Hi!
The LXD commands look like lxc launch ..., while the LXC commands are like lxc-create ....
I suggest to go for LXD.
I have written a few guides on running LXD on various hosting providers (VPS companies), and I have not covered SSD Nodes yet. See The LXD tutorials of Simos
If they accept Paypal, I’ll be happy to try them and write about it. In the meantime, have a look at my posts and try to follow the testing steps I show there.
From what you write, SSD Nodes likely uses the stock Ubuntu images so that should mean Ubuntu Linux kernel as well. I cannot think why LXD would not initialize.