RHEL5.8 VM on VirtualBox Windows 11 host

[Fujitsu_user]

The VirtualBox 7.x often not able to start RHEL 5.8 client, and I often need to tick or untick the Hardware Virtualization "Enable Nested Paging", to make it startable. When it failed to start, it will just wait there, please see the attached screen copy.

When the VBox not able to start RHEL5.8 VM

Screenshot RHEL Vbox.png (92.09 KiB) Viewed 1472 times

[Fujitsu_user]

The issue is only on the Asus vivobook Intel 12700H laptop, with no issue on an AMD 5800x destop Windows 11 box, and an intel 8500u laptop.

[scottgus1]

I often need to tick or untick the Hardware Virtualization "Enable Nested Paging", to make it startable.

Does this mean:

"Enable Nested Paging" is checked.
The VM boots OK for several starts. Eventually, the VM will not boot.
You uncheck "Enable Nested Paging".
The VM boots OK for several starts. Eventually, the VM will not boot.
You re-check "Enable Nested Paging".
The VM boots OK for several starts. Eventually, the VM will not boot.
You uncheck "Enable Nested Paging".
The VM boots OK for several starts. Eventually, the VM will not boot....
(repeat ad infinitum)

Is this what's happening?

[Fujitsu_user]

It's almost every time, after check or uncheck the "Enable Nested Paging", it can boot up the RHEL5.8, then if I shutdown the RHEL5.8, then next time it will fail to boot the RHEL5.8, and I have to turn off "Enable Nested Paging" if it's on, or reverse, then it can boot the RHEL5.8.

[scottgus1]

Interesting! Let's take a look at the logs. I think we'd need to see three logs:

one when the VM boots and shuts down OK.
one when the VM fails to boot and must be closed.
the next one where "Enable Nested Paging" is toggled then the VM boots and shuts down OK again.

Please start the VM from full normal shutdown, not save-state. Get all three of these logs when the circumstances arise:

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.)

You can put all three logs in one zip file, but please label which is which.

Also, if you make a new RHEL5.8 VM, does it have the same problem?

[Fujitsu_user]

Please see the attached, I just tried, it seems every time when the VM is shutdown and want to restart, it will fail, but if try again, it will boot, so may not be Nested Paging related.

[Fujitsu_user]

Ang progress on issue? The issue is becoming worse now, now even when I tried tick or untick the "Enable Nested Paging" it still most time not start, changing Paravirtualization Interface also no use, but can confirm when it can finally start, it is only in KVM mode. This is really annoying as the RHEL5.8 VM is my main VM for software development and control.

[Fujitsu_user]

This is when I can confirm it will start: seeing "Red Hat nash version x.y.z starting.

[fth0]

VirtualBox 7.0.8 + VirtualBox Extension Pack 7.0.8 + VirtualBox Guest Additions 6.1.26?

I'd suggest to update all of them to version 7.0.14 and see if the issue persists.

[Fujitsu_user]

I have updated VirtualBox to 7.0.14, but it has same or even worse （the VM now can hardly start, not sure whether it's because the newer version of VirtualBox or the Windows update.

[Fujitsu_user]

For Guest Additions CD, how to add the menu bar to the VM so that I can use the menu to insert the Guest Additions CD?