Ubuntu 16.10 (32-bit) installation freezes

[schorn]

I am trying to install the new Ubuntu 16.10 (32-bit) using the ubuntu-16.10-desktop-i386.iso disk image - host is VirtualBox 5.1.6 r110634 (Qt5.5.1) on macOS Sierra. I am basically using the default settings when creating the Linux virtual machine (except 2048 MB of memory, 20 GB disk, 3D Acceleration on or off does not make a difference). The optical disk boots up and after a while the "Install (as superuser)" screen shows. But now everything is frozen, in particular the "Install Ubuntu" button (or for that matter any other button). Has anybody experienced this issue as well? Is there a workaround or a special setting to be taken into account? Also note that Ubuntu 16.10 (64-bit) can be installed without any issue.

[Perryg]

Post the guests log file ( as an attachment ). Right click on the guest in the Main Manager then click show log. Save and post as an attachment. Compress if it is too large to post.

[schorn]

log file attached

[Perryg]

Try setting the guests audio to the Intel HD audio instead of AC97.

[schorn]

Unfortunately this does not make any difference. The new log ends with

00:00:51.130876 VMMDev: vmmDevHeartbeatFlatlinedTimer: Guest seems to be unresponsive. Last heartbeat received 4 seconds ago
00:00:51.798267 VMMDev: GuestHeartBeat: Guest is alive (gone 4 667 409 653 ns)

and the guest is frozen.

[mpack]

Well, while we wait for Perry to respond, how about you try disabling audio entirely, in the VM settings - just as a test. Make sure the VM is shut down (not suspended).

[schorn]

Since I was able to install Ubuntu 16.10 (64-bit) successfully I compared the settings. It turned out that everything works fine as soon as "Enable I/O APIC" is set. Probably it would make sense to include this in the Ubuntu (32-bit) version setting. The problem is solved for me. Thanks to Perryg and mpack for their suggestions.

[Perryg]

It turned out that everything works fine as soon as "Enable I/O APIC" is set

Actually this is not really needed for 32-bit but I did see another thing that seemed weird. You were booting from CD but the logs show the 5.1.6 GAs were already installed. These are fork versions since there is no way to install the official version to CD, so it may be a coincidence enabling I/O APIC made it work. Usually I would suggest that 3D not be enabled until after the install and official GAs were installed. But at this point there is no sense in testing.

[valepakh]

I can confirm that this is the only change needed to make Ubuntu 16.10 32-bit work.