Virtualbox on Sid

[trilarian]

So I'm in need of VM'ing a couple OS's to keep from repartitioning and dual booting my desktop. The first I'm trying to boot is a 64bit version of windows (have XP and 7 disc, trying XP for now) as I need to convert some of my work's ancient programs that still use DOS functions.

I choose Virtualbox over VMware just for the sake of VB being in the repos. Install and initial config went fine, but when I try to start (run) the VM the screen goes black, then the computer completely stops responding and needs a hard reboot. Any help would be appreciated. Pasting what I believe to be the error part in the log. If you need the entire log I can email or host it - too big for a post.

Kernel Version - 2.6.32-trunk-amd64
Debian Sid

Short Version:
00:00:00.614 VMSetError: /home/michael/technik/sources/archive/virtualbox-ose/virtualbox-ose/src/VBox/VMM/VM.cpp(321) int VMR3Create(uint32_t, void (*)(VM*, void*, int, const char*, unsigned int, const char*, const char*, __va_list_tag*), void*, int (*)(VM*, void*), void*, VM**)
00:00:00.614 VMSetError: Unknown error creating VM
00:00:00.614 ERROR [COM]: aRC=NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005) aIID={6375231a-c17c-464b-92cb-ae9e128d71c3} aComponent={Console} aText={VT-x is not available. (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX).
00:00:00.614 Unknown error creating VM (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX)} aWarning=false, preserve=false
00:00:00.615 Power up failed (vrc=VERR_VMX_NO_VMX, rc=NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0X80004005))

[trilarian]

I haven't sorted this out yet, but wanted to post what I've tried...

I thought maybe the newer kernel was posing a problem, so installed 2.6.30-2 and recompiled modules - same behavior of crashing the system in 1-2s after running. Then I tried setting up a second virtual for Win XP 32 to see if it was a 64 issue, but same results.

Any help is appreciated.

[infiniphunk]

are you perhaps trying to use a virtual-machine you've previously created with another virtualization program, such as VMware?
Usually they are .vdi files to do this, but in your error message it seems like its looking for a virtual-machine with a .cpp extention, not sure what that is I thought those were C++ source files.
Just a hunch feel free mock my reply if I'm way off...
I'm using VirtualBox to run XP and Windows7 and it works GREAT!

[trilarian]

It is the first time vb has been installed on this box (and vmware has not been installed), but I'll got ahead and do an apt-get --purge on the package and search for any leftovers. Did a build-dep on the virtualbox-ose package to see if I had any missing dependencies not grabbed on the initial install. It did find a few, but still same problem.

/home/michael/technik/sources/archive/virtualbox-ose/virtualbox-ose/src/VBox/VMM/VM.cpp(321)

That line confused me too. I don't have a user michael or a directory. If I look in my own home directory, there is no technik folder - the vdi's are stored in /home/foo/.VirtualBox/HardDisk/.

What version of VirtualBox (and do you have OSE, or the binaries?) and which kernel are you running? Maybe if I at least match that of yours, I can get started.

[infiniphunk]

I'm running Ubuntu 9.10 on this laptop (Karmic) ..
kernel 2-6-31-17-generic 32 bit.
VirtualBox 3.0.8_OSE r53138 (GUI)

I still think something looks off about that path in your error message.
Have you also tried making a directory elsewhere on your computer and then in the Properties setting that folder as the location for virtual machines?

Also have a look at this (http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=476662); seems to be a similar situation to yours.

(I just googled '/home/michael/technik/sources/')

[trilarian]

Thanks IP. I'll try to match your versions and check the link out. I'm leaving for the weekend, so that'll be next week. I just wanted to mention that I checked the log again since I did the purge/reinstall and I don't see that path error anymore. In fact the end of the log has no errors, but unfortunately it still exhibits the same behavior.

