Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

This is for discussing general topics about how to use VirtualBox.
Post Reply
Guillaume Soucy
Posts: 15
Joined: 27. Dec 2021, 04:27
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows (Multiples Versions)
Location: L'Orignal CA.
Contact:

Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by Guillaume Soucy »

Hello,

I have issues starting nested VM running on a VM running on Proxmox. When I click start in VirtualBox, the VM stay stuck on “Press F12...” message.
VirtualBox_windowsxp-x86-vm_29_12_2021_23_25_18.png
VirtualBox_windowsxp-x86-vm_29_12_2021_23_25_18.png (1.4 KiB) Viewed 11396 times
Is there a reason for this happen? I have three more Proxmox host running each a VM running VirtualBox and I’ve got no issues doing nested virtualisation on them.

I need help please.

Thanks,

Guillaume
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by scottgus1 »

Comparing a vbox.log from a working host and the failing one could help.

Run each host's VM from cold start to seeing whatever happens to a full shutdown.
Zip and post each vbox.log, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.
Guillaume Soucy
Posts: 15
Joined: 27. Dec 2021, 04:27
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows (Multiples Versions)
Location: L'Orignal CA.
Contact:

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by Guillaume Soucy »

Hello,

I put the logs into a .zip and I attach them to this message.

Thank-you very much!

Guillaume
Attachments
VB_Logs.zip
Contain the two log files.
(43.22 KiB) Downloaded 9 times
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5668
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by fth0 »

VBox(broken).log wrote:
00:00:22.952859 Host RAM: 981MB total, 371MB available
00:00:25.079691   RamSize           <integer> = 0x000000000c000000 (201 326 592, 192 MB)
00:00:25.080336   VRamSize         <integer> = 0x0000000001000000 (16 777 216, 16 MB)
Besides the configured Base Memory and Video Memory, VirtualBox needs some additional memory from the host OS, which could be in the magnitude of 10ths or a few 100s of MB. Please try if providing only 64 MB RAM to the Windows XP VM solves the issue.
Guillaume Soucy
Posts: 15
Joined: 27. Dec 2021, 04:27
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows (Multiples Versions)
Location: L'Orignal CA.
Contact:

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by Guillaume Soucy »

Hello,

I added more memory to the Host, it now have 2048MB and decreased the guest OS RAM to 64MB without any success, the guest OS still froze at start. I created another VM and I've got the same issue.

Thanks,

Guillaume
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by scottgus1 »

Guillaume Soucy wrote: starting nested VM running on a VM running on Proxmox
Guillaume Soucy wrote:I have three more Proxmox host running each a VM running VirtualBox and I’ve got no issues doing nested virtualisation on them.
If I gather correctly, these mean you have a setup like this:
Proxmox hosts > Virtualbox > VM OS > Virtualbox > VM OS 2

I asked for logs from a working and failing host. Intending to see what the physical PC was doing each time. But the logs you provided were for XP at 192MB and one processor, and Windows 3.1 at 32MB and one processor. I'd hardly expect you to be able to run a nested VM in either of these OS's. :lol:

Sorry for the confusion. Please provide a VM log from each of the working and not working Proxmox hosts.
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5668
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by fth0 »

scottgus1 wrote:Proxmox hosts > Virtualbox > VM OS > Virtualbox > VM OS 2
It will rather be VirtualBox running inside QEMU/KVM VMs (Proxmox VE). ;)
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5668
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by fth0 »

Guillaume Soucy wrote:I added more memory to the Host, it now have 2048MB and decreased the guest OS RAM to 64MB without any success, the guest OS still froze at start. I created another VM and I've got the same issue.
In your previous VBox.log files, the Windows 3.1 VM ran on a host with an Intel CPU, and the Windows XP VM "ran" on a host with an AMD CPU. Can you try a new Windows XP VM on the host with the Intel CPU? Please provide a VBox.log file from that attempt.
Guillaume Soucy
Posts: 15
Joined: 27. Dec 2021, 04:27
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows (Multiples Versions)
Location: L'Orignal CA.
Contact:

