How to Fix the "Fatal glibc error: CPU does not support x86-64-v2" on CentOS 9

With the release of CentOS 9, some users have encountered a critical error when launching the system or certain applications:

Fatal glibc error: CPU does not support x86-64-v2

This error may appear right after installation or during program execution. Let’s explore what causes it and how to resolve it.

Cause of the Error

The main culprit is the updated glibc library included in CentOS 9. In this new version, support for the older x86-64-v1 instruction set was dropped, and x86-64-v2 became the new minimum requirement.

What Does This Mean?

x86-64-v2 is an extended instruction set supported by most modern physical CPUs, but it may not be available inside a virtual machine if not properly configured. If the hypervisor doesn’t pass the full instruction set from the host to the guest VM, glibc "can't see" it and terminates with a fatal error.

Solution: Enable Host-model for the CPU

To allow the VM to access the extended instruction set, CPU Emulation Mode should be set to Host-model. This mode forces the hypervisor to pass all available CPU instructions from the host to the guest system. Once Host-model is enabled: • glibc no longer throws the error, • CentOS 9 runs stably, • demanding applications like Keitaro run correctly.

How to Enable Host-model?

On most VDS setups, Host-model is disabled by default—especially on standard or budget plans. That’s because enabling it requires manual configuration and can impact resource distribution across VMs. Enabling Host-model is usually a paid service, but pricing depends on your provider and server plan. To activate it, contact your hosting provider's technical support (e.g., via Telegram or your client dashboard) and inquire about enabling Host-model for your VDS.

Conclusion:

The "Fatal glibc error: CPU does not support x86-64-v2" is a compatibility issue between the updated system libraries and outdated virtualization settings. It’s easily fixed by enabling the Host-model mode. The key is being aware of this requirement and configuring the hypervisor accordingly.