Cannot install Ubuntu (guest) on Windows XP (Host).

[ediblespread]

Hi there,

Wasn't entirely sure where to place this, but I believe this is the better option as the problem does seem to be about the guest OS rather than the host - that is, VirtualBox has installed successfully on the host.

I am attempting to run Ubuntu 9.10 VirtualBox'd under Windows XP SP3 (full specs below). Unfortunately, I cannot get Ubuntu to install, much to my chagrin. I have tried both the normal CD and the test-based alternative install CD. They give different errors:

Normal CD.

When I try and install Ubuntu (either going straight from the main menu or by launching the live-cd and then clicking install), the installer gets about 90% of the way through the actual install process (after having me enter all of the details about time, language, keyboard, login etc), then crashes, claiming that 'Ubiquity has crashed'. If I am running the non-live-cd install, it actually crashes INTO a live-cd gnome-session. There does not seem to be any other error information given other than "ubiquity crashed".

Text Install.

This one is very weird. Again it makes it through about 90% of the install - it reaches near the end of the stage where it is configuring programs - gedit, etc. Then it reboots my computer. Not the virtual-box, the entire real physical desktop. I have no idea *how* or *why*, the desktop simply reboots. I have run the installer twice, with the same result each time.

Anybody else had this sort of problem? I appreciate any help!


Specs:

Physical:

WIndows XP SP3
Intel Core 2 Duo processor
GeForce 8800GT

VirtualBox 3.1.4

Virtual:

Ubuntu 9.10
1024MB Virtual Memory
~15GB virtual HDD space.

Any other information needed, please just ask.

Cheers,
Stephen

[Perryg]

Please post the guests log file (post as attachment). Located on the main VBox GUI under Machine (show log)

[ediblespread]

Okay, well there were actually four log files in the "Show Logs" menu - I assume from the four times I tried to install. Now, the first two *should* be from graphical install, and the last two from text-based install. Unfortunately this forum apparently only allows three files attached at most, but I hope that there is enough information there.

Thanks,
Stephen

[Perryg]

How much free space do you have on the hard drive?
Also it should not matter but set the guest RAM to 512MB and try it.

[ediblespread]

Ahah! Success!

I am not sure what caused it, unfortunately, as I changed two things, but I may experiment later and determine which one fixed it. The two changes I made were to set the RAM size to 512 (instead of 1024), and to fix the hard drive to *non*-dynamic storage. Did these, ran the graphical install off the normal disk and everything went fine.

Thanks very much for your help!

-Stephen