lima-vm/lima · error

images[%d].kernel has unexpected architecture %#q, must be %

Error message

images[%d].kernel has unexpected architecture %#q, must be %#q

What it means

Each `images[]` entry may specify an optional `kernel` with its own `arch`. The kernel's architecture must match the image entry's `arch`; a mismatch means the kernel cannot boot that image. Validate() compares f.Kernel.Arch with f.Arch.

Source

Thrown at pkg/limayaml/validate.go:92

			errs = errors.Join(errs, fmt.Errorf("field `user.shell` must be an absolute path, got %#q", shell))
		}
	}

	if len(y.Images) == 0 {
		errs = errors.Join(errs, errors.New("field `images` must be set"))
	}
	for i, f := range y.Images {
		err := validateFileObject(f.File, fmt.Sprintf("images[%d]", i))
		if err != nil {
			errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
		}
		if f.Kernel != nil {
			err := validateFileObject(f.Kernel.File, fmt.Sprintf("images[%d].kernel", i))
			if err != nil {
				errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
			}
			if f.Kernel.Arch != f.Arch {
				errs = errors.Join(errs, fmt.Errorf("images[%d].kernel has unexpected architecture %#q, must be %#q", i, f.Kernel.Arch, f.Arch))
			}
		}
		if f.Initrd != nil {
			err := validateFileObject(*f.Initrd, fmt.Sprintf("images[%d].initrd", i))
			if err != nil {
				errs = errors.Join(errs, err)
			}
			if f.Initrd.Arch != f.Arch {
				errs = errors.Join(errs, fmt.Errorf("images[%d].initrd has unexpected architecture %#q, must be %#q", i, f.Initrd.Arch, f.Arch))
			}
		}
	}

	if *y.CPUs == 0 {
		errs = errors.Join(errs, errors.New("field `cpus` must be set"))
	}

	if _, err := units.RAMInBytes(*y.Memory); err != nil {

View on GitHub (pinned to dd909d0973)

Solutions

1. Set the kernel's `arch` to match the parent image entry's arch
2. Remove the `kernel` block if a bundled kernel is not required
3. Move the kernel entry under the image entry whose arch it matches

Example fix

// before
images:
- arch: aarch64
  kernel:
    arch: x86_64
// after
images:
- arch: aarch64
  kernel:
    arch: aarch64

func kernelArchMatches(imgs []limatype.Image) bool {
	for _, f := range imgs {
		if f.Kernel != nil && f.Kernel.Arch != f.Arch {
			return false
		}
	}
	return true
}

func kernelArchOk(f limatype.Image) bool {
	return f.Kernel == nil || f.Kernel.Arch == f.Arch
}

if err := limayaml.Validate(y, false); err != nil {
	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "kernel has unexpected architecture") {
		return fmt.Errorf("kernel arch must match image arch: %w", err)
	}
	return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: An images[i] entry with `arch: aarch64` carries a `kernel.arch: x86_64` (or vice versa), or kernel arch omitted/left at a value differing from the image arch.

Common situations: Mixing kernel/initrd lines across arch-specific image entries when editing multi-arch templates; copy-paste from another image block.

Related errors

• images[%d].initrd has unexpected architecture %#q, must be %
• field `images` must be set
• invalid value for static parameter: %#q
• invalid parameter %#q, expected `static=` followed by a bool
• invalid parameter %#q, expected NAME=VALUE

AI-assisted analysis of lima-vm/lima@dd909d0973 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c416b9d6b6b476b1. Report an issue: GitHub.