10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Mac OS X hosts.
socratis
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by socratis »

bcassid wrote:The ARD "client" is built into macOS. It's one checkbox in System Preferences.
Not to be too pedantic, but that's not the "client" part, that's the "server" part. The client, a.k.a. "Apple Remote Desktop", is available from the Apple Store and it will set you back 90$.

Although you can always get a VNC client for free and use that, since ARD is based on the VNC protocol. You'll lose the additional "goodies", like Software Distribution, Asset Management, etc., but you'll still be able to control an OSX-based computer [1]. You have two free options:
  1. the "Chicken of the VNC" (3rd party, little buggy, outdated, open-source), or
  2. the built-in "Screen Sharing" from "/System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Screen Sharing.app". It's even registered with the system, so any vnc://localhost (or any other vnc:// link) will prompt you to open up "Screen Sharing.app". Can't beat that... ;)
But that wasn't my point; RDP vs VNC. The point was that the remote control of a computer added an additional layer of complexity, something that usually doesn't go rogue, but in this case it did. Internal Apple conflicts I guess. So, removing layers of complexity and trying it with the simplest possible reproducible scenario, is what gets us out of the guessing game... ;)

[1]: Hey, that just gave me an idea... I've never had a VirtualBox installation fail on my 10.13.x guinea-pig VM. I will try it with remote-controlling it and see what it comes up with.
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socratis
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by socratis »

I tested the remote connection theory on two VMs; one upgraded from 10.12 and one fresh, clean install from the 10.13.2 ISO. I took a snapshot prior to allowing/disallowing the VirtualBox installation, so I could revert back at will.

Both of them worked consistently if I was working directly with the VM. Both of them failed consistently if I was remotely connecting to the VM via the "Sharing Screen.app" ("CotVNC" would fail to connect). Clicking on that "Allow" button was akin to talking to a wall!!! It is clickable, but nothing happens...

This is simply a stupid design if you ask me. They should either make it known that it won't work remotely (via a message), or actually allow the remote control by actually trusting their own security credentials! I'm remotely controlling the computer as the Administrator for the love of passwords!!!
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bcassid
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by bcassid »

socratis wrote:
bcassid wrote:The ARD "client" is built into macOS. It's one checkbox in System Preferences.
Not to be too pedantic, but that's not the "client" part, that's the "server" part. The client, a.k.a. "Apple Remote Desktop", is available from the Apple Store and it will set you back 90$.
Yes, but ARD is not installed on the remotely controlled machine. It's only installed on the machine you control from.
socratis
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by socratis »

We're dangerously veering off subject here, but I don't want to have the wrong terminology hanging out there:
  • ARD/VNC server: installed on every computer that is being controlled, the "controlee", if you will. Gets activated from the System Preferences » Sharing » Screen Sharing. That's the server part, waiting for a connection from a client. Bundled with every OSX system out there, since OSX was.
  • ARD/VNC client: Installed on the controller computer and can log in remotely to the server (the "controllee"). There are several options, the fanciest one is the "Apple Remote Desktop" (they're missing the client part in the name) from the Apple Store. Also available, is the "Screen Sharing.app", another ARD/VNC client. The latter is free and comes built-in to every OSX version in the Core Services folder.
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michaln
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by michaln »

socratis wrote:How can someone not mention that they're RDPing into the freaking thing???
Because they've been doing it for years, they understand the limitations of remote access, and there is no obvious connection between accessing the system remotely and failing to install VirtualBox. This isn't a problem with graphics, audio, or anything like that.

Think of it this way -- if such users suspected that remote access could possibly be an issue, they would probably have already tried non-remote access themselves. But they don't think it's any more relevant to the problem at hand than, say, having two Macs stacked on top of each other. So of course they don't mention it when reporting the problem.

And of course that's a real bummer because all the people not using remote access can say is "works fine here", and the people can't figure out what is different for them.

