virtualbox.org

I upgraded my debian machine from 4 to 5 earlier today. I reinstalled virtualbox from the repository at http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian. I haven't done anything to the existing virtual machines I created.

When I try and launch an XP guest now VirtualBox will almost immediately. It's a very hard error, the mouse and keyboard lock up completely. The only activity I see is the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock LEDs flashing. It's happened twice now and I've had to do a hard reset each time. Despite that there have been no obvious error messages in the logs.

Do I have to do anything to fiddle with my existing VMs after upgrading the host OS?

reinstalled virtualbox from the repository at http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian

JFTR same virtualbox version as before?

do a hard reset each time. Despite that there have been no obvious error messages in the logs.

did you have a look at Xorg.0.log and Xorg.0.log.old?

i did not have any problems with running virtualbox but the xorg server (intel) of my lenny box got hard lockups when starting (booting the real hardware), this is gone worse half a year ago and happened at last about some every second boot (and sometimes suddenly when already running for some hours or days). My problems were due to the new xorg acceleration method EXA vs. old 845 integrated graphics - and are gone since i set to XAA in xorg.conf

The new install was the same version as before. I had assumed that at least the kernel module would have changed since there was such a rev between 4 and 5. I think it went from 2.6.18 to 2.6.26.

I didn't think to look at the X log. I was mainly looking for a panic of some sort and in the VirtualBox logs. Nothing in there was helpful. I'll try it again and see if I can get it to break for me.

If the Lock-keys are flashing, it usually mean that you are having a kernel panic. It doesn't always show the panic itself, sometimes the video just freezes. It's always best to check the Bugtracker for any bugs with the version you are running. There was a known issue with the new HIF system that could cause a kernel panic on Linux Hosts (it was with 2.1.0 or 2.1.2, don't remember as I didn't have that issue).