Page 1 of 3

should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 01:53
by nobodie
gone through almost everything possible multiple other forums as well as this one. DLed kernel-devel and associated tools (in fact all dev tools) and dkms of course.
Oh this is on fedora 12, had it running just fine on fedora 11, but this is being rude. the error message is the ussual one for being easily solved with the kernel devel and dkms. but it ain't workin. help.

here is the cli output anyway:

**************************************************
Stopping VirtualBox kernel module [ OK ]
Recompiling VirtualBox kernel module [FAILED]
(Look at /var/log/vbox-install.log to find out what went wrong)
*******************************************************************

here is the logfile:
***********************************************************
cat /var/log/vbox-install.log
Attempting to install using DKMS
removing old DKMS module vboxdrv version 3.0.12

------------------------------
Deleting module version: 3.0.12
completely from the DKMS tree.
------------------------------
Done.

Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/vboxdrv/3.0.12/source ->
/usr/src/vboxdrv-3.0.12

DKMS: add Completed.

Error! Your kernel source for kernel 2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.PAE cannot be found at
/lib/modules/2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.PAE/build or /lib/modules/2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.PAE/source.
You can use the --kernelsourcedir option to tell DKMS where it's located.
Failed to install using DKMS, attempting to install without
Makefile:147: *** Error: unable to find the sources of your current Linux kernel. Specify KERN_DIR=<directory> and run Make again. Stop.
***********************************************************************

stupid me probably but i'll follow suggestions.

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 02:02
by Perryg
This should helpHowto: Install Linux Guest Additions + Xorg config

Plus you should make sure that you have updated the guest to be sure you have the latest packages.

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 03:49
by nobodie
OK, here is my results:

# yum install binutils gcc make patch libgomp glibc-headers glibc-devel kernel-headers kernel-devel
Loaded plugins: presto, refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Package binutils-2.19.51.0.14-34.fc12.i686 already installed and latest version
Package gcc-4.4.2-7.fc12.i686 already installed and latest version
Package 1:make-3.81-18.fc12.i686 already installed and latest version
Package patch-2.5.4-40.fc12.i686 already installed and latest version
Package libgomp-4.4.2-7.fc12.i686 already installed and latest version
Package glibc-headers-2.11-2.i686 already installed and latest version
Package glibc-devel-2.11-2.i686 already installed and latest version
Package kernel-headers-2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686 already installed and latest version
Package kernel-devel-2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do

*********************************************************
# yum install dkms
Loaded plugins: presto, refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Package dkms-2.1.0.1-1.fc12.noarch already installed and latest version
Nothing to do

*****************************************************************************

# uname -rm
2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.PAE i686
****************************************************************************

# ls /usr/src/kernels
2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686 2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.PAE
2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.debug 2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.PAEdebug

*******************************************************************************************

the failure happens as soon as i try to start the virtual OS so the additions package has no effect. just to be sure however i disabled it.

here is the full error message on startup:

Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)

The VirtualBox Linux kernel driver (vboxdrv) is either not loaded or there is a permission problem with /dev/vboxdrv. Re-setup the kernel module by executing

'/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup'

as root. Users of Ubuntu, Fedora or Mandriva should install the DKMS package first. This package keeps track of Linux kernel changes and recompiles the vboxdrv kernel module if necessary.

*************************************************************************************************

so, there it is, i have racked my brain over this on (and I've been using VB for quite a few years (i forget how long but at least 4) and never had something as ridiculous as this.
any other ideas out there???

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 04:54
by Perryg
Did you add your login to the vboxusers group?

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 05:58
by nobodie
yes. I just also tried to set up ubuntu as another OS but the error pops before it can do anything. It seems that I should mess with the config file in vboxsrv and point it to the kernel location since it is not registering it (it is looking for /linux and it is located at /kernel) but i really would be over my head and require some hand holding for that one. Does anyone feel expert enough to walk me through that move?
or any other better idea of course

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 16:18
by Sasquatch
Just a hint here, only the preparations of my howto are needed. We are talking about Linux HOST here, not GUEST, so no need to install the GA, unless you want to mess up your system ;).

