[Solved] Linux Guest kernel 4.17.X causing GUI freezes

[burdi01]

VirtualBox 5.2.12-122591

Host: Ubuntu 18.04 running kernel 4.15.0-23-generic 64-bit
Host: Slackware 14.2+ (aka Current) running kernel 4.17.1-burdi64 64-bit

Guests: A Slackware-based live ISO running kernel 4.17.1-burdi64 64-bit - userland 32-bit c.q. 64-bit - no guest additions, no compiler etc.

The decorations of a just-opened window (e.g. of an xterm or a file manager) are not responsive: it is not possible to e.g. close the window via its URH "X". The panel with its launchers most of the time stays responsive, but I have seen it freeze at times as well.
[Auto]logging in on an alternative console (e.g. Win+F2 > Enter > Win+F7) unfreezes things: the window can be closed via its URH "X" again.

I have seen these symptoms since kernel 4.17. The same live ISO with e.g. kernel 4.16.13 is OK.
Testing with the 5.2.13-122890 and 5.2.97-122902 test builds gave the same symptoms.

Edit 1 - Jun 14, 2018: Testing the same ISO on "real" hardware does not show the symptoms.

[socratis]

Don't know too much about your setup, but I doubt that the kernel will have to do too much with the windows. I would look in the window manager, the desktop environment and similar factors.

Do you have a link for the ISO?

[burdi01]

Jul 4, 2018: Problem resolved > ISO removed.

[socratis]

Wait a minute... why a Google Drive link? Isn't there a more... official link of sorts?

[burdi01]

A few years ago I was a main contributor to Parted Magic ( https://partedmagic.com/ ) and I maintained a spin for personal use. Nowadays I am no longer associated with that project, but I still maintain my personal spin.
I am not aware of an "official" ISO with the 4.17 kernel of any distribution to test with as of yet.

[socratis]

I was a main contributor to Parted Magic

Oh, wow! I loved that program! Still have the latest free version...

but I still maintain my personal spin

Is that what I'm looking at? What VM "template" did you use to boot the CD? I tried an existing WinXP VM to boot that, but no dice. I tried it on my Mint 17 one, and it worked (as in "it booted"). Wasn't that CD supposed to boot "anything"?

As for your problem, are you sure that 4.17.x is the culprit? And I don't see the VM "freezing", I see the mouse input ignored in any window, i.e. keyboard navigation works for example in the "System Profiler", you can close the window with Alt+F4. And the mouse works too, i.e. you can launch new apps. But as soon as you try to interact with the mouse with any window, you can't.

And your workaround of HostKey+F2, activate, HostKey+F7 works just great! Notice that it's not the Win key, it's the HostKey key...

[burdi01]

When I created my VM's years ago I used the template that is now called "Linux 2.6/3.x/4.x (64-bit)". Attached is my VM as seen from my Ubuntu 18.04 host.
I do not have Windows ...

For one reason or another I missed your remark at my "freezing". Indeed your "mouse input is ignored in any window" seems to be a better description of the symptoms.


Edit 1 - Jun 15, 2018: My System > Pointing Device setting is "USB tablet" -- which IIRC I never set. Changing it to "PS/2 Mouse" or "USB Multi-Touch Tablet" has no visible effect.

Edit 2 - Jun 15, 2018: Austrumi 3.8.1 sports kernel 4.17.0. This live ISO does not show the symptoms.

[socratis]

I do not have Windows ...

Neither do I, I'm on OSX.

But, the fact that getting another TTY and returning back fixes the problem, is definitely not a kernel issue. That seems to be an X server issue, or something else closely related. I think it's forcing the server to refresh to tell you the truth, I seem to recall such issues, I just can't remember with what.

BTW, in the "System Information" I see that the VirtualBox Guest Additions (GAs) are installed. I suspect that there's something there going on. I'm not that well versed in Linux, and I couldn't get any detailed info out of the installation:

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modinfo vboxvideo

for example didn't return any version specific information, and neither did:

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find / -name vboxvideo

[burdi01]

tl;dr: the vboxguest kernel module is the culprit!

Which "System information" are you referring to? I definitely did not install the Guest Additions -- I even cannot because this guest has no compiler.

I know about the vboxvideo driver: I explicitely enabled this staging module when building the kernel. So 'modinfo vboxvideo' should (and does over here) give output. And 'find / -name "vboxvideo.*"' also does (note the syntax).

