"Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

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onrocketfalls
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Joined: 8. Jan 2021, 18:42

"Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by onrocketfalls »

I've tried multiple solutions I've seen after looking through different threads with this same error, but I'm still not finding anything that will help me. On my laptop, I do still get the "Failed to send host log" message, but Ubuntu still boots. In this case, on a different PC, it will not boot after the message below. First, the problem, and then what I've tried so far:

After installing Ubuntu on the VM, when I try to start it, I get:
/dev/sda5: recovering journal
/dev/sda5: clean, 198517/2588672 files, 2251253/10353920 blocks
[ 9.295673] [drm:vmw_host_log [vmwgfx]] *ERROR* Failed to send host log message.
[ 9.297899] [drm:vmw_host_log [vmwgfx]] *ERROR* Failed to send host log message.
-

So far, I've tried:
- Giving it more memory to work with (up to half of my RAM, so 16gbs)
- Reinstalling Ubuntu (about five times)
- Changing the graphics controller to VBoxVGA (didn't give the same text as above, but didn't boot either)
- Changing the video memory up to 128mb
- Rebooting with and without the Ubuntu installation iso mounted
- Unchecking the floppy disk in the boot order, and also both unchecking and moving it to the bottom
- Moving the VM installation folder from my SSD where my host OS is to a HDD on the same PC

I have made sure virtualization is enabled in the startup menu and that it has also been enabled in Windows itself.

and maybe some other stuff I forgot, I was at it for like three hours last night trying stuff and retrying stuff I'd already tried. Shelled out for Windows 10 Pro to get virtualization, and then my gaming rig still can't seem to do a thing that my semi-ancient work laptop with 6gb of RAM can do. pls help
scottgus1
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by scottgus1 »

The "Failed to send host log message" error is apparently a bug in the Linux OS's drivers that appears when the Virtualbox VMSVGA video card for Linux VMs is used. It can safely be ignored and does not interfere with the VM's operation.
onrocketfalls wrote:Shelled out for Windows 10 Pro to get virtualization,
Hope you didn't pay much. Though Home doesn't have the 'virtualization' you probably thought you needed, it does have the underlying structure, called Hyper-V, which many times interferes with Virtualbox. (Home and Pro both have services that can use Hyper-V. Only Pro can run Hyper-V-based VMs. Read on...)
onrocketfalls wrote:on a different PC, it will not boot after the message below.
If this is a Windows PC, right-click the guest in the main Virtualbox window's guest list, choose Show Log.

Search the far left tab's log for this text:

Attempting fall back to NEM

If you find it, Hyper-V is enabled. If you are still running 6.1.14 or earlier, update to 6.1.16, and try again.

If the 6.1.16 log still shows these words, Hyper-V needs to be disabled. See HMR3Init: Attempting fall back to NEM (Hyper-V is active).

If you don't find that text, save the far left tab's log, zip the log file, and post the zip file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.
onrocketfalls
Posts: 2
Joined: 8. Jan 2021, 18:42

Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by onrocketfalls »

I'm trying a fresh install now and while I'd love to get to where I can try what you said to try, I can't even get to the install page. It shows Ubuntu, it shows the spinning loading icon, the icon freezes, and nothing progresses. What a cluster this is turning into. I'll update as soon as I figure this new and exotic and extremely frustrating problem out (open to suggestions, though).

Edit: Checked the log just for the hell of it, though, and "Attempting fall back to NEM" was in there. I'll try that route for this problem too.

Edit again: It worked. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And also, if you have any suggestions for what Windows 10 Pro is good for over Home, lmk. At least it was only $20.

P.S.: Thank you. I would have probably given up soon.
scottgus1
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by scottgus1 »

Great! Glad you're up and running.

I didn't know Home could go to Pro for only $20. I might have to do that on my Home laptop & tablet.

Pro has a few other things Home doesn't have. Pro can join a domain, not much of a biggie for the average user, but good for the office.