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 17:03
by nobodie
Sassyquatch i don't catch your hint. I have used VB with linux hosts for many years (see above) and find the GA to be very useful and no problems at all. I don't really get it I guess. What I want is a simple solution to this and I don't see you offering that

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 17:18
by Sasquatch
nobodie wrote:Sassyquatch i don't catch your hint. I have used VB with linux hosts for many years (see above) and find the GA to be very useful and no problems at all. I don't really get it I guess. What I want is a simple solution to this and I don't see you offering that
There was a post before me that assumed you were trying to install the GA. I only made a reminder that it's not what we're trying to do here.

Now, I know that there was a post here that explained a possible solution with symlinking a few things here and there for the latest Fedora/OpenSuSE. Should be a bit down the list.

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 26. Nov 2009, 17:33
by Perryg
nobodie,

That was my mistake. I misread your last post and thought you had gotten to the point of installing the GAs. Once it was pointed out to me I killed the post so you would not create a problem if you tried to install the GAs in the host.

So the question now is what host are you using and then we can see what you need to do. Is it Ubuntu or Fedora?

PS it would really help us if you would update your profile so we know what the various OSes and VBox version really is.

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 27. Nov 2009, 01:43
by nobodie
Hi Perry,
OK, I'm using Fedora 12 on this box, I re-installed from Fedora 11 Monday. F11 worked fine with VBox, perfect install, no glitches. I've got my WINXP tweaked by my sysadmin drones to work within the AD domain and don't want to lose that .vdi so I don't want to switch to KVM, thus I am somewhat desperate to get this working right. Excuse any shortness based on my desperation.

I'll do the profile, but I run Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Jolicloud, Fedora and PCLinux on various machines in various places so saying that I have just 1 distro is a bit limiting. For the purposes of VB I use Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Fedora at present.
This problem exists only in this (very fresh and new) Fedora install.

Thanks

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 27. Nov 2009, 02:12
by Perryg
It really is not this hard usually. I did some checking and it was suggested to do the following.
/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
If you’re having issues here, try installing kernel-PAE-devel (This is from the Fedora Forums about installing VBox 3 on F12)
Also you don't need dkms to get it to work. It just makes it easier when you install a new version of the kernel to get the right headers, and is starting to get deprecated in some OSes. So uninstall it for now.
Also do an update to F12. Make sure it has all the packages it is supposed to have and they are updated.
I will watch for you reply tomorrow.

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 27. Nov 2009, 02:40
by nobodie
removed dkms.
kernel-PAE-devel already installed

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 27. Nov 2009, 02:49
by nobodie
the problem seems to be that vboxdrv is not pointing to a directory that holds that kernel, so it cannot build it. The kernel is not in /usr/src/kernel (which is where I changed the pointer to since there are some kernels held there) and the default /usr/src/linux doesn't exist. So the solution would seem to my fuzzy head to be to find the kernel-PAE-devel location and point the vboxdrv makefile to that location. A simple search just got me the yum md5 hash file for it.

next?

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 27. Nov 2009, 05:25
by apasapas
I had the same problem, fixed it with

yum install -y kernel-PAE-devel

If you face some dependency problems running command above then do

yum install -y VirtualBox dkms gcc

first.

Re: should but don't: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Posted: 27. Nov 2009, 11:23
by Sasquatch
apasapas wrote:I had the same problem, fixed it with

yum install -y kernel-PAE-devel

If you face some dependency problems running command above then do

yum install -y VirtualBox dkms gcc

first.
He already has that package installed (kernel-pae-devel). I wouldn't install the VirtualBox package when using the PUEL version, as it will install the OSE instead. Fine if you want to use that, but those two don't mix very well.
Perryg wrote:Also you don't need dkms to get it to work. It just makes it easier when you install a new version of the kernel to get the right headers, and is starting to get deprecated in some OSes.
Where did you get the information that it's getting deprecated? I thought it was new. I've seen it at least one year now, which I think is still fairly new. Now why would they abandon it? It only simplifies kernel updates.