Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

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Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

I am new to both Linux and VMs. I am following this link to install Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS on Windows 10: linuxiac dot com slash ubuntu-with-virtualbox

I got "ubuntu-20.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso" from: ubuntu dot com slash download/desktop.

I don't encounter any problems in the first section of the procedure "Setting up a Virtual Machine in VirtualBox". It ends with a "Select start-up disk" panel, where I select the *.iso file and click "Start".

My problems begins at the top of the second section "Install Ubuntu in VirtualBox", about a third of the way down. According to the diagram, I should see an "Install"/"Welcome" screen where I select a language and choose to try/install Ubuntu. I have to click "Install Ubuntu".

Unfortunately, I don't see "Install"/"Welcome" screen. I only see a black screen with a single message explaining keyboard capture (tinyurl dot com slash NoInstallUbuntu). If I banish that message, I get left with only the black screen. Clicking around does nothing.

What am I doing wrong? My laptop is an HP EliteBook 840 G6, running i5-8365U. In contrast, the Ubunto *.iso file name above indicates AMD. Would this lead to a dead black screen? If so, how can I get an compatible *.iso file? The Ubuntu download page above doesn't offer any options.
scottgus1
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Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by scottgus1 »

The "amd" runs on Intel, too. AMD invented 64-bit CPUs.

Start the VM from full power off, not save-state. Run until you see the problem happen, then shut down the VM from within the VM OS if possible. If not possible, close the Virtualbox window for the VM with the Power Off option set.

Please right-click the VM in the main Virtualbox window's VM list, choose Show Log. Save the far left tab's log, zip the log file, and post the zip file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.
Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

I've uploaded an image of the GUI at the point where I start the ISO file, and I didn't see an option to "Start the VM from full power off". I can't seem to power off from within the VM as there is no signs of life from any keyboard or clickpad activity. So I powered down without saving the state.

I've uploaded the zipped log file (user name anonymized therein as "User.Name"), along with an image of the lack of options when starting the ISO file. Thanks for your advice on what to try next.

AFTERNOTE: I've read mixed success with VirtualBox compatibility with Hyper-V, which seems to be running on my system [1]. That was almost 3 years ago, when the compatibility was apparently "experimental". Would anyone be able to comment on how reliable the compatibility is now?


Notes
[1] Using services.msc, as described at superuser dot com slash questions slash 1026651
Attachments
Ubuntu-2021-10-20-19-23-22.log.anon.txt.zip
(26.84 KiB) Downloaded 5 times
Start ISO file, no options
Start ISO file, no options
startISOnoOptns.png (23.4 KiB) Viewed 8057 times
mpack
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Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by mpack »

Try adding a second CPU core, and increase graphics RAM to something reasonable, e.g. 128MB. Very few 64bit desktops will be happy with 16MB graphics RAM.

At some point you should also install the host "Extension Pack", enable 3D graphics acceleration, and install updated Guest Additions.
scottgus1
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Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by scottgus1 »

After trying Mpack's ideas above, if the ISO fails to proceed, try downgrading Virtualbox to 6.1.26 and see if the ISO installs.

According to this line in the log:
00:02:42.886344 HM: HMR3Init: VT-x w/ nested paging and unrestricted guest execution hw support
your host does not have active Hyper-V as of now.
Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

Mpack, Scott, thanks.

Scott, I was mistaken about Hyper-V because I did not check the "Status" column of the "services.msc" column. The "Hyper-V" entries show a blank in "Status" column, whereas other entries show "Running". Furthermore, the "Startup Type" shows "Manual (Trigger Start)" whereas other entries show either "Automatic" or "Automatic (Delay Start)".

I find this (just a tiny bit) surprising, as my web wanderings revealed some speculation that Hyper-V might be used by HP Sure Click to open downloaded apps in "micro-VMs". Speculation, to be sure.

I am working through Mpack's suggestions now.

Additional troubleshooting info
I might as well add that I've come across many accounts of incompatibility between VirtualBox and HP's built-in security on Elitebooks, with HP Sure Click being a major source of interference. In the past, some have found it insufficient to disable it/them; it/they had to be removed.

All that I've found online about disabling them seem to be dated, as I do not see what is described, e.g., HP Sure Click on the System Tray (I may have disabled it in the past without recalling that now, but I still see its effects when downloading PDFs and Word documents). The closest thing still seems accessible is HP Client Security, but it requires a "Microsoft password". I would need IT to do that, and their response time is currently in the months right now.

Some solutions require messing around with registry entries set by group policy, and I'm not sure I'm supposed to mess around with that.

