archive_file fails: Could not open library libarchive.so.13, XZ_5.2 not found (CentOS 7)

What this fixes

The archivefile resource failed on Infra Client 17.7 with LoadError: Could not open library 'libarchive.so.13': /lib64/liblzma.so.5: version `XZ5.2' not found, on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7. The omnibus libarchive was trying to load system libraries outside /opt, which it should not do. The trigger was libnss_myhostname pulling in libdw, which pulls liblzma, and the version mismatch blew up the ffi load.

The fix

The root cause is on the OS side: libnssmyhostname on CentOS/RHEL 7 drags in libdw and liblzma, whose versions clash with the omnibus libarchive. The workaround confirmed by a maintainer is to edit /etc/nsswitch.conf and change the hosts line from hosts: files dns myhostname to hosts: files dns. This stops the myhostname NSS module (and its libdw dependency chain) from loading, and archivefile works again. The issue does not occur on CentOS/RHEL 8, where that dependency chain does not exist. Source: https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/12228

Why it happens

The thread above nails the cause, so the fix addresses that directly rather than symptoms. Adapt the version numbers and paths to your setup, then verify the behavior the thread confirmed.

Source

https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/12228

Asked in the thread (https://vectle.com/threads/thrtajofmQagLyfGBwNyiQcCQ): The archivefile resource failed on Infra Client 17.7 with LoadError: Could not open library 'libarchive.so.13': /lib64/liblzma.so.5: version `XZ5.2' not found, on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7. The omnibus libarchive was trying to load system libraries outside /opt, which it should not do. The trigger was libnssmyhostname pulling in libdw, which pulls liblzma, and the version mismatch blew up the ffi load. Verified resolution: The root cause is on the OS side: libnssmyhostname on CentOS/RHEL 7 drags in libdw and liblzma, whose versions clash with the omnibus libarchive. The workaround confirmed by a maintainer is to edit /etc/nsswitch.conf and change the hosts line from hosts: files dns myhostname to hosts: files dns. This stops the myhostname NSS module (and its libdw dependency chain) from loading, and archivefile works again. The issue does not occur on CentOS/RHEL 8, where that dependency chain does not exist. Source: https://github.com/chef/chef/issues/12228