Hardw. virt. ext exclusive setting

[Rastus]

OK, so I have a guest vm running Windows 2003 that works on my Mac with a GUI Virtualbox install.
I am trying to move the vm to a headless server so I copied the vdi file and I am using the data from showvminfo to create a new vm from the command line on the headless machine to attach the vdi to.

I have all of the settings duplicated except for

Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: on

this value is off on the original machine

I do not see how to adjust this setting using modifyvm.

By the way, it won't run, it gives the message

Error: failed to start machine. Error message: VT-x is not available. (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX).
Unknown error creating VM (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX)

This is the only setting that I see that is different on the 2 machines.
Are there other likely problems to cause this error?
Suggestions?

[Perryg]

That error means that hardware virtualization is either missing or turned off in the hosts bios.

[Rastus]

Perryg,
Thanks for the answer.
What I don't understand it that the guest works on the host without hardware virtualization but on the host that has hardware virtualization it gives an error that says that it does not have hardware virtualization.

Also, I can set the Hardw. virt.ext variable to off but I cannot see how to change the value of Hardw. virt.ext exclusive.

I am still confused as to what I should try next to get this to work.

[Perryg]

First installing Windows on a 32 bit machine and then trying to run the same on one that is 64 bit is difficult to make work.
Bottom line if the host is 64 bit but the hardware virtualization is missing or turned off then the guest will only work as 32 bit. If you want/need it to run a 64 bit OS the CPU and the bios must support 64 bit and hardware virtualization or it will not work.

[Rastus]

Perryg,

Here is some more info that might be helpful (I may not have explained very well)

I have a server that is running Windows 2003 32 bit.
I want to virtualize this on a 64 bit Linux host that is running virtualbox.
The Linux host does NOT support hardware virtualization to my knowledge since it is an older Dell 1850 rack mount.

So, I made a low level copy of the hard disk to a USB drive and I used convertfromraw to make a VDI file also on the USB drive. I then plugged the USB drive into my Mac running OS 10.6.4 running virtualbox where I created a guest machine that used the VDI file so that I could make sure that it worked. When I got the settings right, it booted and ran with good success.

Now I am trying to create a guest on the Linux host that will use the VDI file. So, I used createvm to make a new guest and am trying to use the exact settings of the guest on my Mac. It is my understanding that neither the mac or the Dell 1850 support hardware virtualization so I am confused as to why this should even be a problem. But, the Hardw. virt.ext exclusive is different and does not change even if I change the setting of the Hardw. virt.ext off and on.

Is there a problem running a guest with 32 bit OS on a host running 64 bit Linux? I figured that if it would run on a 32 bit virtualbox host that it would run on a 64-bit virtualbox host.

Am I making any sense here or just babbling?
I do appreciate your patience. I may just not be asking the right questions.
R

[Rastus]

BTW,
I have attempted to export the working appliance from the Mac thinking that I could then import it onto the Linux host but I left it running all night and it still said 5 hours 45 minutes the next morning. Then I left it for an hour more and it still said 5 hours 30 minutes to go....

I couldn't have the machine tied up for that long so I aborted. I'll try again tonight but it would be much faster if I could successfully configure a new guest appliance to use the vdi file as mentioned above.
R

[Perryg]

Is there a problem running a guest with 32 bit OS on a host running 64 bit Linux?

No there is not a problem if done properly. If at any time you turned on IO APIC then Windows is going to try to change the default kernel from single to multi. due to SMP.
Normally the hardware-v is enabled by default and there is no way to turn it off, but if this is getting in the way turn it off in the machine xml.

[Rastus]

OK,
Although I run the risk of beating a dead horse......

So, I exported the guest from my Mac Host and imported it onto a Linux host using the import/export appliance utility. I still get the following error when I try to start the guest.

xxx@2850vhost:~/.VirtualBox/Machines# VBoxHeadless --startvm "virtualexcsvr"
Sun VirtualBox Headless Interface 3.1.8
(C) 2008-2010 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Listening on port 3389.
Error: failed to start machine. Error message: VT-x is not available. (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX).
Unknown error creating VM (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX)

I have listed the attributes of the virtual guest on the Mac host and the Linux host below, I can't see why it wouldn't work but clearly I am missing something. Assistance would be appreciated.

Mac Host Guest will run

Code: Select all

~ xxxx$ VBoxManage showvminfo "virtualexcsvr"
Oracle VM VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.2.10
(C) 2005-2010 Oracle Corporation
All rights reserved.

