# WALinuxAgent fails to start after update to latest version 2.7.3.0-1\_ol001.el8 **URL:** \ **Category:** Azure\ **Created:** [November 6, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://support.procomputers.com/t/walinuxagent-fails-to-start-after-update-to-latest-version-2-7-3-0-1-ol001-el8/16 "2022-11-06T17:25:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![procomputers](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/support.procomputers.com/procomputers/32/19_2.png) [@procomputers](https://support.procomputers.com/u/procomputers)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://support.procomputers.com/t/walinuxagent-fails-to-start-after-update-to-latest-version-2-7-3-0-1-ol001-el8/16/1 "2022-11-06T17:25:41Z")
**Affected Products:** - Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8 images built before 2022-10-04 - AlmaLinux 8 images built before 2022-10-04 - Rocky Linux 8 images built before 2022-10-04 - CentOS Stream 8 images built before 2022-10-04 - CentOS 8 images built before 2022-10-04 To find out the image built timestamp, please read [this](https://support.procomputers.com/t/how-to-find-the-linux-image-version-from-command-line/21) article. **Opened:** 2022-11-04 **Severity:** [Severity 4 (Low)](https://support.procomputers.com/t/procomputers-support-severity-levels-definition/23) **Symptoms:** Version `2.7.3.0-1_ol001.el8` of the WALinuxAgent software package is now available on the OpenLogic [repository](http://olcentgbl.trafficmanager.net/openlogic/8/openlogic/x86_64/RPMS/). In all Azure images built before 2022-10-04, ProComputers is using the `openlogic` repo as instructed in step 6 of [this](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/create-upload-centos#centos-70) Microsoft article. After updating WALinuxAgent package to the latest available version `2.7.3.0-1_ol001.el8` hosted on the `openlogic` repo, the `waagent` service does not start correctly anymore, and throws the following errors in the logs: > [azureuser@test ~]$ **sudo journalctl -b | grep waagent** > […] > Nov 04 20:59:34 test systemd[1882]: waagent.service: Failed to execute command: No such file or directory > Nov 04 20:59:34 test systemd[1882]: waagent.service: Failed at step EXEC spawning **/usr/bin/python: No such file or directory** > […] > [azureuser@test ~]$ **sudo systemctl status waagent** > ● waagent.service - Azure Linux Agent > Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/waagent.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled) > Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/system/waagent.service.d > └─12-CPUQuota.conf > Active: **activating (auto-restart)**\* (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2022-11-07 21:00:52 UTC; 4s ago > Process: 1938 ExecStart= **/usr/bin/python** -u /usr/sbin/waagent -daemon (code=exited, status=203/EXEC) > Main PID: 1938 (code=exited, status=203/EXEC) > CPU: 1ms > […] **Solution:** The reason for this issue is that the WALinuxAgent package version `2.7.3.0-1_ol001.el8` as built by OpenLogic is using the `/usr/bin/python` binary, which does not exist by default in an RHEL 8 environment (and all binary compatible operating systems like AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux) . Previous version of the OpenLogic built WALinuxAgent package used the `/usr/bin/python3.6` binary. > [azureuser@test ~]$ **ls -la /usr/bin/python** \* > lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 9 Feb 10 2022 /usr/bin/python2 → python2.7 > -rwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 8024 Feb 10 2022 /usr/bin/python2.7 > lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 25 May 17 11:18 /usr/bin/python3 → /etc/alternatives/python3 > lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 31 Aug 11 2021 /usr/bin/python3.6 → /usr/libexec/platform-python3.6 > lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 32 Aug 11 2021 /usr/bin/python3.6m → /usr/libexec/platform-python3.6m We could use the `alternatives` command and create an `/usr/bin/python` binary, however our preferred solution is to _reconfigure_ the WALinuxAgent to use the correct `/usr/bin/python3.6` binary, as below: 1. Create the `/etc/systemd/system/waagent.service.d` folder: > [azureuser@test ~]$ **sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/waagent.service.d** 1. Using `sudo` and your favorite editor, create the `/etc/systemd/system/waagent.service.d/local.conf` file with the following content: > [Service] > ExecStart= > ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3.6 -u /usr/sbin/waagent -daemon NOTE: we have to explicitly clear `ExecStart` before setting it again, as it is an additive setting. 1. Reload the systemd manager configuration and restart the `waagent` service: > [azureuser@test ~]$ **sudo systemctl daemon-reload** > [azureuser@test ~]$ > [azureuser@test ~]$ **sudo systemctl stop waagent** > [azureuser@test ~]$ > [azureuser@test ~]$ **sudo systemctl start waagent** > [azureuser@test ~]$ > [azureuser@test ~]$ **sudo systemctl status waagent** > ● waagent.service - Azure Linux Agent > Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/waagent.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled) > Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/system/waagent.service.d > └─12-CPUQuota.conf > **/etc/systemd/system/waagent.service.d** > └─ **local.conf** > Active: **active (running)** since Mon 2022-11-07 21:37:41 UTC; 6s ago > Main PID: 3431 (python3.6) > Tasks: 7 (limit: 100875) > Memory: 32.1M > CPU: 1.549s > CGroup: /azure.slice/waagent.service > ├─3431 **/usr/bin/python3.6** -u /usr/sbin/waagent -daemon > └─3443 **/usr/bin/python3.6** -u bin/WALinuxAgent-2.8.0.11-py2.7.egg -run-exthandlers > […] If you still face the same issue, please contact ProComputers Support as instructed in [this](https://support.procomputers.com/t/start-here-welcome-to-procomputers-support/7) article. **References:** - [http://olcentgbl.trafficmanager.net/openlogic/8/openlogic/x86\_64/RPMS/](http://olcentgbl.trafficmanager.net/openlogic/8/openlogic/x86_64/RPMS/) - [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/create-upload-centos#centos-70](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/create-upload-centos#centos-70)