/proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/ empty even though binfmt_misc is loaded _apksigner_ uses binfmt to execute via _jarwrapper_, since it is a JAR. We have a test suite that relies on _apksigner_ working. It was running fine in Ubuntu/bionic. Since it was pegged to LTS, it got upgraded to Ubuntu/focal and it stopped working. This is likely because /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/ is totally empty. The "binfmt_misc" kernel module shows as loaded: $ grep binfmt /proc/modules binfmt_misc 20480 1 - Live 0xffffffffc0452000 This relies on binfmt support in gitlab.com's CI runner setup, based on Docker. binfmt works in containers there, for example on Ubuntu/bionic: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidserver/-/jobs/516857857 Something in Ubuntu/focal broke this when running focal in the container on the same Docker host runners: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidserver/-/jobs/547148092 Debian's ci.debian.net lxc runners also have a similar problem, it might be related: https://salsa.debian.org/ci-team/debian-ci-config/-/issues/1 The binfmt_misc filesystem must be mounted on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc to work. $ mount|grep ^binfmt_misc binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime) From my experience, that mounting happens automatically once binfmt-support is installed. At least that is the case on the Ubuntu/bionic jobs and on my own Debian machines. Did something change so that now it must be manually mounted? It seems in the focal container, binfmt_misc doesn't get setup properly: https://gitlab.com/eighthave/fdroidserver/-/jobs/550962360 $ grep binfmt /proc/modules binfmt_misc 20480 1 - Live 0xffffffffc0461000 $ mount | grep binfmt_misc || mount binfmt_misc /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc mount: /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc: special device binfmt_misc does not exist. $ Ok, your hint lead me to the fix: $ mount | grep binfmt_misc || mount -t binfmt_misc binfmt_misc /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc I guess this mounting was somehow happening automatically before, but now it seems that it is handled by systemd in a user system. But a container usually doesn't run systemd.