File Manager refuses to create guest session

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

(mod edit: split from viewtopic.php?f=6&t=96316)

I'm having the same problem as posted by sz on 7. Jan 2020, 17:08, but with RHEL rather than Ubuntu. In the File Manager, I try to create a session using my RHEL user id and password, and I get the following log messages:

23:30:44: Guest session has been created
23:30:44: Waiting the session to start
23:30:44: The session did not start
23:30:44: Guest session is not valid

I think I have VBoxGuestAdditions.iso intalled correctly, but am not sure. This could be the problem.

Can someone help with this?
scottgus1
Site Moderator
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Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by scottgus1 »

Start the VM from full normal shutdown, not save-state. Run until you see the problem happen, then shut down the VM from within the VM's OS if possible. If not possible, close the Virtualbox window for the VM with the Power Off option set.

Right-click the VM in the main Virtualbox window's VM list, choose Show Log. Save the far left tab's log, zip it, and post the zip file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.
Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

This is a reply to scottgus1. I have attached the requested zipped log file. I will look for your reply.
Attachments
VBox.zip
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scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by scottgus1 »

The zipped log is only the last few lines of the whole log. Please try again?
Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

Sorry, I didn't notice that there was more to the file. Here is a complete copy.

Also, I thought there is supposed to be a file called VBoxGuestAdditions.exe in C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox, but this distribution of VirtualBox, Version 6.1.34 r150636 (Qt5.6.2), doesn't have one. I only see VBoxGuestAdditions.iso, not the executable, and I thought that the executable is needed for the installation of this package.
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VBox.zip
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Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

Hello scittgus1. Are you still there? Was the new zip file any help?
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
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Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by scottgus1 »

Dan Schwartz wrote:Hello scittgus1. Are you still there?
The forum is run by volunteers who answer when they know what the solution is or how to troubleshoot, and when the rest of their lives allow.

Well, the log got better, now it's the beginning instead of the end... :lol: But not the whole thing:
scottgus1 wrote:shut down the VM from within the VM's OS if possible. If not possible, close the Virtualbox window for the VM with the Power Off option set.
Guest Additions are installed:
00:00:16.228901 VMMDev: Guest Additions information report: Version 6.1.34 r150636 '6.1.34'
But there is this:
00:02:43.350825 ERROR [COM]: aRC=VBOX_E_IPRT_ERROR (0x80bb0005) aIID={3e14c189-4a75-437e-b0bb-7e7c90d0df2a} aComponent={GuestSessionWrap} aText={Waiting for guest process failed: The guest execution service is not ready (yet)}, preserve=false aResultDetail=-78
Could be the GAs aren't fully starting in the VM's OS. Is the OS a graphical OS or text-only?
Dan Schwartz wrote:I thought there is supposed to be a file called VBoxGuestAdditions.exe ...I only see VBoxGuestAdditions.iso
"VBoxGuestAdditions.exe" is only supposed to be in the Windows VM's C:\Program Files". (Not sure what the Linux GAs executable is called.) The ISO is in the host's Virtualbox install folder, for Virtualbox to load into the VM's CD drive.
Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

Thanks for your reply. Here is another try at copying that log file. I think I got the whole thing this time. My apologies for the mistakes.

I just open an RHEL terminal and enter "shutdown". I'm not using Gnome or any sort of GUI, if that's what you mean.
Attachments
VBox.zip
(19.43 KiB) Downloaded 7 times
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by scottgus1 »

Dan Schwartz wrote:I'm not using Gnome or any sort of GUI
I think this is the killer. Though I'm no Linux guru, I have read that some GAs services require a Linux GUI. I'll move this to Linux Guests so a Linux expert might see what can be done.
fth0
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Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by fth0 »

Dan Schwartz wrote:I'm not using Gnome or any sort of GUI, if that's what you mean.
AFAIK, the VBoxService is needed for the VirtualBox File Manager and will only be started when an X11 server is running.
Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

Dear fth0,

Can you be more specific as to what I need to do? I followed the VBox installation instuctions and saw nothing about GUIs or X11. Also, while I'm a long term Linux user, I'm not an experienced administrator. I got as far as opening an RHEL terminal and entering "sudo xinit" and got a reply saying:

"Server is already active for display 0",

then more stuff ending with:

"X connection to :0 broken (explicit kill or server shutdown)"

I have no idea what this means. However, I'm thinking of just uninstalling VBox and then redoing the install from scratch. Do you think this might help?
fth0
Volunteer
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Primary OS: Mac OS X other
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Location: Germany

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by fth0 »

Dan Schwartz wrote:Can you be more specific as to what I need to do?
I don't know your RHEL installation, so it's difficult for me to give the right instructions. In a nutshell, you have to run a GUI (Desktop Environment) in your Linux guest OS. The VirtualBox Guest Additions will automatically start the VBoxService application in the background then, and the File Manager should work.

There could be alternatives to this strategy, which do not need the File Manager. Perhaps you can tell us what you really want to achieve?
Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

I just want to transfer files back and forth between Windows and RHEL. I tried to go through a process for mounting Windows in Linux and found that when RHEL is running inside VBox it can't see the Windows installation. So there is no way to mount it. My understanding is that File Manager is the only way to ship files back and forth between the two OSs. Do you know of another way?
Dan Schwartz
Posts: 10
Joined: 3. May 2022, 17:34

Re: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by Dan Schwartz »

By the way, I do have Gnome running in the desktop environment. There seems to be something wrong. Maybe a re-install of everything would fix this.
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: File Manager refuses to create guest session

Post by fth0 »

Dan Schwartz wrote:My understanding is that File Manager is the only way to ship files back and forth between the two OSs. Do you know of another way?
Yes, there are two common alternatives:

a) VirtualBox Shared Folders: See 4.3. Shared Folders

b) Network shared folders: Imagine the VM as a second standalone PC, and use any technique of sharing folders over a network of PCs (e.g. Samba, SSH, FTP, HTTP, ...).
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