Guest Additions need to be reinstalled after kernel upgrade

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
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DdB
Posts: 114
Joined: 22. May 2010, 23:27
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: many
Location: Germany

Guest Additions need to be reinstalled after kernel upgrade

Post by DdB »

Hi,

using VBox 5.1.22 on debian jessie, many different OS as guests.
Back in the days of dkms, i was familiar with the procedure involving kernel upgrades, when the GA would be built automatically.
Since some time, this is no longer necessary, nor possible, since GA are now a systemd unit.
BUT:
After a kernel upgrade from the repositories (on a debian stretch guest, this time) and a reboot, i noticed the shared folders no longer working. But after reexecuting the guest additions installation, the VM was back to normal.
Strangely, it did show: uninstalling 5.1.22, and later installing 5.1.22 - obviously fixing, whatever was broken after the kernel upgrade.
This is occurring on several of my VM's around the time, when the kenel upgrade came in. But i am no expert on this.

What needs to be done to NOT have to reinstall GA after each upgrade in the future?
DdB
Posts: 114
Joined: 22. May 2010, 23:27
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: many
Location: Germany

Re: Guest Additions need to be reinstalled after kernel upgrade

Post by DdB »

Further observation reveals: This has to be a timing/configuration problem.

It is nagging indeed, as it appears from time to time, even while booting... the GA dont get started in time and thus Shared Folders (and UI related stuff) wont work in a vm. BUT: without changing a thing, sometimes just rebooting the vm, i found the GA sometimes get picked up. Thus this shows some mistake in the installed systemd config for the GA. Eventually, a compile step might still be necessary after kernel change, i haven't been able to determine that with some certainity. Is my box possibly too slow to read the vdi files in time? But has them in the I/O cache for the reboot?

Not sure, as i am not a dev. Does nobody experience similar issues?
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