virtualbox.org

I'm running Debian Lenny on a Dell Inspiron 9400, with an Intel T2300 Dual Core processor (32 bit). I recently upgraded from Virtualbox 2.1.4 to 3.0.2, mainly because of SMP support. My guest system is Windows XP SP2. The problem is that Virtualbox is not able to recognize both processors, it only sees one, and I cannot change the CPU number in the Processor tab. The slider bar is disabled.

However, I can see both cores if I type the command $cat /proc/cpuinfo, and also executing top shows the activity on both cores (typing 1 when top is running). I use xosview as a system monitor, and the activity in both cores is normal. My kernel version is 2.6.30-1-686-bigmem, and I have installed virtualbox-ose-modules-2.6.30-1-686-bigmem and virtualbox-ose-guest-modules-2.6.30-1-686-bigmem. I have also tested this in 2.6.28-1-686-bigmem and I get the same problem.

Can someone help me to solve this problem? I have been trying things all day but I cant solve the issue, however I don't think its a guest problem, because the Virtual Machine itself is not able to recognize the second core. Thank you in advance and best regards,

Alejandro

http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19544

You need to reinstall your guest or follow the instruction at that url to hack the kernel (in windows).

Do you have hardware-v turned on in the bios?
SMP requires VT-x/AMD-v enabled to work, and not supported in 32 bit hardware.

graysky wrote:http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19544

You need to reinstall your guest or follow the instruction at that url to hack the kernel (in windows).

Thanks, I have tried that already and it didn't work, and I think its because the Virtual Machine (installed in my Linux host) can't see both cores.

Perryg wrote:Do you have hardware-v turned on in the bios?
SMP requires VT-x/AMD-v enabled to work, and not supported in 32 bit hardware.

I have no options in the Bios for enabling or disabling VT-x. However, since I posted my problem I have benn reading other similar posts, and I found that the processor flags should include VT-x/AMD-v options. Unfortunately, when I run $cat /proc/cpuinfo I get:

flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx constant_tsc arch_perfmon bts pni monitor est tm2 xtpr pdcm

There is no VT-x flag. Looking in the machine logfile (.VirtualBox\Machines\VM\Logs\VBox.log) I found:

-> 00:00:03.210 HWACCM: No VMX or SVM CPU extension found. Reason VERR_VMX_NO_VMX

which indicates that no vt-x/amd-v CPU found. I think that's the problem here. I'll continue to look around to see if there is something else I can do (besides changing my notebook ).

Thank both for your answers, regards

Alejandro

If your machine is a Pentium Dual-Core like mine... none of those have VT-x.

I have a Sony, so even if it was A Core 2 Duo, I likely wouldn't be able to turn on VT-x in the BIOS...

Sorry, I missed that bit about the VM not being able to recognize both cores. So when you browse to the 'cores' option in the Virtualbox GUI, you're saying that there is only an option for 1 core? No slider allowing you to select from 1-32 of them? If that is the case, I dunno!

I was thinking that your problem lies with the windows kernel since for some retarded reason, micro$oft thought it would be a good idea to have their installer detect the number of cores when you installed the OS and lock the user into a single core kernel at that time. I might be mistaken but this behavior might have been a legacy option since I believe m$ would charge users more for a multicore kernel way back in the NT3.5/NT4.0 days... anyway. That's all I know

The CPU is VT-x capable, as I have the same processor (however, be sure that you don't have the E version, which doesn't have VT-x). But, even though my CPU is VT-x capable, my laptop motherboard doesn't. Or at least the BIOS doesn't have any option for it, thus I'm screwed by Fujitsu-Siemens for providing me a nice CPU, that I can't even fully use. It's a common problem on notebooks, they advertise with the latest and greatest hardware, but they actually sell third class cheap ass junk with limited to no support for all that hardware options. Yeah, it's great that the CPU and chipset can handle 16 GB, or the socket can handle quad core CPUs with all the latest features, but the mainboard only accepts 2 GB max RAM and no additional CPU features compared to 5 years ago.

Sorry, go sue Dell for not providing you with the full features of your laptop. You can't use SMP with this.

graysky wrote:Sorry, I missed that bit about the VM not being able to recognize both cores. So when you browse to the 'cores' option in the Virtualbox GUI, you're saying that there is only an option for 1 core? No slider allowing you to select from 1-32 of them? If that is the case, I dunno!

Yes, exactly, that is my problem, I can not select the number of processors in the Virtualbox GUI. I have been reading the T2300 CPU manual (my CPU is T2300, not T2300E), wich I downloaded from Intel, and it has something called Intel Virtualization Technology (the T2300E does not support this technology). Its represented by the flag vme in $/proc/cpuinfo, and it stands for Virtual Mode Extension. I don't actualy know how to use or control that virtualization technology within Virtualbox.

However, doing some further reading, I discovered that the VT-x that Virtualbox needs for enabling multicore support is represented by the flag vmx for Intel CPUs, that stands for Intel Vanderpool hardware virtualization technology, or by the flag svm for AMD CPUs, that stands for AMD Pacifica hardware virtualization technology. According to $/proc/cpuinfo, the Intel flag vmx is not present in my CPU.

Indeed, the chipset and BIOS I have are not the latest ones around. I currently have 4 GB of RAM installed, but I can only see and acces 3.3 GB, wich is the limit for 32 bits CPU. That forced Dell to specify that " * The amount of availabe RAM memory can be lower than the total installed RAM memory", due to customers complaints when they got a notebook with 4GB, but where able to see only 3GB. Dual Cores CPUs like mine have 32 bit instructions, but newer Core 2 Duo CPUs have 64 bit instructions, so computers equiped with this later CPU are able to see and use the full 4GB of RAM, and even more (if you have more installed or course).

I'll continue to search information on this issue, but I don't think i'll be able to solve it. Thank you all for your answers, regards

Alejandro

hmm, I do not now if this helps you since you have an inspiron, but on my latititude I found in POST behaviour that I could enable virualization. After that I was able to startup my ubunto guest with 2 CPUs
Since this BIOS setting was in an non-intuitive place, maybe, just maybe, you might have missed a similar setting on your laptop.

-M

Hi Magnus,
This is the first I've heard of this. I have an HP DV5 with an intel celeron p7350. When I bought the machine (about 8 months ago). Intel and HP mentioned hardware virtualization. In the past few months, that statement has been removed from their information page about the cpu. Some have speculated this was a bogus claim from the git go, others have claimed that it's there, but HP's mobo is cheapo and doesn't facilitate the feature.
Are you saying @ boot up, you have found a way to enable hardware virtualization that is NOT available in the bios setup page? If so, I'd love to hear how you do it - to see if my machine has a similar potential.
Peace

Magnus wrote:hmm, I do not now if this helps you since you have an inspiron, but on my latititude I found in POST behaviour that I could enable virualization. After that I was able to startup my ubunto guest with 2 CPUs
Since this BIOS setting was in an non-intuitive place, maybe, just maybe, you might have missed a similar setting on your laptop.

-M