Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Discussions about using Mac OS X guests (on Apple hardware) in VirtualBox.
barmar
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Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

I just replaced my Macbook Pro, and in the process upgraded from El Capitan to High Sierra. I also installed the latest VirtualBox (I've already resolved the problem with installing the KEXT in High Sierra, so the installation went successfully).

I have a Snow Leopard VM that has been working fine for a couple of years. But now when I try to start it, it panics and displays "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button until it turns off, then press the Power button again." I've attached a screenshot.
Attachments
Screen Shot 2018-05-17 at 10.37.40 PM.png
Screen Shot 2018-05-17 at 10.37.40 PM.png (106.19 KiB) Viewed 9110 times
barmar
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

And I'm attaching here a screenshot of the configuration details for the VM.
Attachments
Screen Shot 2018-05-17 at 10.41.09 PM.png
Screen Shot 2018-05-17 at 10.41.09 PM.png (120.5 KiB) Viewed 9109 times
andyp73
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by andyp73 »

As well as the images, I think we will need to see the VBox.log file from the guest in question. Boot the guest, make sure the problem occurs then shut the guest down (by force if necessary). zip the log file and post it here.

-Andy.
My crystal ball is currently broken. If you want assistance you are going to have to give me all of the necessary information.
Please don't ask me to do your homework for you, I have more than enough of my own things to do.
socratis
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by socratis »

I'll go on a hunch here and suggest that you run the following command with the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved):
  • VBoxManage modifyvm "SnowLeopard" --cpu-profile "Intel Core i7-6700K"
The reason? On your kernel panic screen, I saw the line "MacBookPro11,4", which I believe is your physical Mac, and which has a i7 (4770HQ, 4870HQ, or 4980HQ). That's too new of a CPU for 10.6 client, so you got to fake your CPU.

But, please follow Andy's advice and post the ZIPPED VBox.log, we got to be sure...
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barmar
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

The VBoxManage command fixed it. Thanks for the quick help!
socratis
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by socratis »

Great, but where's the log?
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barmar
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

Sorry, didn't think it was still needed. But here it is.
Attachments
VBox.log.zip
(28.1 KiB) Downloaded 72 times
socratis
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by socratis »

Yes, but since you got in the "pits", it's good to have a look at the general health of the VM... ;)

For example, I don't know where you picked these two up (actually, I *do* know):
00:00:01.498389 Global extradata API settings:
00:00:01.498415   VBoxInternal2/EfiBootArgs=" "
00:00:01.498646   VBoxInternal2/SmcDeviceKey="ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc"
but you don't need them, they're for Hackintoshes. To get rid of them, issue the following two commands:
  • VBoxManage setextradata global VBoxInternal2/EfiBootArgs
    VBoxManage setextradata global VBoxInternal2/SmcDeviceKey
00:00:01.499456 NumCPUs <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)
You could benefit if you assigned a 2nd CPU to your guest. Your CPU has 4 cores, so 2 is not that bad to give to your guest.
00:00:01.437517 Installed Extension Packs:
00:00:01.437536   None installed!
You could benefit in a lot of areas if you installed the Extension Pack. The matching version. And you got to keep it updated with every VirtualBox upgrade.
00:00:01.499785 VRamSize <integer> = 0x0000000000900000 (9 437 184, 9 MB)
Also, the VRAM seems a little on the low side, take it up to 32 MB or more.

Other than that, your settings look just fine. "Bon voyage" down memory lane... ;)
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
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barmar
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

I did all those things except the extension pack (where do I get that?), now it won't start up. New log attached.
Attachments
VBox.log.zip
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barmar
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

Going back to 1 CPU fixed it.

I don't really need much horsepower in my VM. I use it for one application: MT-Newswatcher.