In Windows's "Apps and Features" panel, I see that one can uninstall things like those in note [1] below, but I think the decision to do that might be best left to IT.

Notes
[1] HP Sure Click, HP Sure Recover, HP Sure Run, HP Wolf Security
Last edited by Tek Unsavvy on 21. Oct 2021, 16:30, edited 1 time in total.
mpack
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Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by mpack »

Some HP tools can be uninstalled, others can easily be identified in Services (they are all called "HP ...") and disabled. It's all bloatware and/or spyware - I would (and do, so I use HP machines myself) get rid of all of it. Then you can enable Windows Defender.
Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

If it were my computer, I would forge ahead. It is not, and I do not want to do things that are outside my purview. It could be that IT agrees with your perspective, but they seem to be rather under-resourced right now and response time has stretched into the months.

With regards to bloatware, I won't say that I disagree. I mean, it may help for those who download all sorts of things and run them, but who does that? The security makes itself most known by opening PDFs and *.docx in stilted and less-than-convenient apps/manner. I've never been attacked by that route (but then, I'm not aware of having been attacked before).

Maybe I shouldn't have said that, as it might provoke people. Hopefully, my unimportance will dissuade that.
Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

I increased the processor count to 2, and the video RAM to 128MB. This did not solve the problem. I then uninstalled VirtualBox 6.1.28 and then installed 6.1.26. The problem persists. I don't think it will be any more informative than before, but I've uploaded the log file.

The remaining possible cause of the problem, of which I am currently aware, is HP security apps.

:(
Attachments
Ubuntu-2021-10-21-12-40-58.log.zip
(28.11 KiB) Downloaded 4 times
Last edited by Tek Unsavvy on 21. Oct 2021, 18:50, edited 1 time in total.
scottgus1
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Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by scottgus1 »

If you have IT overlords, then the only way is to get them to ease up so Virtualbox can run. Convince your boss that Virtualbox is needed for your work and the boss will make IT do what's needed.
Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

It is a very big organization. Neither my boss's boss, nor his boss, or even her boss, will be able to influence the more global priorities that IT responds to.
scottgus1
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Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by scottgus1 »

Could be a no-go then. HP's security suite is known to prevent Virtualbox from running, and we recommend uninstalling it, which very often frees up Virtualbox. It could be that a rigorous exception setting in the HP security suite can clear up for Virtualbox, but that's probably something IT would have to do.
Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

Re: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

OK, thanks for than confirmation of the conflict. I will mull over what I can do. I do not know whether IT has the specific insight to tweak the HP settings, as their preview is so broad. It would be more a matter of getting a timely response on whether one can dispense with the HP-ware.
Tek Unsavvy
Posts: 24
Joined: 20. Oct 2021, 23:19

SOLVED: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by Tek Unsavvy »

I didn't have to uninstall anything, and I only tried disabling 4 HP security services:

* HP Security Update Service
* HP Sure Click Endpoint Service
* HP Sure Click Host Management Service
* HP Sure Click Remote Management Service

Below are the "before" and "after" images of the "services.msc" panel. In the "before" panel, "Automatic (De..." refers to "Automatic (Delayed Start)". In the "after" panel, the 4 services above are shown as "Disabled".

I haven't actually rebooted the laptop since I did this. If I find that the services need to be repeatedly disabled, I will post back. I may decide to uninstall them.
HP security service defaults
HP security service defaults
20211027eliteBook840G6_HPsecurSvcDefault.50.png (108.87 KiB) Viewed 7480 times
HP security service modifications for VirtualBox
HP security service modifications for VirtualBox
20211028eliteBook840G6_HPsecurSvcMod.50.png (108.56 KiB) Viewed 7480 times
mpack
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Re: SOLVED: Ubuntu VM installation stalls after starting *.iso file

Post by mpack »

Tek Unsavvy wrote:If I find that the services need to be repeatedly disabled, I will post back.
Since I last posted about I have had the HP tools be re-enabled once, after a Windows update. I assume it will happen every time HP push an update to the Microsoft servers.

My PC is set up so I get notified about updates before they're installed, so I should always know that an update happened, and I can check the services again.
Tek Unsavvy wrote:I may decide to uninstall them.
Good luck with that! Seriously, if you find a way then let me know. There are a couple of apps that can be uninstalled, but most of those services are launched from hidden folders, and no uninstaller is provided. Pretty nasty stuff: covertly installed without your permission to spy on you. If that isn't malware then tell me what is!

And please be aware: two or three years ago the same HP tools were installed and uninstalled differently - they could be more easily uninstalled. If you find some idiot telling you "just go into control panel" then tell him to go... elsewhere.
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