Fedora Core 12 doesn't boot at all in VBox 3.1.4

[Cubytus]

Hello all,

for a science project, I wanted to install Fedora Core 12 in VirtualBox 3.1.4 to try to run SPSS 16, where "crappy software" is only an euphemism.

All images have been verified against their checksum.

Still, I cannot get to boot Fedora Core 12 in VirtualBox 3.1.4, either from the Live CD or Install DVD. The screen stays black with a solid underscore grey cursor, and no activity from the virtual hard disk or virtual network interface or virtual optical drive.

Where should I look for first?

[Perryg]

Is F12 32 or 64 bit?
Does you host PC support the version?
Are the guest setting set accordingly?

[Cubytus]

Hi,

it's a 32 bit Fedora. I know 64 bits are often hard to work with in VirtualBox.

Fedora Core 11 is fully supported according to the OS support on VBox's website, but no word is said on FC 12, and even on this forum, the issue doesn't seem to be reported for a Mac OS X 10.6.2 host.

I used the same virtual config as the one that worked in Ubuntu, but it simply doesn't allow the boot images to actually boot. On pressing Fn+F12 to choose boot device and manually type "C" for "CD-ROM", it states: "FATAL: Couldn't read from the boot medium! System halted."

Again, all images have been verified against their checksum, and in fact, the exact same image have been successfully installed in Parallels (that I don't have a license for, so cannot use it for very long).

[Perryg]

Try going to the storage section of the guest settings and manually mounting the ISO to the CD/DVD and enable passthrough.
See if this will help.

[Cubytus]

Hi,

I'm not sure to have understood well.

I emptied the virtual optical drives, leaving only the virtual hard disk, started the virtual machine, and added the Live CD while it was running. Same result, solid grey underscore, no activity.

Then, I tried re-adding the ISO image in the primary IDE optical drive, same result. The checkbox under the "Location" scrolling list is greyed out, as the ISO image is not a physical media.

Should I burn yet another disc to try?

[Perryg]

VBox works like any controller based system.

Installing from an ISO (not burned to CD/DVD)
Before you start the guest, go into the storage settings and find the CD/DVD. Click on it to get focus then to the right select the install ISO from the drop down list. If you do not see it then you need to add it via the media manager. Once it is selected save the settings and then start the guest. If you left the boot order set to default it will boot from the CD/DVD and you should be able to install the media.

Installing direct from CD/DVD (image has been burned to CD/DVD disk)
You should not need to do anything except to make sure that the CD/DVD in in the drive and the boot order has not been changed. Unless the CD/DVD is being burned to a sub-standard byte count. VB requires it be 512 or 1024.

Also some have found that they need the CD/DVD passthrough turned on when installing from a MAC

[Cubytus]

Indeed, that doesn't work. Virtually loading the optical drive with the Fedora iso doesn't work.

Again, passthrough is not available when running from an iso image.

I will try to burn it on DVD before trying again, but it's still abnormal.

[Cubytus]

Burnt to a DVD-RW and tested twice to ensure the media was still in good shape, I enabled direct mode and could boot and install FC 12.

So far not a single clue why VirtualBox 3.1.4 requires Fedora Core 12 to be burnt to install.

But now, VirtualBox freezes on start. Investigating...

[Perryg]

I did not need to burn it but that could be a different problem sine I am not using a MAC.
Post the guest log (as an attachment) Located in the VBox main GUI under machine the show log. Save and post

[Cubytus]

This is the only distro I needed to burn so far. It doesn't seem to be linked to a Mac host, since it could be installed in Parallels, and that other distro didn't show the issue. It seems to be linked to specificity of a bootable Fedora Core media.

As VirtualBox is freezing right on start, it doesn't update anything. Still investigating

[Perryg]

You didn't by chance get the F12 that has KVM in it did you? I saw someone else complaining about it and it turned out to be the case. A hypervisor in a hypervisor just does not work.
I have installed F12 on Windows I686 and on a Linux x86_64. Works just fine. It must be the media somehow.

[Cubytus]

Don't know. What is KVM?

As the VirtualBox 3.1.4 wouldn't start, I reinstalled the 3.1.0, and surprise, installed Fedora Core 12 boots!

However, as soon as I replaced 3.1.0 by the latest 3.1.4, without changing a setting, VirtualBox would freeze on starting, without updating the ~/Library/VirtualBox/Machines/Fedora Core 12/Logs/VBox.log file.

I then tried the 3.1.2, without issue.

Quick bug summary so far: (Not sure if I should count them as being one, or two.)
VirtualBox 3.1.4 cannot boot a Fedora Core 12 installation/live image, but can boot a burnt optical media sporting Fedora Core 12, either live or install.
VirtualBox 3.1.4 doesn't start on Mac OS 10.6.2 hosts if it contains a Fedora Core 12 installed guest.

Solution: stay with VirtualBox 3.1.2.

[Perryg]

Well this proves it is a MAC specific problem. I am running Windows and Linux and do not have this.

If you find the time and want to help post this to bugtracker. You will need to setup an account there as it is on a different system.
It would also help if you can post the ticket number here so other can see the progress, add information, or see the final results.

Send them the logs and even the link to here so they can take a look.

[Cubytus]

I don't know where to look for the logs. What I thought were logs aren't updated when VBox freezes on startup, and I cannot guarantee when and if I will find time to play with VBox versions, burnt and file "media", on a production machine. I found the bug although I was not supposed to install Fedora Core in the first place.

This bug proves Linuces aren't equal.

So far, how can I post a VBox.log that is not modified when the bug event is produced?

[Perryg]

The log files are located in the main VBox GUI under machine -> show logs. There should be 4 total and each time you reboot the guest it replaces in order. 0 being the newest.
Do what you can and we will see where it gets us.