I assume the extension pack will allow me to do cut and paste between the host and guest, and share folders. I'd definitely like to know how to do that. When I tried to find it a couple of years ago I couldn't find anything for Snow Leopard guest on OS X hosts.
socratis
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by socratis »

barmar wrote:Going back to 1 CPU fixed it.
I was about to suggest that after comparing your 2 logs, because nothing else really changed! Funny, because I do have my 10.5, 10.6, up to 10.13 with 2 CPUs and they all run just fine. And we have almost the same laptop, you have an 11,4 and I have an 11,5... That's odd. What version of OSX are you trying to install? Straight 10.6 or something higher, like 10.6.2 for example?
barmar wrote:I assume the extension pack will allow me to do cut and paste between the host and guest, and share folders.
Nope that's the Guest Additions. And there are no Guest Additions for OSX, so, you're (almost) out of luck. First of all, some terminology:
  • The Extension Pack (ExtPack) gets installed on the host and it has to match the VirtualBox version. It provides functionality such as USB2-3, Webcam, VRDP, PXE, PCI passthrough on Linux hosts, VDI Encryption. You have to download it and install it separately from the main VirtualBox program, due to its license.
  • The Guest Additions (GAs) get installed on the guest and it would be good to match the VirtualBox version, for anything other than enhanced graphics support. It provides functionality such as shared folders, shared clipboard, drag and drop, pointer sharing (for PS/2 mice), enhanced graphics support. You do not have to download it separately from the main VirtualBox program, since it comes bundled with it.
My suggestion, is to go to your 10.6 System Preferences » Sharing » Screen Sharing. Then launch your VM. HIDE IT!!!

Open up a Finder window and under the "All" section in the sidepanel (or it will just show up), your VM will show up as another computer. It should be there if you've enabled a HostOnly or a Bridged interface.

You then click on it and connect using SharedScreen. You get your Copy/Paste (C/P) and your Drag and Drop (DnD). As for the "shared folders" use true networked folders, from the same place in the Finder.

I see from your configuration, that you only have 1 adapter, and that's set to NAT. You have two options:
  1. Set up a HostOnly network, and add a 2nd adapter attached to HostOnly.
  2. Changed the existing adapter from NAT to Bridged. You *might* have a problem if you use Bridged-over-WiFi, so keep option #1 in your mind...
If you need help, you know what to do... ;)
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
barmar
Posts: 17
Joined: 18. May 2018, 04:29

Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

socratis wrote:What version of OSX are you trying to install? Straight 10.6 or something higher, like 10.6.2 for example?
10.6.8 is already installed -- I'm using the same saved VM I've been using all along.
socratis wrote:
  • The Guest Additions (GAs) get installed on the guest and it would be good to match the VirtualBox version, for anything other than enhanced graphics support. It provides functionality such as shared folders, shared clipboard, drag and drop, pointer sharing (for PS/2 mice), enhanced graphics support. You do not have to download it separately from the main VirtualBox program, since it comes bundled with it.
My suggestion, is to go to your 10.6 System Preferences » Sharing » Screen Sharing. Then launch your VM. HIDE IT!!!

Open up a Finder window and under the "All" section in the sidepanel (or it will just show up), your VM will show up as another computer. It should be there if you've enabled a HostOnly or a Bridged interface.

You then click on it and connect using SharedScreen. You get your Copy/Paste (C/P) and your Drag and Drop (DnD). As for the "shared folders" use true networked folders, from the same place in the Finder.
OK, I did this, it's nice. I assume this will also resolve the issue where there are two mouse cursors in the guest.

Is there a way to set up a shortcut that will start the VM, hide it, then connect to screen sharing? I don't keep VBox running most of the time, I use an AppleScript that just does:

Code: Select all

do shell script "/usr/local/bin/VBoxManage startvm SnowLeopard"
I see from your configuration, that you only have 1 adapter, and that's set to NAT. You have two options:
  1. Set up a HostOnly network, and add a 2nd adapter attached to HostOnly.
  2. Changed the existing adapter from NAT to Bridged. You *might* have a problem if you use Bridged-over-WiFi, so keep option #1 in your mind...
If you need help, you know what to do... ;)
Bridged mode worked fine on WiFi.

One other thing -- I think my guest's screen resolution is smaller than it used to be, my MT-NW windows seem more cramped together.

I also somehow lost all my newsgroup subscriptions, I'm not sure how that happened. My MT-NW preferences are otherwise OK. I've already rebuilt them.
socratis
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by socratis »

barmar wrote:I'm using the same saved VM I've been using all along.
What do you mean? How long? What changed and it wasn't working all of a sudden?
barmar wrote:I assume this will also resolve the issue where there are two mouse cursors in the guest.
You should *not* have two cursors. That problem was fixed long time ago! See ticket #15610.
barmar wrote:Is there a way to set up a shortcut that will start the VM, hide it, then connect to screen sharing? I don't keep VBox running most of the time, I use an AppleScript that just does:
I haven't thought about it, but maybe I'll give it a try over the weekend. Haven't really used AppleScript, but I'll find a way... ;)

BTW, that AppleScript could have simply been a "bash script", that run directly, with either of those commands:

Code: Select all

VirtualBox --startvm "SnowLeopard" &
or

Code: Select all

VBoxManage startvm "SnowLeopard"
Just save either command to a ".sh" file and simply double-click that. No need to invoke AppleScript that invokes the bash script. ;)
barmar wrote:Bridged mode worked fine on WiFi.
That's nice, you're on the lucky-ones category...
barmar wrote:I think my guest's screen resolution is smaller than it used to be
That would be true. It changed with 5.2.0, from the "EfiGopMode=3" to a more flexible option, see ch. 3.14.1. Video modes in EFI. Issue the command:
  • VBoxManage setextradata "SnowLeopard" VBoxInternal2/EfiGraphicsResolution 1280x1024
Funny though, it should be backwards compatible...
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
barmar
Posts: 17
Joined: 18. May 2018, 04:29

Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by barmar »

socratis wrote:
barmar wrote:I'm using the same saved VM I've been using all along.
What do you mean? How long? What changed and it wasn't working all of a sudden?
Got a new laptop running High Sierra, replacing the old El Capitan machine. I migrated all my files over. When I started up VirtualBox for the first time I got a notice that a new version was available, so I upgraded that as well. I don't remember what the old version was.
You should *not* have two cursors. That problem was fixed long time ago!
Just checked my Time Machine, the old version was 5.1.30, which supposedly had the fix.
BTW, that AppleScript could have simply been a "bash script", that run directly, with either of those commands:

Code: Select all

VirtualBox --startvm "SnowLeopard" &
or

Code: Select all

VBoxManage startvm "SnowLeopard"
Just save either command to a ".sh" file and simply double-click that. No need to invoke AppleScript that invokes the bash script. ;)
True, but Applescripts can be saved as applications, and put into the application area of Dock. Bash scripts are considered data files. It also pops up an unnecessary Terminal window, although it disappears once the command finishes.

There are solutions to this, but they involve wrapping the shell script in an application bundle, using Automator, third-party tools like Platypus, etc. The AppleScript solution works fine for me.
barmar wrote:I think my guest's screen resolution is smaller than it used to be
That would be true. It changed with 5.2.0, from the "EfiGopMode=3" to a more flexible option, see ch. 3.14.1. Video modes in EFI. Issue the command:
  • VBoxManage setextradata "SnowLeopard" VBoxInternal2/EfiGraphicsResolution 1280x1024
Funny though, it should be backwards compatible...
That worked.
socratis
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Re: Snow Leopard guest not starting since High Sierra migration

Post by socratis »

barmar wrote:Got a new laptop
Enough said (I think). Your old CPU was more "compatible" with the requirements of 10.6. Your new CPU isn't, hence the requirement for the CPU-faking.
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Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
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