Linux Guest Additions + Xorg config on Mac doesn't install

[GARoss]

Using VB 3.1.4 on iMac 10.6.2

My apologies to Perryg for hastily deleting my Ubuntu guest install but this is frustrating me to no end. I had no issues installing XP on VB, but, installing Ubuntu isn't so lucky. I've been going at this for 2 days & cannot get this to work. I'm willing to try again but first would like to understand what went wrong. I've tried to install three time so far & have deleted all of them. Here's what happens.

I can install Ubuntu 9.10 64bit using the iso image without issues. When rebooting it closes down Ubuntu, then just hangs in start-up; no splash screen just black. Closed that screen & started a fresh boot. This time no problems.
Did a full update & rebooted. This time it reboot works & also splash screen doesn't hesitate & music seems normal. Mouse & typing are crisp.

Now to install Linux Guest Additions + Xorg config per instructions found here - http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15679. Installed build-essential & linux-headers-generic per instructions without issues. Mounted data for Linux Guest Additions & it appears on desktop as a cd. Opened terminal, moved to the folder & launched VboxLinuxAdditions-amd64.run. All appeared to install okay with no errors. The vbox-install.log in /var/log/, however, said there was a kernel error. Also, xorg.conf was blank.

After rebooting I get the [ 0.0600001] kernel panic – not syncing: IO-APIC + timer doesn't work! Boot with apic=debug and send a report. Then try booting with the 'noapic' option. [ 0.060000] error mentioned in another of my posts. Re-starting the boot a time or 2 it gets to a grub start page where you can select kernel type or safe mode boots. I selected the standard one & it does boot to a very sluggish Ubuntu desktop. On the positive side it does, however, have a bigger screen & the mouse moves freely in & out of desktops. After another reboot I get the other error - One or more virtual hard disks, CD/DVD or floppy media are not currently accessible. As a result, you will not be able to operate virtual machines that use these media until they become accessible later.
Press Check to open the Virtual Media Manager window and see what media are inaccessible, or press Ignore to ignore this message.

Ignoring that & booting will get into Ubuntu but it is a mess as stated before.
I'm really lost here but it would seem installing Linux Guest Additions + Xorg config causes a kernel mis-match of sorts. I don't have a clue how to fix that & really, I don't know if that's the problem or not.

Can this be trouble shot? Is there any hope?

[Perryg]

GARoss,

There are several things that are coming into play here.

• (1) Somewhere during the boot process or what ever the CD/DVD that has the Guest additions are being removed. VBox will see this as an error and give you the choice to ignore or to stop and fix the problem. The Screen shot that you put up showed the warning flag on the CD/DVD tab. If you had clicked that tab you would have see the problem. All that needs to be done at this point is the in the storage section you just need to click the CD/DVD then to the right select empty from the pull down and then it should be fine.
  (2) Ubuntu version 9.10 x86_64 has a problem kernel. It does not work well with SMP in a virtual environment and that can cause a problem like what you are seeing. There have been several reports on the Ubuntu bug tracker as well as the VirtualBox bugtracker. The only fix to this is to change the kernel at this point.

Now we can work through these errors and get this to a condition that is usable.

• What I would like for you to do is provide me with a few things so I can look through them for you.
  From a host terminal/command windows VBoxManage showvminfo <VM Name> and post here. Replace <VM Name> with the actual name of the VM. Use "" if the name has a space in it.
  As well as the log file for the Ubuntu guest. You can find this in the main GUI and machine and show log ( I don't have a MAC but that should be the same place) (post as an attachment please)

[GARoss]

Thanks for your advice.

You mentioned Ubuntu 9.10 AMD 64bit kernel. Ubuntu 32bit, too? If there is a problem with 9.10's kernel perhaps 8.04's kernel is okay. It's no problem to switch & download 8.04 32bit which I will install tomorrow, update & follow your instructions & provide the information you asked for. Just curious but can Guest Additions be installed with Ubuntu's Symantec Manager?

Perryg wrote "(1) Somewhere during the boot process or what ever the CD/DVD that has the Guest additions are being removed." Are you referring to the Ubuntu install iso, the Linux Guest Additions + Xorg config folder or both? Also, I have WinXP installed too. Do you need that information posted as well?

[Perryg]

The 32 bit version of Ubuntu 9.10 is not effected with the SMP problem (as far as I know)

The guest additions can not be installed with the synaptic manager. That will cause a mis-match if you installed the VirtualBox program from VirtualBox.org. You must install the one that came with the download. The link I sent you will assist you with installing them. Ask if you need it again.

Something was removed. I can not tell because I can not see the tab, but the last thing you did was install the guest additions and I assumed that was what had been removed.

Yes I need you to do the two lines of my last post if we are going to figure out what is wrong.

[GARoss]

GARoss,

Now we can work through these errors and get this to a condition that is usable.

