VirtualBox 2.1.2 - Failed to create the VirtualBox object!

eeeldert · Post by **eeeldert** » 23. Jan 2009, 12:05

Hi,

I just upgraded from virtualbox 2.0.6 to 2.1.2 on Archlinux using the virtualbox_bin package (http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=9753).

The installation went through fine, the modules compiled and loaded successfully. However, every VBoxManage command I try, fails with the same error, e.g.:

Code: Select all

$ vboxmanage list vms
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 2.1.2
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

[!] Failed to create the VirtualBox object!
[!] Primary RC  = NS_ERROR_ABORT (0x80004004) - Operation aborted
[!] Most likely, the VirtualBox COM server is not running or failed to start

I removed the existing /etc/vbox and ~/.VirtualBox directories, but I still receive the same error.

I've done a trace as explained somewhere in the VB bug database, using the following commands:

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$ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. strace -f -F -s1024 -o /tmp/VBoxSVC.log ./VBoxSVC &

$ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. strace -f -F -s1024 -o /tmp/VBoxManage.log ./VBoxManage list vms  
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 2.1.2
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

process 7148: The last reference on a connection was dropped without closing the connection. This is a bug in an application. See dbus_connection_unref() documentation for details.
Most likely, the application was supposed to call dbus_connection_close(), since this is a private connection.
  D-Bus not built with -rdynamic so unable to print a backtrace
upeek: ptrace(PTRACE_PEEKUSER,7189,44,0): No such process
upeek: ptrace(PTRACE_PEEKUSER,7200,44,0): No such process
[!] Failed to create the VirtualBox object!
[!] Primary RC  = NS_ERROR_ABORT (0x80004004) - Operation aborted
[!] Most likely, the VirtualBox COM server is not running or failed to start.
[2]+  Done                    LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. strace -f -F -s1024 -o /tmp/VBoxSVC.log ./VBoxSVC

I have the two trace files ready, but I'm unsure where to post them. Should I file a bug for this issue?

Thanks, /ernst

eeeldert · Post by **eeeldert** » 23. Jan 2009, 15:20

I've done some more testing. I tried the generic installer file from virtualbox.org, with the same results.

I've also tried the 2.1.0 generic build from that website, and that works without any problems.

My kernel version is 2.6.28.

Grogan · Post by **Grogan** » 23. Jan 2009, 21:48

Ahh, I'm having the exact same problem. So this requires Dbus now? That would explain it for me if so. I don't have dbus. (Don't need it, don't want it, don't like it etc.) I guess now I'll have to get and configure it. My stubborn ways have once again bitten me in the ass.

2.1.0 works perfectly for me.

About the modules, are you sure they compiled correctly for you? Or are you still loading the ones from the previous version. See my thread here regarding the 2.1.2 .run file installer.

http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=13626

It was showing for me as successfully compiled during the install and/or setup script but it was compiling nothing. ("nothing to be done for all") because of some symlinks.

If you go into the /opt/VirtualBox-2.1.2/src directory and type make clean and make what happens?

phestar · Post by **phestar** » 23. Jan 2009, 22:55

Same for me, kernel 2.6.28.1. VBox 2.1.0 was working OK on the same kernel, 2.1.2 isn't. My error is the same eeeldert gets, modules compiled correctly and are 2.1.2 versions (modinfo says that), I made sure previous modules were unloaded before loading new ones, and dbus is running.

Strace logs can be found at:

http://despacho.lagrimasenlalluvia.com/temp/

vruxr · Post by **vruxr** » 24. Jan 2009, 11:33

workaround window Autohotkey (Failed to create the VirtualBox object!)