00:00:53.665 Mnemonic - Description = guest (host)
00:00:53.665 AIS - Alternate Instruction Set = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 AIS-E - AIS enabled = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 RNG - Random Number Generator = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 RNG-E - RNG enabled = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 LH - LongHaul MSR 0000_110Ah = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 FEMMS - FEMMS = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 ACE - Advanced Cryptography Engine = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 ACE-E - ACE enabled = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 ACE2 - Advanced Cryptography Engine 2 = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 ACE2-E - ACE enabled = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 PHE - Hash Engine = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 PHE-E - PHE enabled = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 PMM - Montgomery Multiplier = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665 PMM-E - PMM enabled = 0 (0)
00:00:53.665
00:00:53.665
00:00:53.665 ******************** End of CPUID dump **********************
00:00:53.665 Debug: HCPhysInterPD=00000000378ec000 HCPhysInterPaePDPT=00000000378ef000 HCPhysInterPaePML4=00000000378f1000
00:00:53.665 Debug: apInterPTs={00000000378ed000,00000000378ee000} apInterPaePTs={00000001344a7000,000000015ce54000} apInterPaePDs={000000015ce55000,000000015ce56000,0 00000015ce57000,000000015d874000} pInterPaePDPT64=00000000378f0000
00:00:53.681 TM: GIP - u32Mode=1 (SyncTSC) u32UpdateHz=83
00:00:53.711 TM: cTSCTicksPerSecond=0xd5b18dc6 (3 585 183 174) fTSCVirtualized=true fTSCUseRealTSC=false
00:00:53.711 TM: fMaybeUseOffsettedHostTSC=true TSCTiedToExecution=false TSCNotTiedToHalt=false
00:00:53.711 CoreCode: R3=00007fcb79e95000 R0=ffffc90000672000 RC=a09c5000 Phys=000000003794c000 cb=0x1000
00:00:53.743 AIOMgr: Cache successfully initialised. Cache size is 5242880 bytes
00:00:53.770 [SMP] BIOS with 1 CPUs
00:00:53.789 SUP: Loaded VBoxDDR0.r0 (/usr/lib/virtualbox/VBoxDDR0.r0) at 0xffffffffa042e500 - ModuleInit at 0000000000000000 and ModuleTerm at 0000000000000000
00:00:53.789 SUP: Loaded VBoxDD2R0.r0 (/usr/lib/virtualbox/VBoxDD2R0.r0) at 0xffffffffa04408c0 - ModuleInit at 0000000000000000 and ModuleTerm at 0000000000000000
00:00:53.789 Activating Local APIC
00:00:53.789 CPUMSetGuestCpuIdFeature: Enabled APIC
00:00:53.789 CPUMSetGuestCpuIdFeature: Disabled x2APIC
00:00:53.789 PIT: mode=3 count=0x10000 (65536) - 18.20 Hz (ch=0)
00:00:53.800 Shared Folders service loaded.
00:00:53.828 VDInit finished
00:00:53.828 PIIX3 ATA: LUN#0: disk, PCHS=16383/16/63, total number of sectors 41943040
00:00:53.828 PIIX3 ATA: LUN#1: no unit
00:00:53.866 PIIX3 ATA: LUN#2: CD/DVD, total number of sectors 0, passthrough disabled
00:00:53.866 PIIX3 ATA: LUN#3: no unit
00:00:53.866 PIIX3 ATA: Ctl#1: finished processing RESET
00:00:53.866 PIIX3 ATA: Ctl#0: finished processing RESET
00:00:53.866 NAT: adding domain name Debian to search list
00:00:53.866 NAT: value of BindIP has been ignored
00:00:53.866 Audio: Trying driver 'alsa'.
00:00:53.882 ALSA: DAC frequency 44100Hz, period size 256, buffer size 1024

[trilarian]

I hate to say it, but guess I'm going to have to give up on this one - virtualbox is simply to buggy for use right now. I've searched the logs and can't find any errors anywhere, no response on the official forums for two weeks, /shrug.

Sucks, as I'll have to dual boat now and was really looking forward to playing with virtual installs of different OS's. Maybe in the future the code will mature and give better log feedback. :mad:

[infiniphunk]

Sorry to hear that you are giving up man; I know what it's like.
Ive just started messing around with it myself and although I have my virtual-machines working, I'd like to get shared USB devices working (host is ubuntu guest os is windows)
as well as making virtual-machines accessible over a network using VNC or something.
In time I guess..
Don't give up!

[trilarian]

Don't give up!

Usually I don't, but this project has been too much of a headache by it's nature of error. If I could get it started, well if I could just get it to stop crashing out my box, then I could push on step by step.

As it stands now, I have nothing in the log to point me in any direction and each time I attempt to start it, I crash. That crash causes an unclean unmount which usually triggers a fsck. I also have a couple layers of encryption to go through with very long passwords, etc., etc. So each attempt can be 5+ minutes long, a risk at data corruption, and I get no feedback from the program where to poke.

All in all it has been a frustrating experience with no satisfaction at the end. Dual boot it is. If anyone has any ideas, though, I'll keep the vbox install in hopes I can fix it later and reclaim the dual boot partitions.

[infiniphunk]

Not the most elegant solution ever, but have you given VMware a chance?

