VirtualBox has become extremely slow over time

[jlmcgraw]

Required info:
VirtualBox version:
Currently on v5.2.10 (though the problem started some time ago. Unfortunately I'm vague on when because I kept expecting it to get better with newer versions)

Host OS:
Ubuntu Linux 18.04 x64 ( which has been upgraded from 16.04 )

Guest OS
Any Linux VM I've tried, whether 64 or 32 bit. Changing the various VM options doesn't seem to matter

Summary:
- I started with VirtualBox on new Ubuntu 16.04 installation and whatever version of Virtualbox was part of that distribution (5.0.18 I believe)

- At that time, the performance of my Mate 16.04 VM was satisfactory.

- Unfortunately, as I upgraded the host OS and Virtualbox versions along the way, performance of that exact same Mate VM has become abysmal
For example:
- Checking the password after the lock screen activates takes 30 to 60 seconds
- The VM now takes several minutes to boot up
- Everything in general is just much much slower ( maybe 5 - 10x?)

Does anyone have any idea what may have changed in either Virtualbox or the host OS along the way to make such a drastic difference in performance? It isn't a matter of memory as I can see that neither host nor guest OS is swapping

If there is a way to profile the performance of VB I'd be happy to try that.

Thanks,
Jesse

[mpack]

VirtualBox VM 5.2.10_Ubuntu r121806 linux.amd64 (Apr 26 2018 08:49:04) release log

If you have a problem with the Ubuntu fork you need to raise it on an Ubuntu forum.

I'll give you the general guidance: like energy, CPU time doesn't just disappear, something is using it. It should be easy to look at a task list and find out what that something is.