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    temp=VirtualBox.exe
  	folder=C:\Program Files\_\Sun\xVM VirtualBox\
  	IfNotExist, %folder%
  	 MsgBox, :-(  NotExist %folder%
    run, %temp%, %folder%
vBoxGlesStartWithGUI()

vBoxGlesStartWithGUI()
{
  IfWinExist , Sun xVM VirtualBox, qt_tabwidget_stacked
    return
    
  temp=VirtualBox.exe
  folder=C:\Program Files\_\Sun\xVM VirtualBox\
  IfNotExist, %folder%
  MsgBox, Sad NotExist %folder%
  run, %temp%, %folder%
        
  WinWait, Sun xVM VirtualBox, qt_tabwidget_stacked
  IfWinNotActive, Sun xVM VirtualBox, qt_tabwidget_stacked, WinActivate, Sun xVM VirtualBox, qt_tabwidget_stacked
  WinWaitActive, Sun xVM VirtualBox, qt_tabwidget_stacked
  Send, g{ALTDOWN}m{ALTUP}{DOWN}
  Sleep, 200
  Send, s
}

eeeldert · Post by **eeeldert** » 29. Jan 2009, 19:26

I'm not sure if I completely understand your post.

It looks more of a script for a VirtualBox running on Windows?

Thanks,

/ernst

phestar · Post by **phestar** » 30. Jan 2009, 21:29

I've tried to stop DBUS before starting VirtualBox and that way it works, so it seems to be a problem related with DBUS. If I restart DBUS again the VirtualBox problem comes back too, but I can stop DBUS, start VirtualBox and without closing it start DBUS again and then use VirtualBox normally, I suppose VirtualBox looks for DBUS at the beginning and drops DBUS communication if daemon is not running.

dbus-monitor shows the following messages arrive to the (systemwide) daemon when I launch VirtualBox:

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signal sender=org.freedesktop.DBus -> dest=(null destination) path=/org/freedesktop/DBus; interface=org.freedesktop.DBus; member=NameOwnerChanged
   string ":1.1"
   string ""
   string ":1.1"
signal sender=org.freedesktop.DBus -> dest=(null destination) path=/org/freedesktop/DBus; interface=org.freedesktop.DBus; member=NameOwnerChanged
   string ":1.1"
   string ":1.1"
   string ""

I don't know what it means, maybe someone does.

mietekxxx · Post by **mietekxxx** » 1. Feb 2009, 06:41

Same problem for me. VBox won't work with dbus/without hal. Somebody please fix this. I won't install hal, but stopping dbus each time I want to use VBox is just annoying. Developers could at least add option [something like -nodbus] to prevent VB from using dbus+hal.

Btw.
What a stupid assumption, that everyone has hal. What will be next? Dependence on jvm, kdelibs and gconf all together?

Grogan · Post by **Grogan** » 1. Feb 2009, 10:44

It was worse than that for me, it wouldn't run unless both dbus and hal were installed. It works fine if neither is running, but they both had to be there.

I had previously set up dbus because I thought this had to have it. VirtualBox 2.1.2 would not start with or without the dbus daemon running.

Tonight, I converted my system to use udev (grrr), compiled and installed HAL and without even starting it, killed dbus-daemon and VirtualBox 2.1.2 works.

That's stupid. It's obvious that the program doesn't NEED these services to function... why make it a dependency and worse, why doesn't it complain about missing libraries?

Oh well, I'm going to run without any of that crap started. I took udevd out of the runlevels (my underlying real /dev directory is still there and populated), and I'll take out dbus and hald as well.

Problem solved, anyway. I guess if some future version actually requires these services to be started I'll do it, but not until then.

My thanks to all who helped in solving this problem

anotherguy · Post by **anotherguy** » 12. Feb 2009, 08:50

I can confirm. virtualbox-bin-2.1.2 installed from the gentoo overlay "jokey" required both dbus and hal installed. dbus was acually running so I got the error "Failed to create COM object" upon trying to run virtualbox after it had compiled successfully.

I ran
#ps aux | grep dbus
#kill -SIGKILL 6262

Where 6262 was the dbus process I found from grep.

2.1.0 had worked beautifully, and now 2.1.2 is up and running.

VirtualBox 2.1.2 - Failed to create the VirtualBox object!

VirtualBox 2.1.2 - Failed to create the VirtualBox object!

workaround window Autohotkey (Failed to create the ..object!