I have some experience with computer security, so I know sometimes "physical presence" is required, since it is considered more secure. So no remote desktop, no ssh, nothing like that. Most users have probably never heard of this. Apple created a nice trap for them.
bcassid
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by bcassid »

socratis wrote:We're dangerously veering off subject here, but I don't want to have the wrong terminology hanging out there:
  • ARD/VNC server: installed on every computer that is being controlled, the "controlee", if you will. Gets activated from the System Preferences » Sharing » Screen Sharing. That's the server part, waiting for a connection from a client. Bundled with every OSX system out there, since OSX was.
  • ARD/VNC client: Installed on the controller computer and can log in remotely to the server (the "controllee"). There are several options, the fanciest one is the "Apple Remote Desktop" (they're missing the client part in the name) from the Apple Store. Also available, is the "Screen Sharing.app", another ARD/VNC client. The latter is free and comes built-in to every OSX version in the Core Services folder.
Well, maybe Apple is using the wrong terms? If you look here: https://www.apple.com/remotedesktop they refer to the client computers as those being controlled. When I'm using ARD, I'm able to do things like Change Client Settings (see attached screenshot).
Change Client Settings
This assistant helps you change Remote Desktop settings on any client computers you are currently managing.

Specify only the settings that should be the same on every client.

You can also create dedicated local user accounts or specify Directory groups for Remote Desktop administration.

To get started, click Continue.
Last edited by socratis on 18. Dec 2017, 18:09, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Replaced attachment with actual text. Be more "green".
bcassid
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by bcassid »

michaln wrote:
socratis wrote:How can someone not mention that they're RDPing into the freaking thing???
Because they've been doing it for years, they understand the limitations of remote access, and there is no obvious connection between accessing the system remotely and failing to install VirtualBox. This isn't a problem with graphics, audio, or anything like that.

Think of it this way -- if such users suspected that remote access could possibly be an issue, they would probably have already tried non-remote access themselves. But they don't think it's any more relevant to the problem at hand than, say, having two Macs stacked on top of each other. So of course they don't mention it when reporting the problem.

And of course that's a real bummer because all the people not using remote access can say is "works fine here", and the people can't figure out what is different for them.

I have some experience with computer security, so I know sometimes "physical presence" is required, since it is considered more secure. So no remote desktop, no ssh, nothing like that. Most users have probably never heard of this. Apple created a nice trap for them.
I agree, but it would be nice if Apple put up an alert saying something like, "Sorry, you can't install this software remotely." instead of the button that doesn't do anything!
socratis
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by socratis »

bcassid wrote:Well, maybe Apple is using the wrong terms?
As far as I know, if you're using a program (client) to connect to "something" that's listening for client programs, that "something" is called the server, as in web server, FTP server, mail server, (name it) server; a program that waits to be called, in order to "serve". Would you call your Mail program the "server" and the servers that you connect to (and they're waiting for your connection) the "clients"? Of course not.

What Apple is doing with this "lingo", is to use the "managed client" metaphor, but in the way they managed to screw up the CompSci terminology...

BTW, back to our topic, I managed to find a tweet from 2017-10-04, two months ago, you're going to love it: https://twitter.com/felix_schwarz/statu ... 7219283970
bcassid wrote:it would be nice if Apple put up an alert saying something like, "Sorry, you can't install this software remotely." instead of the button that doesn't do anything!
Hallelujah and amen to that!!! By the old gods and the new, if Jobs was still alive, someone would be dying for that :D

PS. Please do not quote whole messages, just the relevant parts. It makes the discussion longer, unnecessarily. Oh, and since you're blessed to have a HiDPI display, could you please shrink your images by at least 50%? Or change the DPI from the Preview.app to 72 from 144? Thanks...
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bcassid
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by bcassid »

socratis wrote:BTW, back to our topic, I managed to find a tweet from 2017-10-04, two months ago, you're going to love it: https://twitter.com/felix_schwarz/statu ... 7219283970
I am really hoping I can find time to talk with Apple about this next week and will definitely point out that tweet!
socratis wrote:PS. Please do not quote whole messages, just the relevant parts. It makes the discussion longer, unnecessarily. Oh, and since you're blessed to have a HiDPI display, could you please shrink your images by at least 50%? Or change the DPI from the Preview.app to 72 from 144? Thanks...
Sorry about that. I will try to be better in the future. Again, I appreciate everyone's help in getting to the bottom of this.
socratis
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by socratis »

