[Fixed] GUI doesn't load after 5.2.20 update (#18116)

[socratis]

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ModEdit; related ticket: #18116: 5.2.20: Linux guests with X.Org Server 1.20 and 3D enabled fail to boot to desktop

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I'm running Bio-Linux 8.0.7 (Ubuntu 14.04) on a Windows 7 host. It has been running great for months until I updated virtualbox to the latest 5.2.20 (I updated Guest Additions as well). Now, when I start the machine, it brings me to a black screen titled "GNU GRUB" with options on how to proceed (image uploaded). When I choose Bio-Linux 8, instead of loading the GUI it brings up a console that prompts me for my username and password. I can log in and use the console, but my desktop never loads. This box has popped up previously when I was trying to run the machine with insufficient memory, but now it's allocated 8GB RAM and I haven't had anymore memory issues. Any ideas on how to get the GUI up and running again?

[socratis]

I'm not sure why your guest not starting the X server is necessarily a VirtualBox issue, unless something went wrong during the Guest Additions (GAs) installation. I assume that you don't have the output of the installation, right?

In any event, login, load the GAs CD in the guest and reinstall the GAs. And this time please grab the output of the installer and post it.

[jim.rosenfeld]

Having a possibly related issue with Ubuntu 18.04 Desktop.

Was running GA 5.2.18. Updated VBox to 5.2.20, no issues. Updated GA to 5.2.20 and rebooted. GUI appeared but was frozen. Was able to get to a console and observed the following in syslog:

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Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039626] VBoxService 5.2.20 r125813 (verbosity: 0) linux.amd64 (Oct 15 2018 16:24:17) release log
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039626] 00:00:00.000140 main     Log opened 2018-10-19T17:22:05.581409000Z
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039716] 00:00:00.000278 main     OS Product: Linux
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039755] 00:00:00.000330 main     OS Release: 4.15.0-36-generic
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039792] 00:00:00.000367 main     OS Version: #39-Ubuntu SMP Mon Sep 24 16:19:09 UTC 2018
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039843] 00:00:00.000403 main     Executable: /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-5.2.20/sbin/VBoxService
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039843] 00:00:00.000404 main     Process ID: 936
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.039843] 00:00:00.000405 main     Package type: LINUX_64BITS_GENERIC
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl kernel: [    8.041228] 00:00:00.001789 main     5.2.20 r125813 started. Verbose level = 0
Oct 19 10:22:05 quetzalcoatl vboxadd-service.sh: VirtualBox Guest Addition service started.
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl gnome-shell[1023]: JS WARNING: [resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/windowManager.js 1468]: reference to undefined property "MetaWindowXwayland"
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl gnome-shell[1023]: Failed to flip: Invalid argument
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl gnome-shell[1023]: Failed to set CRTC mode 1920x975: Invalid argument
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.249993] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.283305] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.309004] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.334261] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.363471] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.391915] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.425383] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:11 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.452518] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.478959] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.506599] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.532394] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.557824] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.585339] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.610763] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.637392] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.663090] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.688411] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.718623] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.742289] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.769134] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.792903] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:12 quetzalcoatl kernel: [   14.819231] [drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config [drm_kms_helper]] *ERROR* failed to set mode on [CRTC:29:crtc-0]
Oct 19 10:22:13 quetzalcoatl gnome-shell[1023]: message repeated 41 times: [ Failed to set CRTC mode 1920x975: Invalid argument]


The drm:drm_crtc_helper_set_config and gnome-shell messages repeat occasionally in that fashion. After uninstalling GA from the console and rebooting, I was once again able to use the GUI.

