Create VM on one machine, run on another

[tdaly]

I'm trying to create a VM on one host with a GUI, and run it on another, a headless server.
The VM imported on the headless server hangs on startup. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

These are the steps I've followed:

1. On the host machine (Linux KDE neon 5.26 running VirtualBox 7.0.6r155176), created a VM running Ubuntu server edition 18.04
2. Installed the guest additions using the Virtualbox CD ISO method. The VM starts, stops and operates normally
3. Exported appliance using OpenVirtualisation format 2.0
4. On the server host machine (Debian 10 running VirtualBox 7.0.6r155176), imported the appliance
5. Altered the virtual NIC name to match the new new host's NIC with

Code: Select all

vboxmanage modifyvm Ubuntu1804 --bridgeadapter1 enp6s0

6. Started the VM with

Code: Select all

vboxmanage startvm --type headless Ubuntu1804

The VM hangs in the 'starting' state. It will not respond to any shutdown command. The command

Code: Select all

vboxmanage startvm Ubuntu1804 --type emergencystop

also crashes the vboxmanage command, which will not accept any further commands.

VM release log:

00:00:00.020688 VirtualBox VM 7.0.6 r155176 linux.amd64 (Jan 11 2023 17:27:58) release log
00:00:00.020690 Log opened 2023-03-14T18:15:39.646749000Z
00:00:00.020691 Build Type: release
00:00:00.020694 OS Product: Linux
00:00:00.020695 OS Release: 5.10.0-0.deb10.19-rt-amd64
00:00:00.020696 OS Version: #1 SMP PREEMPT_RT Debian 5.10.149-2~deb10u1 (2022-10-28)
00:00:00.020720 DMI Product Name: System Product Name
00:00:00.020730 DMI Product Version: System Version
00:00:00.020737 Firmware type: UEFI
00:00:00.020746 Secure Boot: Disabled
00:00:00.020786 Host RAM: 3424MB (3.3GB) total, 3066MB (2.9GB) available
00:00:00.020790 Executable: /usr/lib/virtualbox/VBoxHeadless
00:00:00.020791 Process ID: 5109
00:00:00.020791 Package type: LINUX_64BITS_DEBIAN_10_0
00:00:00.022836 Installed Extension Packs:
00:00:00.022847 Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack (Version: 7.0.6 r155176; VRDE Module: VBoxVRDP; Crypto Module: VBoxPuelCrypto)
00:00:00.023551 Console: Machine state changed to 'Starting'
00:00:00.031295 VRDP: Statistics created: [full], enabled: 0.
00:00:00.032004 VRDP: VRDP: VD: Frames=10 MinMS=15 MaxMS=300 HistoryMS=2000 VideoMS=300
00:00:00.032129 VRDP: Failed to query a property: 9, rc = VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED
00:00:00.032763 VRDP: TCP server listening on port 3389 (IPv4 and IPv6).
00:00:00.033010 VRDP: Audio: rate correction mode 0x3.
00:00:00.033134 VRDE: loaded version 4 of the server.
00:00:00.033143 VRDE: [IMAGE]
00:00:00.033147 VRDE: [MOUSEPTR]
00:00:00.033150 VRDE: [SCARD]
00:00:00.033152 VRDE: [TSMFRAW]
00:00:00.033155 VRDE: [VIDEOIN]
00:00:00.033158 VRDE: [VRDE::INPUT]
00:00:00.045933 SUP: seg #0: R 0x00000000 LB 0x00061000
00:00:00.045964 SUP: seg #1: R X 0x00061000 LB 0x00192000
00:00:00.045968 SUP: seg #2: R 0x001f3000 LB 0x00069000
00:00:00.045972 SUP: seg #3: RW 0x0025c000 LB 0x0002eae8
00:05:59.719563 Warning: Guest Additions v0.0.0 only supports the older guest control protocol version 1.
00:05:59.719566 Please upgrade GAs to the current version to get full guest control capabilities.
00:05:59.719654 ERROR [COM]: aRC=VBOX_E_NOT_SUPPORTED (0x80bb0009) aIID={00892186-a4af-4627-b21f-fc561ce4473c} aComponent={GuestWrap} aText={Shutting down not supported by installed Guest Additions}, preserve=false aResultDetail=-37
00:06:32.892561 ERROR [COM]: aRC=VBOX_E_INVALID_VM_STATE (0x80bb0002) aIID={6ac83d89-6ee7-4e33-8ae6-b257b2e81be8} aComponent={ConsoleWrap} aText={Invalid machine state: Starting}, preserve=false aResultDetail=0
00:06:45.948166 ERROR [COM]: aRC=VBOX_E_INVALID_VM_STATE (0x80bb0002) aIID={6ac83d89-6ee7-4e33-8ae6-b257b2e81be8} aComponent={ConsoleWrap} aText={Invalid machine state: Starting (must be Running, Paused or Stuck)}, preserve=false aResultDetail=0
05:29:45.466198 VirtualBoxClient: detected unresponsive VBoxSVC (hrc=NS_ERROR_ABORT)
05:29:45.466289 VBoxHeadless: VBoxSVC became unavailable, exiting.

[tdaly]

If a VM gets stuck in the 'starting' state, does that mean it has failed to boot its operating system?

[scottgus1]

First, please, if possible, make a new VM on the headless server, to see if Virtualbox works correctly on the server. I think that if you make a VM with no OS in it and set to view the VM using the Virtualbox RDP server, you should be able to see it start and show the "Fatal! No Boot Medium Found" error in the RDP client. You might even be able to load a bootable ISO and see the Live CD OS in the RDP client.

Second, you don't have to use Import Export to pass VMs to another Virtualbox host. Just copy the folder then register the .vbox file with the new Virtualbox.

Please try the above two ideas.

Also, this:

00:05:59.719563 Warning: Guest Additions v0.0.0 only supports the older guest control protocol version 1.

is weird, but I don't know what it is.

No, the VM OS did not boot, the Virtualbox 'hardware' never made it that far.

[fth0]

I'd guess that the warning about Guest Additions v0.0.0 is created as a response to a shutdown command issued at a time when host-to-guest communication hasn't been established yet. In consequence, it can probably be ignored here.

FWIW, starting a headless VM using VBoxHeadless --startvm "VM name" can sometimes provide more feedback than using VBoxManage startvm.