The biggest benefit of Pro, to me, in the Windows 10 era, is better control of automatic updates, because of access to the Group Policy Editor. GPE has settings to notify but not download or apply updates until I give the go-ahead (and make sure VMs are all shut down first), which let's me make backup images beforehand:

Start menu > Run... > gpedit.msc > Local Computer Policy > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Configure Automatic Updates > set "Configure automatic updating" dropdown to 2 (Notify for download and auto install) or possibly 3 (Auto download and notify for install).
scottgus1
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by scottgus1 »

One other quick thing: I found that you had a duplicate post of this topic in Linux Guests. Duplicate posting is a definite forum no-no. The duplicate topic has been deleted.
Paola
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by Paola »

Too easy bro. Just add 'nomodeset' as parameter to kernel boot. U don't need to change video device in virtual box, keep VMSVGA.
scottgus1
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by scottgus1 »

@Paola, is this info to solve the "*ERROR* Failed to send host log message"?
mpack
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by mpack »

onrocketfalls wrote:And also, if you have any suggestions for what Windows 10 Pro is good for over Home, lmk
For me, the main advantage is that "Pro" has the ability to be an RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) server. Home editions of Windows can be clients, i.e. they can RDP into RDP servers, but home editions can't be RDP servers themselves: nothing can call into your home edition Windows PC. A server means that you can install Win10Pro on some small form factor (SFF) box (or single board computer - SBC) that sits in the corner of a room taking up almost no space, but when you need to you can RDP into it from your main PC and access whatever apps caused you to want that small PC in the first place. I have PCs in my home set up to prepare media for a NAS media server (it's a Synology NAS, but it could have been another PC), I have a PiHole running (though that's on a Raspberry Pi, also running an RDP server), and I'm considering other functions like my own fully functioned router that I can control better. It opens up a whole new level of gadgetry...

There are probably ways that you can force something similar to RDP server capability onto Win10 Home, but I frankly don't trust such hacks, so for just a little extra I prefer to have the real thing... :)
Paola
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by Paola »

scottgus1 wrote:@Paola, is this info to solve the "*ERROR* Failed to send host log message"?
yes. See here
Attachments
With nomodeset
With nomodeset
VirtualBox_server_30_07_2021_13_06_23.png (2.99 KiB) Viewed 142885 times
Without nomodeset
Without nomodeset
VirtualBox_server_30_07_2021_13_09_09.png (4.36 KiB) Viewed 142885 times
scottgus1
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by scottgus1 »

Fascinating. I haven't had any trouble from the "host message" error, but this is interesting as a way to get the message to stop. I wonder if there are any side effects of the 'nomodeset' parameter?
Paola
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Joined: 28. Jul 2021, 18:57

Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by Paola »

scottgus1 wrote:Fascinating. I haven't had any trouble from the "host message" error, but this is interesting as a way to get the message to stop. I wonder if there are any side effects of the 'nomodeset' parameter?
No, no side effects on VirtualBox. This is not to hide error message, this is to solve the error. "nomodeset" says to kernel not load video drivers (xf86-video-vmware eg.) at boot. Instead, use bios settings till the system is properly ok.
fth0
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by fth0 »

Just being curious: Did you check afterwards (e.g. with dmesg | grep vmwgfx) that the messages weren't displayed shortly on a previous screen?
Paola
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Joined: 28. Jul 2021, 18:57

Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by Paola »

fth0 wrote:Just being curious: Did you check afterwards (e.g. with dmesg | grep vmwgfx) that the messages weren't displayed shortly on a previous screen?
Yes, no error. But i've tested only on openSUSE.
Attachments
VirtualBox_server_30_07_2021_14_41_26.png
VirtualBox_server_30_07_2021_14_41_26.png (7.79 KiB) Viewed 142859 times
fth0
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by fth0 »

Ok, thanks for checking. :)

These "*ERROR*" messages do not indicate a real error anyway. Their background is well understood and explained in 19168#comment:4.
Paola
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Re: "Failed to send log host message." error using Ubuntu on Windows 10 Pro Host

Post by Paola »

fth0 wrote:Ok, thanks for checking. :)

These "*ERROR*" messages do not indicate a real error anyway. Their background is well understood and explained in 19168#comment:4.
Thank you very much for this more detailed explanation! I tried to solve the "problem" myself, and I racked my brain trying to solve it. Then when the error stopped, I was so happy that I decided to try to help other people by posting on the forum.
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