When doing a 'lsmod | grep vbox' I saw there is a second kernel driver being loaded: vboxguest. Scanning my kernel config showed it to be included as a module. I was not aware of its existence. Its description speaks about shared folders and the like. As my hosts run ftp servers I have no need for these features. Blacklisting the driver works around the problem for me:

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--- /root/works/cdrom/boot/grub.cfg.old   2018-06-14 17:29:11.000000000 +0200
+++ /root/works/cdrom/boot/grub.cfg   2018-06-16 12:05:32.820630689 +0200
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   echo Loading ...
   linux /pmagic/bzImage64 edd=on loglevel=0 \
     update_caches=yes cpufreq=performance cgmanager=no nfs=no \
-    bluetooth=no cups=no eject=no sshd=no zfs=no atop=no
+    bluetooth=no cups=no eject=no sshd=no zfs=no atop=no blacklist=vboxguest
   initrd /pmagic/initrd.img /pmagic/fu.img /pmagic/m64.img
 

Thank you for your cooperation, it is really apreciated.

[socratis]

Which "System information" are you referring to?

The one that's on the desktop. In there if you see under "Input Devices", or "Summary" » "Input Devices", there's a "VirtualBox mouse integration". That's a sign of the GAs being installed.

I definitely did not install the Guest Additions

When doing a 'lsmod | grep vbox' I saw there is a second kernel driver being loaded: vboxguest

That's what I was talking about...

So 'modinfo vboxvideo' should (and does over here) give output.

My problem/question wasn't about what's being loaded, I can see that as well. What I can't see is the version information about it, i.e. what version of the GAs is this based on. Are they the new Kernel ones that we started seeing in Ubuntu 18.04 for example? Can't tell...

BTW, I was talking to another user over IRC, and they mentioned that they successfully updated a 16.04 Ubuntu to the 4.17.1 kernel, including the GAs (he had to update libssl, but that's another story). So, I don't think that it's the kernel doing this, I think the kernel is a red herring...

[burdi01]

To prevent any misunderstanding: my vbox{video,guest} drivers come from a vanilla (unpatched) kernel, the source of which was downloaded from https://www.kernel.org/ , and *not* from the Guest Additions as described in the Oracle VM Virtualbox User Manual.

The vboxguest modinfo reads:

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rescue:~# modinfo vboxguest
filename:       /lib/modules/4.17.1-burdi64/kernel/drivers/virt/vboxguest/vboxguest.ko
license:        GPL
description:    Oracle VM VirtualBox Guest Additions for Linux Module
author:         Oracle Corporation
alias:          pci:v000080EEd0000CAFEsv00000000sd00000000bc*sc*i*
depends:       
retpoline:      Y
intree:         Y
name:           vboxguest
vermagic:       4.17.1-burdi64 SMP preempt mod_unload
rescue:~#

Apart from the kernel version the vboxguest modinfo for the 4.16.13 kernel (with which the problem does not exist) is identical.

The vboxguest modinfo for my Xubuntu 18.04 reads:

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root@riposo:~/works# modinfo vboxguest
filename:       /lib/modules/4.15.0-23-generic/kernel/ubuntu/vbox/vboxguest/vboxguest.ko
version:        5.2.8_KernelUbuntu r120774
license:        GPL
description:    Oracle VM VirtualBox Guest Additions for Linux Module
author:         Oracle Corporation
srcversion:     F2E5886E3B0544500D404A1
alias:          pci:v000080EEd0000CAFEsv00000000sd00000000bc*sc*i*
depends:       
retpoline:      Y
intree:         Y
name:           vboxguest
vermagic:       4.15.0-23-generic SMP mod_unload
signat:         PKCS#7
signer:         
sig_key:       
sig_hashalgo:   md4
root@riposo:~/works#

Note that with the Xubuntu modinfo there is a version field that looks like a vbox version, whereas with the PartedMagic modinfo there is not.

[xorbe]

openSUSE Tumbleweed with kernel 4.17 and KDE, the mouse co-ord input is frozen on the KDE menu button in the lower left of the screen. Rebuilding vbox tools + mkinitrd + reboot changes nothing. I can navigate everything with the keyboard. It's just mouse input is broken now.

[socratis]

Worth mentioning is the related ticket: #17827: With linux 4.17 and VirtualBox 5.2.12, vboxguest must be blacklisted.

[mibh]

opensuse tumbelweed moved from 4.16 to 4.17 a few days ago and my mouse stopped tracking.

the VboxLinux.run shell script no longer builds correctly -- there are compile errors in vboxvideo.

i am dead in the water, desktop-wise. now using "ssh -X" to get in from elsewhere in order to run KMail.

[arielvtpma]

Hello,

I am having same problem
Host: Debian stretch 9.4 kernel 4.16
Guest: Fedora 28 kernel 4.16 --> runs fine
Guest: Fedora 28 kernel 4.17.2 --> mouse not working properly.
Guest: Fedora 28 kernel 4.17.3 --> mouse not working properly.

So I guess it is a Virtualbox problem.