virtualbox.org

Heads up team:

Sent a comment out via the Ubuntu Mate Channel. Got upgrade notice from Mate for VirtualBox (from 6.1.22 to 6.1.26). System ran dkms for a long time and was complaining about DEP MOD not in folder (it deleted the dkms system folder before it ran, so it was not there), then, VirtualBox loaded the new version, and installed the new VirtualBox version (and new virtualbox dkms, but it never showed in the gui menus or on the desktop. I looked for the folder, all I could find was the VM folder.

Went to Software Boutique (Mate) and removed and re-installed VirtualBox, everything looked good, interface came up, went to add VM (Win98SE) and the console showed that the VM was unstable in the system drive settings (exclamation icon). There were no instructions for how to repair, and I could never really get a satisfactory system running (It would freeze at Boot Time) in Windows 98SE anyway, so I deleted the VM and VB for the time being. This is an older Acer Laptop (5250 model with the E-350 AMD CPU/GPU) and it runs Mate OK, but is a little too low powered for a full regular Ubuntu install.(No UEFI BIOS or GPT available). Honestly, with all the current hoopla in Windows 11 world, just take this as a heads up, no fix required. Let's see if Mate Team answers. I will keep you posted.

Just to keep in mind, many Linux distros, such as Ubuntu, distribute their own forks of Virtualbox. You can tell what's running by looking at the first line in the VM's vbox.log.

This is official Virtualbox from virtualbox.org:

00:00:01.105282 VirtualBox VM 6.1.26 r145957 linux.amd64 (Jul 28 2021 16:58:26) release log

Note that after the version number there is no _something

Here's one from an Ubuntu fork:

00:00:03.163404 VirtualBox VM 6.1.26_Ubuntu r145957 linux.amd64 (Aug 20 2021 13:03:23) release log

Note the '_Ubuntu'. This host runs forked Virtualbox. It may not be 'ubuntu' but If there's '_anything' it's forked Virtualbox.

The forums don't support the forks. So you may have to install official Virtualbox to get support for an issue here, or ask on the fork provider's forums for help if you want to keep the forked version.

Official Virtualbox from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads does not use dkms.

Hi scottgus1;

Yes, it was a "forked" version.... bad play on words... it was an ubuntu version for mate. Funny it was from -22 to -26. I "might" reinstall it from the VirtualBox downloads for Linux later.... I like that everything is a flavor in linux. So we can call this flavor "chocolate covered brussel sprouts" Will follow up later and let you know. I am sure based on all previous contacts with you (insert compliment ) that this fix will do the trick. I should know better by now, have had spotty results in the past with "modified" wares.

scottgus1:

Got a reply from Ubuntu Mate Team in the GB. If you use their flavor of VB, you have to manually remove dkms BEFORE you remove their VB flavor. Then they recommend to use the real deal from VB because it doesn't use dkms. OK now there is a real answer with real quality.

Nobody here claims to have quality knowledge of what the forks do. Go to the forkers site if you want that. As far as we are concerned the forks are someone else's problem.

mpack and scottgus1:

Got the VirtualBox REAL Linux installed on Ubuntu Mate (20.04 LTS) and it compiled and ran properly (I did have to run gcc make perl installers as Mate is a different beast from the real Ubuntu).
That took care of the dkms problems!
You can put this issue to rest thanks to the support forums at Mate and VirtualBox! (See, you are important )