• What I would like for you to do is provide me with a few things so I can look through them for you.
  From a host terminal/command windows VBoxManage showvminfo <VM Name> and post here. Replace <VM Name> with the actual name of the VM. Use "" if the name has a space in it.
  As well as the log file for the Ubuntu guest. You can find this in the main GUI and machine and show log ( I don't have a MAC but that should be the same place) (post as an attachment please)

Ubuntu 9.10 32bit reacts the same as 64bit in VB. Everything was fine until Guest Additions was installed. I have attached 3 logs you asked for; hopefully the right ones, & will post the other 2 as 3 attachments are the max.

Vboxadd-install.log says,

make KBUILD_VERBOSE=1 -C /lib/modules/2.6.31-19-generic/build SUBDIRS=/tmp/vbox.0 SRCROOT=/tmp/vbox.0 modules
test -e include/linux/autoconf.h -a -e include/config/auto.conf || ( \
echo; \
echo " ERROR: Kernel configuration is invalid."; \
echo " include/linux/autoconf.h or include/config/auto.conf are missing."; \
echo " Run 'make oldconfig && make prepare' on kernel src to fix it."; \
echo; \
/bin/false)

in the first few lines & repeats again deeper into the log, if that means anything.
Thanks

[GARoss]

And the WinXP logs

[Perryg]

Code: Select all

00:00:01.093 Host RAM: 4096MB RAM, available: 913MB
00:00:01.198   RamSize         <integer> = 0x0000000040000000 (1073741824) or 1,073,741,824

Its usually not a good idea to give the guest more then 1/2 of the available RAM. You should either close some (host) running programs or decrease the amount of RAM given to the guest to 256MB or no more then 512MB.
Also the amount of vRam does not need to be above 32MB as it is coming from the system RAM and not the GPU.

Start with this and then lets see what happens.

[GARoss]

Perryg,
Interesting! I took the liberty of installing Ubuntu 8.04 32bit & everything works perfectly, the exact opposite of 9.10 32bit & 9.10 64bit. Naturally, I like to be up to date with 9.10. Please let me what can be done to correct it. It must be in the kernel.
Thanks

[GARoss]

I have RAM @ 25% of my system. Ubuntu 9.04 works fine @ this setting. Should it be less that 25%?
Thanks

[Perryg]

Look at my post that shows you only have 913MB available. You should not give it more then 50% of that.
If you close some host programs this available RAM will increase and you can allow more RAM to the guest. Ubuntu will work fair at 256MB and really well at 512MB.
It is highly possible that 9.10 will work if you set the memory down so the host does not choke. Remember that 64 bit guest require a little more memory to operate properly.
Also I don't know what you are running on the host that is using the massive amount of memory but you should look and see if you can free up a bit more memory to run the guest.

[GARoss]

Thanks.
In VB / Settings I had it set @ 1Gb. The only program running on Mac was Firefox, nothing else.
I made the adjustment to 256 as you suggested & it made no difference. Same as before.

In this tutorial, http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15679, the author mentions

Configuring your Xorg/Xserver. The GA are installed and you are asked to reboot the Guest. Do that, but don't be alarmed if your GUI doesn't start. It means that there is some misconfiguration in your xorg.conf file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf)

. In both Ubuntu 9.10 32bit & 9.10 64bit there is a xorg.conf but it is blank. The one in 8.04 (see attached) is loaded. Perhaps this is the issue. With no configuration the system doesn't know what to do; like allocation of too much RAM as you pointed out. I've also attached a log for 8.04 which is working.
Guest Additions is not installing properly in Ubuntu 9.10.
Thanks

[Perryg]

Sas wrote that before Ubuntu 9.10 came out. While it is still relevant there is one thing that might need to be changed and that is the xorg.conf.
Linux (Ubuntu is deprecating the xorg.conf) and this started in 9.10 for Ubuntu.
I have a failsafe copy from 9.10 that you can try and see if it helps. see below:

Code: Select all

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Driver		"vesa"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
	Device		"Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Try putting this in the xorg.conf file and then log off and back on.
Then from a terminal run:

Code: Select all

sudo /etc/init.d/vboxadd setup

Log off and back on and see if this works.

[GARoss]

The only thing that works now is the mouse moves freely from Ubuntu to the Mac desktop as it does in XP & 8.04. Everything else is back to as it was prior to installing GA. I can no longer resize the screen (fixed @ 800x600). Sound is a little better but still hesitates. The keyboard is more responsive as it was before GA.

[Perryg]

OK now click on the machine tab at the top left of the guest window and see if the auto resize is turned on. It turns blue-ish when on. Or use the host+G toggle to turn it on and off.

[GARoss]

There wasn't a file xorg.conf in /etc/X11/. The 1st time I saved one I didn't notice that it saved to the default main File, not /etc/X11/.
After I realizing this I made sure the file was saved right & written as you suggested; rebooted. Upon booting I got a low graphic warning (see attached Boot warning.jpg). Booted in low graphic mode & ran the setup again. Now it wont boot at all (see attached Boot 1 & Boot 2). Huh?
Wow! What's next?