[Fixed] VBOX Service Delays Ubuntu 16.4 Shutdown

[JKelly]

Linux Guest (64 bit) versions on Windows 10 Host

Ubuntu recently changed its system shutdown software (I think it is a change to SYSTEMD instead of UPSTART). When I install VBOX additions on a Linux Guest, there is a 60 to 90 second delay in the shutdown as Ubuntu 16.4 tries to "stop a job" but actually just sits there waiting for something to happen. You can watch the delay if you press F12 during a shutdown.

I cannot tell if the 60 to 90 second delay is a software error in Ubuntu SYSTEMD (Ubuntu 16.4 and Kubuntu 16.4 are both affected without regard to whether 3D video driver is selected in Virtualbox or not) or it is just that the VBOX additions do not "play well" with the shutdown software. When I use Linux Mint version 17.3, I don't get this 60 to 90 second shutdown delay, so I believe that it is a Ubuntu/Kubuntu Version 16.4 issue. Since the VirtualBox Beta software came out about the same time as Ubuntu 16.4, I don't know who to blame.

My workaround is to change the "/etc/systemd/system.conf" file and change the following two system defaults from 90 seconds to 20 seconds:
DefaultTimeoutStartSec=20s (remember to delete the "#" character or the change will have no effect)
DefaultTimeoutStopSec=20s

This change solves the issue, but I don't know what else it does to Ubuntu. I suppose you could get errors if files take a long time to save and Ubuntu does not allow allow that to happen.

[bqbauer]

I also see Ubuntu 16.04 MATE (which is an officially supported edition) shutting down extremely slowly.

[yelkarama]

Hi

I was also frustrated by this 90s delay. After some research, I found it was caused by the "unattended-upgrades" package which tries to check for security updates during that 90s..

After I uninstalled it (sudo apt-get remove --purge unattended-upgrades), no more slowness during shutdowns. However, I had to compensate for it by putting an (apt-get -y upgrade) in cron

Cheers,

[frank]

Will be fixed in Beta 3.