[jim.rosenfeld]

Reinstalled GA 5.2.20:

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root@quetzalcoatl:/media/cd# ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run install
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing VirtualBox 5.2.20 Guest Additions for Linux........
VirtualBox Guest Additions installer
Copying additional installer modules ...
Installing additional modules ...
VirtualBox Guest Additions: Building the VirtualBox Guest Additions kernel modules.  This may take a while.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-36-generic
VirtualBox Guest Additions: Running kernel modules will not be replaced until the system is restarted
VirtualBox Guest Additions: Starting.
root@quetzalcoatl:/media/cd# cat /var/log/vboxadd-setup.log
Building the main Guest Additions module.
Building the shared folder support module.
Building the graphics driver module.
root@quetzalcoatl:/media/cd# cat /var/log/vboxadd-install.log

root@quetzalcoatl:/media/cd#


Restarted, same result (GUI frozen, drm_crtc_helper_set_config errors in syslog/dmesg).

[killaWhale]

I am attempting to start the machine to try reloading the GAs, but now my machine is not running at all. When I start it up it hangs on a Bio-Linux loading page.

I am thinking to just reinstall a new version of the OS on a new VM...

[jim.rosenfeld]

Confirmed that going back to 5.2.18 GA solves this issue on Ubuntu 18.04 Desktop.

[Fake4d]

I have the same problem with Ubuntu 18.10 - if i install 5.2.20 it breaks my gui and the system. Going back to 5.2.18 solves the issue!

[killaWhale]

I reinstalled a new version of the OS on a new VM. I'm using the updated 5.2.20 version and all is working fine.
Luckily I had everything was saved on a shared folder so I didn't really lose anything but time, but I'm still not sure what happened.

[BrunoC]

I had the same issue, i.e., "frozen" login GUI, after an update to 5.2.20.

However, I nevertheless logged in, as I usually would, namely by typing <CR>my-password<CR>, <CR> being the return/enter key. There is no without any visual feedback, i.e., nothing budges on the display. At that point — assuming I typed my password correctly — , I'm logged in to the graphical desktop (Ubuntu Gnome, 18.04). Everything then works as expected, mouse, graphics, and all!

So I would narrow the problem down to the Gnome login program / interface and its interaction with VirtualBox 5.2.20.

For the sake of completeness, I'm running Windows 7 (host), VirtualBox 5.2.20, Ubuntu 18.04 (guest), with the newer Gnome environment and VB guest additions.

[michael]

For those people for whom the 5.2.18 Additions work but not the 5.2.20 ones, could you please try the current 5.2 (stable) Additions test build?

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds

[rgmerk]

I am having similar issues with an Ubuntu 18.10 guest. Switching 3D acceleration off in VB is a workaround for me. Disabling Wayland does not help matters. Will try the VBoxAdditions test build.

[socratis]

Interesting. Switching 3D acceleration on speeds up the UI for me, though not by much. My graphics card is Intel HD 4000.

[d4k0]

I think I have the same problem with the 5.2.20 guest additions. I made a fresh install using Ubuntu 18.10 today. After that I used the following command to install some packages for the guest additions:

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sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential dkms

There is still no problem when starting the VM. If I now install the guest additions using the image and restart the system when the installation is finished (there were no errors during this), the boot process "hangs" at the message "A start job is running for Hold until boot process finishes up". However, if I press CTRL + ALT + F2, I can login using the console.

I tried a few tips I found (e. g. installing lightdm or reinstalling gnome), but nothing worked. The test builds (VB revision 126141, GA revision 126009 and EP revision 125860) also didn't help.

I then tried to switch off 3D acceleration which finally "solved" the problem. I'm using Windows 10 1809 x64 with a Nvidia Geforce GTX 970.

[d4k0]

I attached a log. 3D acceleration is activated so that the problem occurs.

[Dekker]

Similar experience here. Thought I'd post an alternate log.

Guest test build 126141 didn't work either.
Log (attached) shows install of GA at ~00:17:20
At 00:21:30 is a soft restart, and the rest shows the attempted bootup. Sound and audio show odd messages
Screenshot attached of what remains on screen after failed startup (sorry, cut-paste not functioning). Note that VBox does not show drive activity with this message.

Switching to alternate console works.


Disabling 3D acceleration allows the GUI login to display properly.