After 6.0.10 all my VMs lack GUI if there is one headless VM started

[gustavofarias]

Until yesterday, I had a Windows 7 host, hosting Linux and Windows guests.
At host startup, there is a scheduled task that starts one VM in headless mode (VBoxManage startvm MyVM --type headless).
When I want another VM, I just start it using the Virtual Box gui.

Today I upgraded to 6.0.10, and now it doesn't work anymore.
The startup VM is still starting headlessly, but when I try to start a second VM using the VBox gui, it doesn't show the GUI. I know it is started as I can see the preview.

If I kill the headless VM and then start the other VM, it will show it's GUI. So it's the first headless VM that is preventing VMs that come after to show their GUIs.

[scottgus1]

We will at least need to see a log of the GUI-started guest failing to show its GUI while the headless guest is running. Cold-boot to seeing the problem, to shut-down from within the guest OS if possible. Can you remote into the guest while this is happening?

As I understand, if you do not start the auto-start headless guest, you can see the GUI of the GUI-started guest just fine. In this situation, without the auto-start-headless guest running, can you manually start a guest headless, then start another guest GUI and have the second GUI show?

[gustavofarias]

"As I understand, if you do not start the auto-start headless guest, you can see the GUI of the GUI-started guest just fine."
That's correct.

"In this situation, without the auto-start-headless guest running, can you manually start a guest headless, then start another guest GUI and have the second GUI show?"
Yes, I do.

Summarizing:
The problem only occurs if the headless guest is started by windows scheduled task at startup. After this, any attempt (via gui or via command line) will start the second VM, but it will have no Gui.

If I start the headless guest via gui or command line (i.e. manually), the second VM will show gui just fine, had I started it by any means.

If I execute the scheduled task manually, the problem still occurs. So, it's likely that this has to do with user accounts, privileges... Anyway, in VBox 5.x it always worked.

[scottgus1]

OK, interesting. Please zip and post the requested log using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.

Also please post the command line you're using to start the headless guest from Task Scheduler. What is the 'trigger' for the task? Which of the "Run" radio buttons is selected: 'only when user is logged on', or 'whether user is logged on or not'? And is it run with highest privileges?

[scottgus1]

One other question: if you disable the task, so the headless guest doesn't start at host boot, what happens if you then start it from the task after logging in, then try to start a GUI guest?
Edit - scratch this, I just saw:

If I execute the scheduled task manually, the problem still occurs

[scottgus1]

FWIW Virtualbox 6 changed the execution exe for GUI guests from a subset of the main Virtualbox window's Virtualbox.exe to VirtualboxVM.exe, to plug an apparent or possible security hole. Could be the task's command line has to be changed?

[gustavofarias]

FWIW Virtualbox 6 changed the execution exe for GUI guests from a subset of the main Virtualbox window's Virtualbox.exe to VirtualboxVM.exe, to plug an apparent or possible security hole. Could be the task's command line has to be changed?

The task is to start a headless VM, not a GUI one. I looked into the manuals and the options are:

Code: Select all

VBoxManage.exe startvm MyVM --type headless

or

Code: Select all

VBoxHeadless.exe startvm MyVM

The second option keeps the terminal open if i use manually. If I put it in the task the task fails.

[gustavofarias]

OK, interesting. Please zip and post the requested log using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.

Also please post the command line you're using to start the headless guest from Task Scheduler. What is the 'trigger' for the task? Which of the "Run" radio buttons is selected: 'only when user is logged on', or 'whether user is logged on or not'? And is it run with highest privileges?

There are 5 log files per VM. There is some sensitive data in the logs. I will figure a way to post here.

The trigger: at startup
Selected: "whether user is logged on or not'" (because the VM runs a service) AND "highest privileges" (without this one the task fail)
The action is:
--Program: "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe"
--Arguments: startvm MyVM --type headless

[scottgus1]

You would only need to post the one log from the GUI-failing guest when the headless guest prevents the GUI from showing. Zip and post using Upload Attachment.

[gustavofarias]

As I was in a hurry I switched back to VBox 5.2 and everything came back to normal.
Many thanks for the help.

[Marzon]

Was there ever a solution to this, besides reverting to version 5.2? I am having the same problem exactly.

[scottgus1]

@Marzon, no, the rollback to 5.2 was Gustavo's workaround. Lets leave this thread for if Gustavo wants to pick it up again.

Please start a new topic with your own description of the problem, and a zipped guest vbox.log of the failing guest. Also please see Minimum Info Needed for Assistance