FWIW, because Focal's deb-systemd-invoke doesn't use --quiet we end up getting a clearer error there:
# dpkg-reconfigure krb5-kdc
Job for krb5-kdc.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status krb5-kdc.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.
invoke-rc.d: initscript krb5-kdc, action "start" failed.
● krb5-kdc.service - Kerberos 5 Key Distribution Center
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/krb5-kdc.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 2023-02-02 18:32:34 UTC; 7ms ago
Process: 2000 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/krb5kdc -P /var/run/krb5-kdc.pid $DAEMON_ARGS (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
CPU: 10ms
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: Starting Kerberos 5 Key Distribution Center...
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla krb5kdc[2000]: Cannot open DB2 database '/var/lib/krb5kdc/principal': No such file or directory - while initializing database for realm LXD
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla krb5kdc[2000]: krb5kdc: cannot initialize realm LXD - see log file for details
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: krb5-kdc.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: krb5-kdc.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: Failed to start Kerberos 5 Key Distribution Center.
FWIW, because Focal's deb-systemd-invoke doesn't use --quiet we end up getting a clearer error there:
# dpkg-reconfigure krb5-kdc system/ krb5-kdc. service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled) /usr/sbin/ krb5kdc -P /var/run/ krb5-kdc. pid $DAEMON_ARGS (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Job for krb5-kdc.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status krb5-kdc.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.
invoke-rc.d: initscript krb5-kdc, action "start" failed.
● krb5-kdc.service - Kerberos 5 Key Distribution Center
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 2023-02-02 18:32:34 UTC; 7ms ago
Process: 2000 ExecStart=
CPU: 10ms
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: Starting Kerberos 5 Key Distribution Center... krb5kdc/ principal' : No such file or directory - while initializing database for realm LXD
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla krb5kdc[2000]: Cannot open DB2 database '/var/lib/
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla krb5kdc[2000]: krb5kdc: cannot initialize realm LXD - see log file for details
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: krb5-kdc.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: krb5-kdc.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 02 18:32:34 bla systemd[1]: Failed to start Kerberos 5 Key Distribution Center.