[trilarian]

I should, but I was annoyed with the failure of vbox, so I just opened up 15g and went the dual boot route. I know how to do that, it works, and finished installing updates this morning. So not the best solution, but it works and I don't have to worry about data corruption now.

[alderon]

Did a build-dep on the virtualbox-ose package to see if I had any missing dependencies not grabbed on the initial install. It did find a few, but still same problem.

Was one of the missing deps "linux-headers-2.6.32-trunk-amd64"? Or maybe "ia32-libs"? I don't think either of them are shown as deps for Debian's OSE version but both of them are dependencies for the PUEL version.

Also for the OSE version... "dkms" is a dependency for Squeeze and "virtualbox-ose-dkms" (which grabs dkms) is a dependency for Sid. "dkms" is also needed for the PUEL version, although not shown as a dependency.

I chose Virtualbox over VMware just for the sake of VB being in the repos.

I did the same when I first tried VBox. I also tried the PUEL version from Sun and (for some reason) its faster than the OSE version... at least on my hardware. I haven't had an issue with the PUEL version in either 32 or 64-bit; I've used it in Lenny and Squeeze but not Sid. The advantages to the PUEL version are access to USB devices, shared folders and the ability to copy/paste between host and guest.

The site below has the VBox repo to add to sources.list; makes it just as easy to install as when using the Debian repo:

www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

[trilarian]

Already had those packages mentioned from compiling the NVIDIA module. I also believe I needed them when using m-a to generate the vbox module.

I am interested in trying out the PUEL version you mention... though that will have to wait. I believe I'll be drunk all weekend, SAINTS ARE IN THE SUPERBOWL!!!! WHO DAT!! LOL :D:eek::p:eek::D

[infiniphunk]

The advantages to the PUEL version are access to USB devices

I'm using the PUEL version and I still can't quite access my usb devices.
They show up under 'Devices>USB Devices' but are greyed-out. Do I have to enable something for Windows guest OS to be able to use USB?

[alderon]

Already had those packages mentioned

Was just a thought... looks like you've got all the req'd pkgs so I dunno what to suggest.

I am interested in trying out the PUEL version you mention... though that will have to wait. I believe I'll be drunk all weekend, SAINTS ARE IN THE SUPERBOWL!!!! WHO DAT!! LOL

Lol, have a great weekend!


@ infiniphunk

Do I have to enable something for Windows guest OS to be able to use USB?

Yes, the guestaddition has to be installed for access to USB, Shared folder and copy/paste. Not running VM: Settings > Storage > Host drive > (set to) VBoxGuestAdditions.iso. While XP is running, in VBox menu, Devices > Install Guest Additions (WinGuest). After its installed and after quitting the XP guest, you can reset the Host drive back to the actual CD/DVD drive.

[infiniphunk]

While in Windows 7 (guest OS) I went through the Install Guest Additions thing and it seemed to finish, rebooted Windows but I still can't access USB. I can access shared folder between guest OS and host OS, but USB devices still show up greyed-out.
:(

[alderon]

Although there may be other issues for Win7, some possibilities...

1. are you (username) a member of host's vboxusers in /etc/group

2. at bottom right of the VM window is the USB icon... right-click and, when menu of USB devices pops up, left-click to check-mark the device to access it. When I do this in WinXP, the device (a USB thumb drive) shows up in My Computer as an icon under Removable Storage. I don't have a Win7 VM loaded but I think the USB access is the same.

3. disable EHCI in VBox's USB settings

[infiniphunk]

thanks I got that going now :)

[alderon]

Glad you got it working.

FWIW (may work in Win7): I did a separate XP install for a dual core CPU to see if I could get better video performance. XP will install the multicore drivers when '2 CPUs' and 'Enable IO/APIC' are selected/saved in the VM before installing the OS. Both cores show in TaskMgr and DeviceMgr with or without the guestaddition. It didn't help; the single core VM has better video on my hardware. Depending upon your hardware and what apps you use, you might get better results.

[infiniphunk]

**WARNING**
straying into off-topic land now...

One of the main reasons I'm doing this is so that I can get HTCsync going for my phone, an htc Dream.
As you know, it runs on Android from Google, a linux-based OS for smartphones.
Sadly, HTCsync only runs on Windows :(
Sadder yet, I recently had to upgrade the phone's firmware using a software from Rogers, which also only runs on Windows. (to fix the recent GPS/911 calling incompatibility bug)
Oh the bitter irony.. having to update a linux-based phone using Windows crapware. When I complained to Rogers they just shrugged their little shoulders.
Now, even though I get USB functionality in my Windows VM, it sees the htc Dream, it just doesn't want HTCsync to connect. ugh