.service, service_path = /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Reading state file /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-enabled/qemu-kvm.service.dsh-also (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Contents: $VAR1 = []; (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) All links present, considering qemu-kvm.service was-enabled. (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) is purge = no (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) action = enable, scriptname = qemu-kvm.service, service_path = /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Using systemctl preset to enable qemu-kvm.service Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/qemu-kvm.service → /lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service. (deb-systemd-helper DEBUG) Renaming temp file /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-enabled/.statesHxaw.tmp to state file /var/lib/systemd/deb-systemd-helper-enabled/qemu-kvm.service.dsh-also ● qemu-kvm.service - QEMU KVM preparation - module, ksm, hugepages Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/qemu-kvm.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled) Active: active (exited) since Mon 2017-10-16 14:31:24 UTC; 1s ago Process: 6891 ExecStart=/usr/share/qemu/init/qemu-kvm-init start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS) Main PID: 6891 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS) CPU: 3ms Oct 16 14:31:24 artful-test-qemukvm systemd[1]: Starting QEMU KVM preparation - module, ksm, hugepages... Oct 16 14:31:24 artful-test-qemukvm systemd[1]: Started QEMU KVM preparation - module, ksm, hugepages. Starting as well as it should. Finally if one masked the service is shall stay masked and that worked as well. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1720397 Title: qemu-kvm doesnt restart after node reboot To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/cloud-archive/+bug/1720397/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs