[Fixed] CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
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CutrightD
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Joined: 26. Jul 2018, 21:20

[Fixed] CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by CutrightD »

I'm running 64-bit Windows 10 with Virtualbox 5.2.16 installed. My guest VM is a 64-bit CentOS 7 with Guest Additions 5.2.16 installed.

After using the VM a while, the Host window that contains the VM freezes in place - I can neither resize nor move the window. However, the Guest seems to operate properly within it's frozen location.

- This problem has occurred multiple times.
- I have tried removing and re-installing the GAs with no luck.
- My video memory is maxed out.

Since the VM continues to function normally, I believe this may be a host issue?

Thank you for any suggestions.
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Last edited by socratis on 9. Apr 2019, 20:21, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Marked as [Fixed].
socratis
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Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by socratis »

I've seen that issue reported on some Linux hosts, but it was the Window Manager configuration that was at fault, so not related really. I don't recall seeing this reported on a Windows host.
  • Do other application windows freeze as well?
  • What's your memory state at the moment of the freeze, as reported in the Task Manager » Performance tab?
  • Do you have any system-wide modifying software that might mess up with your windows? Any shader, any theme modifying?
CutrightD wrote:My guest VM is a 64-bit CentOS 7
00:00:01.513453 Guest OS type: 'Linux_64'
You should have chosen a different template from the generic Linux one. A RedHat-64 is recommended, since CentOS is essentially RedHat.
00:00:01.684879 [/Devices/piix3ide/0/LUN#0/Config/
  Parent/
    Parent/
      Parent/
        Parent/
          Parent/
            Parent/
              Parent/]
              (level 12)
You should definitely cut back on the snapshots. You're not helping your guest by accumulating snapshots. Read the following draft on "Snapshot basics" to get a better picture of what snapshots are, how they operate, and why it's not the greatest idea in the world to have them piling up.
00:00:02.523835 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1048x1006x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
00:01:08.074919 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1086x1020x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
00:01:08.134679 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1093x1025x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
00:01:08.153963 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1094x1026x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
00:01:08.274923 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1107x1032x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
00:01:08.329412 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1113x1035x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
00:01:08.346627 VMMDev: SetVideoModeHint: Got a video mode hint (1116x1037x32)@(0x0),(1;0) at 0
... and a whole bunch more...
I see you're using a *lot* of weird sizes. Are you resizing the guest window at will? How about choosing one of the more standard sizes from within the guest and sticking with it?
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CutrightD
Posts: 7
Joined: 26. Jul 2018, 21:20

Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by CutrightD »

To answer the initial three questions:
- No other applications freeze
- My Task Manager Memory shows no significant change and I'm fairly consistently at 31%.
- I haven't installed any system-wide modifying software or themes.

I must've glazed over selecting the correct VM Template.

I had a bad habit of using too many snapshots, but I'm breaking myself of it and am going to consolidate them.

I do use some weird window sizes so I can view numerous VMs on the same screen in shapes that fit together well.

Perhaps I should spool up a VM with the correct template (since I didn't realize I had bungled that) and see if the issue persists.
socratis
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Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by socratis »

CutrightD wrote:so I can view numerous VMs on the same screen
You didn't mention multiple VMs previously. Do *all* of your VMs freeze at the same time? And, just to clarify 100%, "freeze" refers to the window, not its contents, right? You do see the VM screen contents updating, right? It's just that you can't move/resize the VM window.
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CutrightD
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Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by CutrightD »

Only the CentOS 7 VM 'freezes in place' on my host Desktop, the contents of the VM run and behave normally. I just can't move and resize the window.
socratis
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Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by socratis »

The window is trying to tell you something: Leave me alone! For the love of bytes! :lol:

I honestly don't know what could be causing this, and as I said I only remember some similar cases in a badly configured/bug having Window Manager in Linux, nothing Windows related, and even more nothing targeting a specific window.

I'd start by searching for "Can't move windows in Windows 10". There are plenty of results to search through. Check especially the Tablet mode, it can do weird things to a Desktop...
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zonender
Posts: 8
Joined: 12. Dec 2018, 05:12

Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by zonender »

Hello CutrightD,

Before the problem I was running a centos 7 vm (kernel-3.10.0-862.14.4.el7.x86_64), the host is windows 10 and running Virtualbox Version 6.0.0 r127566 (Qt5.6.2) and the desktop environment I used was MATE Desktop.

Then I ran a "sudo yum update -y" to update my kernel to: (kernel-3.10.0-957.1.3.el7.x86_64), restarted the vm and installed the new Guest Additions version (Version 6) and then the problem happened.

The problem:

When I open the terminal application for example, the Minimize Window button, Maximize/Restore Window button and Close Window button on the top right corner of the terminal application's window do not always work, also, I am unable to resize the window, the risize icon that usually appears when you hover the mouse over the corners of the application window no longer shows up, they might work if you click out side the open application window and come back, but the entire vm becomes frozen when you open another application.

So, I just restored my vm back to the old one: centos 7 (kernel-3.10.0-862.14.4.el7.x86_64), and avoided updating the Guest Additions which is running on version 5.2.22, the windows 10 host runs fine with virstualbox 6.

I really need help, let me know if you ever find a solution.

Regards
Last edited by zonender on 9. Jan 2019, 02:14, edited 1 time in total.
zonender
Posts: 8
Joined: 12. Dec 2018, 05:12

Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by zonender »

I can confirm that the issue - for me at least - is centos 7 kernel-3.10.0-957.1.3.el7.x86_64 and Guest Additions version 6.0.0.

I just installed Guest Additions 6.0.0 on centos 7 kernel-3.10.0-862.14.4.el7.x86_64 and I see no freeze.
zonender
Posts: 8
Joined: 12. Dec 2018, 05:12

Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by zonender »

This solution worked for me, after install this kernel I no longer see the freeze issue:

Install this kernel: https://people.centos.org/toracat/kerne ... g15570new/

By running:

sudo yum install https://people.centos.org/toracat/kerne ... x86_64.rpm https://people.centos.org/toracat/kerne ... x86_64.rpm

Then, Reboot.

Then reinstall Guest Additions 6.0.0, then reboot.

Done!

Bug thread can be found here: https://bugs.centos.org/view.php?id=15570
socratis
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Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by socratis »

Moving from "Windows Hosts" to "Linux Guests". Had it been there from the beginning, you would have seen a couple of similar threads, with the "[Invalid] Mouse only usable within single application after mouse click on RHEL 7.6 (#18124)" (that has the most traffic) showing that this is a bug in RHEL/CentOS.
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Steevo
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Joined: 9. Apr 2019, 16:29

Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by Steevo »

I came here looking for a solution for a newly installed VM, very much appreciate the comments. I updated my system with

Code: Select all

yum update
to kernel 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7.x86_64 and it seems to have cleared the problem. I had just installed from CentOS-7-x86_64-Everything-1810 and had this problem, but the update to the 957.10.1 kernel seems to have solved it.
socratis
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Re: CentOS Guest Window Freezes in Place on Host

Post by socratis »

Thank you 'Steevo' for yet another confirmation. Marking the thread as [Fixed].
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