VirtualBox 6/7 will not run on Dell R7625

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beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

VirtualBox 6/7 will not run on Dell R7625

Post by beartoothmountain »

(Original title: Can't start any clients...all hang)
Hi,

Okay, I've been using VirtualBox for quite a while. I'm currently using 7.0.12 on an Ubuntu 22.04 server, which is a new Dell R7625 with AMD processors.

I am unable to import, or create any new clients on this host. I can bring up VirtualBox (even tried this as root), import the .ova, on start I just get a black "square", no error messages, but the client says it is running but it did not fully start. Even tried installing a new Ubuntu 22.04 client from distro and it has the same issues.

This .ova runs on other servers running Ubuntu 22.04, so I am suspecting that the R7625 is the issue.

I will admit, for all of the years I've used VirtualBox, I've never had any issues, so this is a new one for me. With no error messages, I'm not sure where to begin. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20945
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by scottgus1 »

Please pick one VM that is failing, and start the VM from full normal shutdown, not save-state. Run until you see the problem happen, then shut down the VM from within the VM's OS if possible. If not possible, close the Virtualbox window for the VM with the Power Off option set.

Right-click the VM in the main Virtualbox window's VM list, choose Show in Explorer/Finder/File Manager. In the "Logs" subfolder, zip the VM's "vbox.log", and post the zip file, using the forum's Attachments tab. (Configure your host OS to show all extensions so you can find the "vbox.log", not "vbox.log.1", etc.)
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

Thanks, the VirtualBox host is a Ubuntu Linux box. This is a client I am trying to import, this client imports just fine on another system with the same OS, same file systems, it starts up just fine.

I have included a zip of the log file as requested. Thanks!
Attachments
web1.zip
zip of log file
(34.13 KiB) Downloaded 341 times
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

I should add that I get the same type of error/hang if I try to install from the Ubuntu Installation disk image.
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

So I'm still at a loss why VirtualBox says a VM is running, when it isn't, and the GUI just shows a black box.

I've tried complete uninstall/install of VirtualBox, no such luck, these VMs run on another system just fine, on this one, they hang on startup. If anyone can look at the logs (posted earlier) and see if something stands out, I would greatly appreciate it.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20945
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by scottgus1 »

Ooops, sorry,, I forgot about this topic.

The log shows a lot of these, after the Virtualbox "hardware" starts up:
00:00:44.308299 ERROR [COM]: aRC=VBOX_E_VM_ERROR (0x80bb0003) aIID={4680b2de-8690-11e9-b83d-5719e53cf1de} aComponent={DisplayWrap} aText={Could not take a screenshot (VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED)}, preserve=false aResultDetail=-37
This usually happens a couple of times, when the Preview window wants to show what the VM is doing but the VM "screen" isn't ready to show video yet.

Your log has toms of them, so it's possible that the VM screen is having some kind of problem.

7.0 had graphics changes. Please try increasing video RAM to max, then try the same VM again, and post a new log if the VM has trouble.
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

Thanks! I'll give it a shot. I know it isn't set too high yet so I'll set it to max.
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

Okay, I set the Video memory to maximum, same symptoms.

I get a small normal GUI window for the VM trying to start, but no "preview window appears, and the small GUI window that does appear is basically inert. No error messages, I can resize the window but the black area does not respond.

I have attached a screenshot of what the VM start looks like if it helps.
Attachments
Screenshot of failed VM start
Screenshot of failed VM start
image.png (92.8 KiB) Viewed 5476 times
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20945
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by scottgus1 »

The Preview window is on the VM's Settings page at the top right.

Can you type anything in that little window? If so, can you enter the command for the OS's window Manager, like this poster did? viewtopic.php?p=544545#p544545
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

No, the window is inert. I tried ssh to the client and even a ping, no response even though it is running.
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

So, as the frustration builds I decided to uninstall 7 and install 6.1.48. No joy, same symptom of "VM running", but it isn't, and I'm getting the same lack of any GUI output.

I could really use some insight on this...
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20945
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by scottgus1 »

I could use some, too. :lol: 'Tis a puzzle to me.

Please try making a new VM with the same OS type, settings, and the same ISO. See if it boots. Run the "apt get" usuals, see if it still boots. If it boots at the beginning but doesn't boot later, then something is wrong inside the VMs' OSs. Possibly a bad update.

Also check if the VMs' disks' partitions are full. You'll need to perhaps boot them with a Gparted ISO to see this. Full partitions are known to not allow Ubuntu to boot to the desktop.
fth0
Volunteer
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Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by fth0 »

beartoothmountain wrote: 2. Dec 2023, 06:36 I am suspecting that the R7625 is the issue.
I could imagine that, too.

The VM was hanging at a very early stage: AFAICS, the virtual hardware was initialized without any error message in the log. The 16 GB configured RAM were reserved, and ~740 kB of it were allocated. The virtual CPUs didn't execute a single CPU instruction and were still standing at the BIOS reset vector. In consequence, the contents of the virtual disk image didn't play a role at all.

So far, my best guess is an incompatibility between the host CPU and VirtualBox. I'll try to get a second opinion on that ...
beartoothmountain
Posts: 13
Joined: 2. Dec 2023, 06:30

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by beartoothmountain »

I suspect the same, much to my dismay after convincing people to purchase this server to use with VirtualBox.

Based on suggestions found in this thread, I have re-downloaded the Ubuntu iso, created a new VM, and then tried to boot from the installation iso. Unfortunately, VirtualBox brings up a black window, never even gets to any boot actions or install options. The VM says it is running, but it is inert.

Yeah, I am pretty disappointed. The worst part was that I was going to go with an Intel CPU and then somebody in the "know" suggested I go for the AMD instead. Ugh.

I'd like to thank everybody for their help so far. I guess I have two options at this point, (1) to hope that the next version of VirtualBox fixes this problem or (2) come up with a different VM solution.

I plan on reposting a thread basically warning people of the possible incompatibility unless I get better instructions otherwise.

Thanks for your help, I do appreciate it!
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5690
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Can't start any clients...all hang

Post by fth0 »

FWIW, the Xmas holidays got in the way of getting a second opinion, but I haven't forgotten it ...
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