It was you that actually helped solved this, by discovering the now famous "Shawn e-mail"!!! ;)
Please, if you find out anything from Apple, and since it seems you have the "power" to talk with them, let us poor commoners know if 1) they have a workaround, 2) if they're planning on a long-term solution, and 3) how many people are going to be executed publicly in the town square for this. :D
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Eigen22
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by Eigen22 »

i'm a little newbie here but i've used VB since 2015. These links may help from stackoverflow. It's specifically dealing with the Kernel driver problem and received 13 upvotes https://apple.stackexchange.com/questio ... -i-fix-thi
this other reference may be useful but in french if you don't mind using google translate http://vilaingeek.com/executer-windows- ... lbox-os-x/

i didn't have the patience to read through every single answer, so if those links were already shared, sorry about that :oops:
JKHpr1227
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by JKHpr1227 »

On iMac 27 inch 2017, macOS 10.13.3, I have the problem.

I did not correctly respond to the Security and Privacy dialogue box opportunity at installation time to ALLOW Virtual Box software, and now I don't seem to be able to do anything about it. I can not install Virtual Box correctly. I'll re-read earlier postings to see if there is some insight I can gain. Apple Support suggested I reset preferences which I said I could do on my own, but once attempted, I received an error message.
socratis
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by socratis »

This is not a VirtualBox issue, but, try it again. Or wait before trying. I think you get a 20'-30' window period that you can accept the dialog. I don't know how much it needs to reset the whole process, you might want to search Apple's forums. Oh, and do reboot your host in between...
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jpete15
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by jpete15 »

I have an early 2015 MacBook Pro running macOS High Sierra 10.13.3. I was upgrading my SSD and the only way for the new SSD to talk to the apple hardware was via macOS High Sierra only. So I also stumbled upon this security and privacy dialogue others have been talking about. While the "kernel error" issue may have been related to other problems in the past, that error generated here appears to be related to the security and privacy dialogue. When I ran the installer for VB, at the end of the install, I received the error "The installation failed, The installer encountered an error that caused the installation to fail. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance." I then proceeded to the security and privacy settings. listed at the bottom was something to the effect of "Oracle is attempting install.. check to allow" Once I did this, I repeated the VB installer with no errors and was able to successfully run my VMs from there on. Other users have stated once the dialogue to allow Oracle is gone, they cannot get it back. I would suggest running the VB installer again to get the error at the end of the installer, and then perhaps it would appear again? (just guessing here).

But the steps I followed above DID IN FACT SOLVE the installer error and kernel error FWIW to all here.

Best of luck!
louhop
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Re: 10.13 Failing installation; Kernel driver not loaded

Post by louhop »

Hi Everyone,

I've read the whole thread and tried what has been posted, but I'm still receiving errors trying to launch any VM's

I'm Running the following
macOS High Sierra - Version 10.13.3 (17D47)
MacBook Pro Mid 2014
Mem 16 GB

Virtualbox Version 5.2.8 r121009 (Qt5.6.3)

I problem surfaced when I did the High Sierra update, and ran Virtual box, and it said there was an update availible.

Now when I try to launch any VM's I receive two dialog box errors.

First
Failed to open a session for the virtual machine Windows 10.
The virtual machine 'Windows 10' has terminated unexpectedly during startup with exit code 1 (0x1).
Result Code:
NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component:
MachineWrap
Interface:
IMachine {85cd948e-a71f-4289-281e-0ca7ad48cd89}

Second
Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)

Make sure the kernel module has been loaded successfully.

where: suplibOsInit what: 3 VERR_VM_DRIVER_NOT_INSTALLED (-1908) - The support driver is not installed. On linux, open returned ENOENT.

any help would be more useful.

Regards
Lou
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