virtualbox freeze for linux guest w/o smp

[nevyn]

Hi

I'm trying to customise the kernel of a linux guest. All tests have been done with kernel 2.6.21.5, innotek virtualbox 1.4.0 and a debian system.

Using an SMP kernel, everything works fine.
Disabling SMP, the systems boots until "Populating /dev..." (i.e. init has started) and then freezes. This is 99% reproducible, some times the freeze was a bit later. When frozen, not even sending a reset (Machine->Reset) has an effect (only closing the machine window). That's why I believe it is not only a kernel problem.

It does not seem to be an APIC problem (the most obvious difference between SMP and UP), enabling APIC for UP does not help.

Can anybody reproduce this problem? Does anybody know about? Did I miss something (i.e. RTFM where?)?

If kernel configuration files are needed write me back.

/Emanuel

[nevyn]

Uhh, might add some host information as well:
Windows XP on a Pentium 4

[nevyn]

some more about this:
got another kernel config file (see spurious-NAK problem). this config freezes when starting sshd...

in all cases there is a guru meditation -2403 in the log file. any hints about this? bug report?

[guyr]

I don't know if this is the same issue or not. I run Gentoo under VBox on Windows XP on Pentium D 950. Kernel 2.6.20 runs fine. I copied the .config file from there and ran make oldconfig for 2.6.22, answering no to most questions. SMP is set to "no". When I try to boot this kernel, it gets to "Mounting devpts at /dev/pts" and then just stops. Like the OP, resetting the VM does nothing; I must close it.

I guess I can try turning on SMP and see what it does.

[nevyn]

This sounds like the same problem. See
www.virtualbox.org/ticket/497
/Emanuel

[guyr]

Thank you, nevyn. Yes, that does seem to be the same issue. I'll add a "me too" to that bug report.

Edit: I just recompiled 2.6.22 with SMP turned on, and now it boots up fine. So the non-SMP kernel seems to definitely be the problem.