Building i586 images on an x86_64 imageserver with KIWI failed

This document (7006847) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service 11 Service Pack 1

Situation

Using KIWI to build i586 images on a x86_64 system will cause an error like:

-->--
Sep-15 09:58:23 <1> : Adding chroot zypper service: var_lib_SLEPOS_system_._minimal01__repo                    done
Sep-15 09:58:23 <1> : Adding chroot zypper service: var_lib_SLEPOS_dist_SLE-11-SP1-POS-i586 x86_64-CD1              done
Sep-15 09:58:24 <1> : Adding chroot zypper service: var_lib_SLEPOS_dist_SLES-11-SP1-DVD-i586-DVD1                   done
Sep-15 09:58:24 <1> : Installing image packages...
failed
[*** log excerpt follows, screen ***]

Problem: nothing provides libc.so.6()(64bit) needed by input-utils-2007.06.22-155.33.81.x86_64
Solution 1: install input-utils-2007.06.22-155.33.81.i586 despite the inferior architecture
Solution 2: do not ask to install a solvable providing input-utils
Solution 3: break input-utils by ignoring some of its dependencies

Choose from above solutions by number or skip, retry or cancel
[1/2/3/s/r/c] (c): c
+ ECODE=4
+ echo 4
+ exit 4
[*** end ***]
--<--

Resolution

To avoid this error the option "--target-arch i586" is needed. The following example will build an i586 image on an x86_64 images server:

# cd /var/lib/SLEPOS/system/
# kiwi --prepare ./minimal --root ./chroot/minimal --target-arch i586
# kiwi --create ./chroot/minimal --destdir ./images/minimal --target-arch i586

Please note:
A chroot directory under /var/lib/SLEPOS/system/chroot/minimal must not exist before you start preparing the image.
For more information, please take a look at the SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service Guide.

Additional Information

Since zypper will be used for the main system (x86_64) and for building i586 images you have to add the architecture to the KIWI command line.
Otherwise zypper will try to install x86_64 RPMs. Which cause to the error above.

Disclaimer

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