Extpack installation fails

[D-H]

Hi Folks,
I have VirtualBox running as an unprivileged user on a RHEL 7.4 server with no GUI, phpvirtualbox is installed on this machine. I've recently upgraded to 5.1.26 and I'm trying to install the extension pack so I have console access to my VMs which are mostly used as build machines.

Trying to install as the unprivileged user gives the following error:

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vbox@virthost:~$ vboxmanage extpack install ~/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.1.26-117224.vbox-extpack --accept-license=715c7246dc0f779ceab39446812362b2f9bf64a55ed5d3a905f053cfab36da9e
License accepted.
0%...
Progress state: NS_ERROR_FAILURE
VBoxManage: error: Failed to install "/repo/vbox/vbox/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.1.26-117224.vbox-extpack"
VBoxManage: error: The installer failed with exit code 127: Error creating textual authentication agent: Error opening current controlling terminal for the process (`/dev/tty'): No such device or address
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005), component ExtPackManagerWrap, interface IExtPackManager
VBoxManage: error: Context: "RTEXITCODE handleExtPack(HandlerArg*)" at line 1201 of file VBoxManageMisc.cpp
vbox@virthost:~$ 

It is possible to install the extpack as root or with sudo but this only makes the extensions available for root and not as the unprivileged user that is running the VMs.

I've seen this issue before and I'm pretty sure it's a permissions problem but can't for the life of me remember how to solve it. Can anyone shed any light?

Thanks,
DH

[socratis]

It is possible to install the extpack as root or with sudo but this only makes the extensions available for root and not as the unprivileged user that is running the VMs.

The ExtPack needs to be installed with root privileges. The ExtPack adds functionality to VirtualBox, augments VirtualBox's capabilities. VirtualBox is accessible from every (un)privileged user, even a guest. So, the added functionality is accessible from every (un)privileged user, even a guest.

[D-H]

I can install OK as root or using sudo

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vbox@virthost:~$ sudo vboxmanage extpack install ./Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.1.26-117224.vbox-extpack --accept-license=715c7246dc0f779ceab39446812362b2f9bf64a55ed5d3a905f053cfab36da9e
License accepted.
0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%...100%
Successfully installed "Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack".

But the extpack is not available to the unprivileged user.

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vbox@virthost:~$ vboxmanage list extpacks
Extension Packs: 0

It's only available to root

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vbox@virthost:~$ sudo vboxmanage list extpacks
Extension Packs: 1
Pack no. 0:   Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack
Version:      5.1.26
Revision:     117224
Edition:      
Description:  USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 Host Controller, Host Webcam, VirtualBox RDP, PXE ROM, Disk Encryption, NVMe.
VRDE Module:  VBoxVRDP
Usable:       true 
Why unusable: 
vbox@virthost:~$ 

[Perryg]

Did you also add your user name to the vboxusers group? Minimum of log off and on or reboot for permission changes to take effect.

[D-H]

Did you also add your user name to the vboxusers group?

Yes, of course.

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vbox@virthost:~$ groups
vboxusers

This is an upgrade rather than a fresh install, the machine has been running VMs reliably for some time. All we're missing is the extpack.

[Perryg]

I don't have RHEL 7.4 yet. It is only a week old, but I do have OEL 7.3 working as it should. Do you know if RH has changed permissions in the new version?

[D-H]

Do you know if RH has changed permissions in the new version?

Not that I'm aware of, all VB files are from the VB rpm which didn't come from RH anyway. After updating to RHEL 7.4, VB 5.1.8 was running correctly with the expack installed.

[Perryg]

I really don't think the VBox files are the issue. It all seems to point to permission level issues. I will try to see if I can find time in my schedule to install 7.4 and test but no promise on the time line. Maybe someone else has that version installed and knows what is really going on.

[D-H]

OK, thanks for looking and I agree, it's probably a permissions issue. I'm pretty sure it's nothing to do with RHEL 7.4 as I've seen the issue before on (IIRC) RHEL 6.something and I've seen quite a few references to it all over the internet on different Linux distributions with no resolution.

[D-H]

I will try to see if I can find time in my schedule to install 7.4 and test but no promise on the time line.

Hi Perry,
If you're going to try and recreate the environment, try installing RHEL without a GUI and running VB headless.

Thanks.

[Perryg]

Yeah I pretty much figured since you are running "RHEL 7.4 server with no GUI, phpvirtualbox is installed on this machine".

[D-H]

The other box I've seen this issue on also doesn't have a GUI.

[D-H]

Hi Perry, did you manage to recreate the issue?

[Perryg]

Yes and no. I don't have a redhat license so all my tests are without package support. I usually work with OEL which has the various packages available but 7.4 has not been ported yet to OEL. What this causes is a condition where I have to build the additional packages manually which adds its own issues. You can try the latest test build https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds and see if it helps. I do know there have been issues with 7.4 and their kernel plus various other issues and some have been addressed in the test builds. If that does not help you might post a ticket at bugtracker and see if the DEVs have any idea when this might be addressed.

[D-H]

Thanks, I've created a ticket on bugtracker.