def GetSlivers(data, config=None, plc=None):
     logger.log("conf_files: Running.")
-    instance = conf_files()
+    instance = ConfFiles()
     instance.run_once(data)
     logger.log("conf_files: Done.")
 
 
     trigger=time.time()+timeout
     result = False
     try:
-        child = subprocess.Popen(command, bufsize=1,
-                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, close_fds=True)
+        child = subprocess.Popen(
+            command, bufsize=1,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+            close_fds=True,
+            universal_newlines=True)
         buffer = Buffer()
         while True:
             # see if anything can be read within the poll interval
 
     logger.verbose("log_call: poll=%r s" % poll)
     trigger=time.time()+timeout
     try:
-        child = subprocess.Popen(command, bufsize=1,
-                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, close_fds=True)
+        child = subprocess.Popen(
+            command, bufsize=1,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+            close_fds=True,
+            universal_newlines=True)
 
         stdout = ""
         while True:
 
         # this assumes the reference image is in its own subvolume
         command = ['btrfs', 'subvolume', 'snapshot', refImgDir, containerDir]
         if not logger.log_call(command, timeout=BTRFS_TIMEOUT):
-            logger.log('sliver_lxc: ERROR Could not create BTRFS snapshot at', containerDir)
+            logger.log('sliver_lxc: ERROR Could not create BTRFS snapshot at {}'
+                       .format(containerDir))
             return
         command = ['chmod', '755', containerDir]
         logger.log_call(command)
 
     # overwrite target file: create a temp in the same directory
     path = os.path.dirname(target) or '.'
     fd, name = tempfile.mkstemp('', 'repl', path)
-    os.write(fd, new_contents)
+    os.write(fd, new_contents.encode())
     os.close(fd)
     if os.path.exists(target):
         os.unlink(target)