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by Guillaume Soucy »

Hello everybody,

@fth0 Yes, this is what I mean. Such of setup are sometime difficult to explain correctly, but that ok. :lol:
In your previous VBox.log files, the Windows 3.1 VM ran on a host with an Intel CPU, and the Windows XP VM "ran" on a host with an AMD CPU. Can you try a new Windows XP VM on the host with the Intel CPU? Please provide a VBox.log file from that attempt.
I can create a new host on the Intel CPU host and name it "Windows XP", it gonna work. The problem is no nested VM are working on the AMD CPU host.

However, I do have another host with a AMD CPU and nested VM are running just fine.

Thanks,

Guillaume
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5668
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by fth0 »

Guillaume Soucy wrote:However, I do have another host with a AMD CPU and nested VM are running just fine.
Well, what are the differences between the two hosts with AMD CPUs, the VirtualBox installations, the VirtualBox VMs and the VBox.log files then?
Guillaume Soucy
Posts: 15
Joined: 27. Dec 2021, 04:27
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows (Multiples Versions)
Location: L'Orignal CA.
Contact:

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by Guillaume Soucy »

Hello,

In the virtualbox1-dc (the one with the problematic VM) it is: 2 x AMD A4-4000 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics (1 Socket)

And for the other one named virtualbox4-dc it is: 4 x AMD Athlon 3000G with Radeon Vega Graphics (1 Socket)

I know there're "consumer grade" hardware but there're doing the job for now.

Thanks,

Guillaume
Attachments
VB_Logs2.zip
Contains logs.
(41.58 KiB) Downloaded 9 times
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5668
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by fth0 »

Guillaume Soucy wrote:I know there're "consumer grade" hardware but there're doing the job for now.
Well, one of them apparently isn't. ;)

I can see that the older AMD A4-4000 is missing several CPU features that the newer AMD Athlon 3000G provides, but I don't know if VirtualBox implicitly expects one (or more) of them to be available.

The problematic VM seems to encounter some problem inside the VirtualBox legacy BIOS, which prepares the display for the splash screen, but seems not to reach the part where the boot medium is searched for.

I'm not sure if it makes sense to investigate further ...
Guillaume Soucy
Posts: 15
Joined: 27. Dec 2021, 04:27
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Windows (Multiples Versions)
Location: L'Orignal CA.
Contact:

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by Guillaume Soucy »

Hello,
I can see that the older AMD A4-4000 is missing several CPU features that the newer AMD Athlon 3000G provides, but I don't know if VirtualBox implicitly expects one (or more) of them to be available.
May I please know what are those features?

Is there a chance making it work? Or there're no way making it working without new hardware?

Thanks,

Guillaume
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5668
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Guest VM Getting Stuck When Doing Nested Virtualisation.

Post by fth0 »

Guillaume Soucy wrote:
fth0 wrote:I can see that the older AMD A4-4000 is missing several CPU features that the newer AMD Athlon 3000G provides, but I don't know if VirtualBox implicitly expects one (or more) of them to be available.
May I please know what are those features?
In each VBox.log file, there are two lines containing the string "CPUID dump", and the 350ish lines between them show the CPU capabilities. Compare all "(host)" columns for the differences.
Guillaume Soucy wrote:Is there a chance making it work? Or there're no way making it working without new hardware?
I don't know. I've been running out of the easy ideas for now, and a more complex investigation (e.g debugging) alone would need a lot of time and knowledge. Practically speaking, buying new hardware should be much "cheaper".

Perhaps someone else has other ideas to try ...

Edit:
FWIW, I googled "site:forums.virtualbox.org AMD A4", and other users were running VirtualBox VMs on AMD A4 CPUs in the past, the newest VirtualBox version encountered being 6.0.14. For a test, you could try older VirtualBox versions ...
Post Reply