OS X 10.6.3 64bit host with OS X 10.6.3 64bit 100% cpu usage

Discussions about using Mac OS X guests (on Apple hardware) in VirtualBox.
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timalsina
Posts: 2
Joined: 12. Sep 2008, 07:25

OS X 10.6.3 64bit host with OS X 10.6.3 64bit 100% cpu usage

Post by timalsina »

OS X 10.6.3 64bit guest (also 32bit) runs extremely slow on OS X 10.6.3 64bit host. The CPU usage stays at 100% or above all the time. Tried all options: Enabling/Disabling Nested Paging, VT-x/AMD-V hardware virtualization, increased video memory etc. and no luck. MacBook 2.4GHz, 2GB RAM, Intel GMA X3100 with 144MB VRAM video.
jdbower
Posts: 18
Joined: 19. May 2010, 19:36
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows XP/7, OSX 10.6

Re: OS X 10.6.3 64bit host with OS X 10.6.3 64bit 100% cpu usage

Post by jdbower »

From the Known Issues List:
Even when idle, OS X guests currently burn 100% CPU. This is a power management issue that will be addressed in a future release.
Hopefully we'll see a 3.2.x soon that will fix it.
invinceable
Posts: 4
Joined: 21. May 2010, 01:58
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Windows, Mac

Re: OS X 10.6.3 64bit host with OS X 10.6.3 64bit 100% cpu usage

Post by invinceable »

I'm on VirtualBox 3.2.0 r61806 - which officially has Max OS X Guest support - but I still see this problem happening.

I'm running a Core2 Duo Centrino with the Host being Windows 7, and whilst the Mac OS X Guest itself is reports CPU usage of only 2%, Windows shows 50% CPU usage (ie: 1 core at full capacity), which TaskManager reports as being VirtualBox.exe. I don't know much about Macs at all.. I thought maybe that since 3d Hardware Acceleration wasn't ticked, VirtualBox was busy trying to provide rendering abilities, but enabling that checkbox didn't fix it. When i selected Mac OS X when configuring the image settings, it auto ticks all of the relevant checkboxes anyway.

Is it a VirtualBox bug, or just an incorrectly configured option I don't know about?
notbad
Posts: 78
Joined: 5. Jan 2010, 16:07
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Mac OS X

Re: OS X 10.6.3 64bit host with OS X 10.6.3 64bit 100% cpu usage

Post by notbad »

sometimes after installation the spotlight is inspecting your mac os and thats why it uses 100% cpu, you have to wait till it's done inspecting, and if it's the same after inspecting the you can install NullCpuPowerManagement.kext to disable AppleIntelCpuPowerManagement.kext. with nullcpu I have my both cpus running smoothly and about 10% of usage when idle.
invinceable
Posts: 4
Joined: 21. May 2010, 01:58
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Windows, Mac

Re: OS X 10.6.3 64bit host with OS X 10.6.3 64bit 100% cpu usage

Post by invinceable »

I presume notbad's comment was directed at timalsina, because in my last post i said the OSX O/S itself only uses 2% usage... the problem is in the host (Windows 7) whereby VirtualBox.exe is using up a full core for no apparent reason.

Since the GuestAdditions don't address VirtualBox.exe issues, is there anything i can do to debug this issue? I've tried turning off various features but to no avail. Is there a log file i can provide to a developer, to see why VirtualBox is CPU hogging?
OmegaX
Posts: 24
Joined: 12. May 2010, 06:19
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: OS X Snow Leopard

Re: OS X 10.6.3 64bit host with OS X 10.6.3 64bit 100% cpu usage

Post by OmegaX »

invinceable wrote:I presume notbad's comment was directed at timalsina, because in my last post i said the OSX O/S itself only uses 2% usage... the problem is in the host (Windows 7) whereby VirtualBox.exe is using up a full core for no apparent reason.

Since the GuestAdditions don't address VirtualBox.exe issues, is there anything i can do to debug this issue? I've tried turning off various features but to no avail. Is there a log file i can provide to a developer, to see why VirtualBox is CPU hogging?
Have you installed NullCPUPowerManagement or removed AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement? if you haven't that really will cause high CPU load running an OS X guest in VB, it's kind of not optional since VB doesn't present a cpu to the guest that it understands how to control power states for so debug messages are spammed to the kernel, the guest it's self may appear to be running fine but VB will be consuming cpu at an alarming rate.

The quickest fix i'd suggest is going into /System/Library/Extensions and trashing AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext and restarting your VM.
(Note: when you install a point update, 10.6.3 for example it'll replace this kext and you'll need to delete it again)

That should help, even though VB officially supports OS X guests that issue will likely always be there.
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