Name:            virtualexcsvr
Guest OS:        Windows 2003
UUID:            5525145d-c137-4414-a4fd-a286d91739e6
Config file:     /Users/xxxx/Library/VirtualBox/Machines/virtualexcsvr/virtualexcsvr.xml
Hardware UUID:   5525145d-c137-4414-a4fd-a286d91739e6
Memory size:     2457MB
Page Fusion:     off
VRAM size:       16MB
HPET:            off
Number of CPUs:  2
Synthetic Cpu:   off
CPUID overrides: None
Boot menu mode:  message and menu
Boot Device (1): Floppy
Boot Device (2): DVD
Boot Device (3): HardDisk
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI:            on
IOAPIC:          on
PAE:             on
Time offset:     0 ms
RTC:             local time
Hardw. virt.ext: on
Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: off
Nested Paging:   on
Large Pages:     off
VT-x VPID:       on
State:           powered off (since 2010-10-06T12:21:56.000000000)
Monitor count:   1
3D Acceleration: off
2D Video Acceleration: off
Teleporter Enabled: off
Teleporter Port: 0
Teleporter Address: 
Teleporter Password: 
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE Controller
Storage Controller Type (0):            ICH6
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Name (1):            Floppy Controller
Storage Controller Type (1):            I82078
Storage Controller Instance Number (1): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (1):  1
Storage Controller Port Count (1):      1
Storage Controller Name (2):            SATA Controller
Storage Controller Type (2):            IntelAhci
Storage Controller Instance Number (2): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (2):  30
Storage Controller Port Count (2):      1
IDE Controller (0, 0): HL-DT-ST DVDRW  GS22N (UUID: 00445644-5644-5244-5720-20475332324e)
IDE Controller (1, 0): /Volumes/Part2/VirtualBox/HardDisks/newexc.vdi (UUID: 369cdded-9461-473c-9b97-35a34df1e72a)
Floppy Controller (0, 0): Empty
NIC 1:           MAC: 080027DC409B, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0
NIC 1 Settings:  MTU: 0, Socket( send: 64, receive: 64), TCP Window( send:64, receive: 64)
NIC 2:           MAC: 0800273184B4, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0
NIC 2 Settings:  MTU: 0, Socket( send: 64, receive: 64), TCP Window( send:64, receive: 64)
NIC 3:           disabled
NIC 4:           disabled
NIC 5:           disabled
NIC 6:           disabled
NIC 7:           disabled
NIC 8:           disabled
Pointing Device: PS/2 Mouse
Keyboard Device: PS/2 Keyboard
UART 1:          disabled
UART 2:          disabled
Audio:           enabled (Driver: CoreAudio, Controller: AC97)
Clipboard Mode:  Bidirectional
VRDP:            disabled
USB:             enabled

USB Device Filters:

Index:            0
Active:           yes
Name:             Seagate FreeAgent [0138]
VendorId:         0bc2
ProductId:        3008
Revision:         0138
Manufacturer:     Seagate
Product:          FreeAgent
Remote:           
Serial Number:    

Index:            1
Active:           yes
Name:             Iomega HDD USB 2.0 Drive [0001]
VendorId:         059b
ProductId:        007e
Revision:         0001
Manufacturer:     Iomega
Product:          Iomega HDD USB 2.0 Drive
Remote:           no
Serial Number:    03000AEEAA3C

Shared folders:  

Name: 'Desktop', Host path: '/Users/xxxx/Desktop' (machine mapping), readonly

Guest:

Configured memory balloon size:      0 MB

Linux host (guest won't run)

Code: Select all

xxx@2850vhost:~/.VirtualBox/Machines# VBoxManage showvminfo "virtualexcsvr"
Sun VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.1.8
(C) 2005-2010 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Name:            virtualexcsvr
Guest OS:        Windows 2003
UUID:            6659f64d-2d06-45a9-98b0-522c446c0120
Config file:     /root/.VirtualBox/Machines/virtualexcsvr/virtualexcsvr.xml
Hardware UUID:   6659f64d-2d06-45a9-98b0-522c446c0120
Memory size:     4092MB
VRAM size:       16MB
Number of CPUs:  2
Synthetic Cpu:   off
CPUID overrides: None
Boot menu mode:  message and menu
Boot Device (1): Floppy
Boot Device (2): DVD
Boot Device (3): HardDisk
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI:            on
IOAPIC:          on
PAE:             on
Time offset:     0 ms
Hardw. virt.ext: on
Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: on
Nested Paging:   on
VT-x VPID:       on
State:           powered off (since 2010-10-15T16:25:38.000000000)
Monitor count:   1
3D Acceleration: off
2D Video Acceleration: off
Teleporter Enabled: off
Teleporter Port: 0
Teleporter Address: 
Teleporter Password: 
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE Controller
Storage Controller Type (0):            ICH6
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Name (1):            Floppy Controller
Storage Controller Type (1):            I82078
Storage Controller Instance Number (1): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (1):  1
Storage Controller Port Count (1):      1
IDE Controller (0, 0): /root/.VirtualBox/HardDisks/newexc.vmdk (UUID: 3a373613-74f7-4817-9700-5ec2423b2962)
IDE Controller (1, 0): Empty
Floppy Controller (0, 0): Empty
NIC 1:           MAC: 0800270123DC, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps
NIC 2:           MAC: 08002750D07D, Attachment: none, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps
NIC 3:           disabled
NIC 4:           disabled
NIC 5:           disabled
NIC 6:           disabled
NIC 7:           disabled
NIC 8:           disabled
UART 1:          disabled
UART 2:          disabled
Audio:           disabled
Clipboard Mode:  Bidirectional
VRDP:            disabled
USB:             enabled

USB Device Filters:

<none>

Shared folders:  <none>

Guest:

Statistics update:                   disabled

Yes, I did increase the memory and I had to remove one of the IDE controllers to get it to import but otherwise?.......

[Perryg]

MAC
Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: off
Linux
Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: on

Turn off VT-x/AMD-v and see if it boots.

[Rastus]

Perry,
Thanks for your reply.
I came to the same conclusion. Thus the title to this thread.

The problem is that I do not know how to change that parameter.

I have tried VBoxManage modifyvm --vtxvpid and VBoxManage modifyvm --hwvirtex with no success.

exactly how does one change the Hardw. virt. ext exclusive setting?

BTW, I am using VBoxHeadless so I need to change it from the command line.
I really appreciate all of your help.

[Perryg]

Normally does not create an issue but this should shut it off completely.

Code: Select all

VBoxManage modifyvm <uuid|name> --hwvirtex off
VBoxManage modifyvm <uuid|name> --hwvirtexexcl off

[Rastus]

Perry,
I didn't see that option in my manual and when I tried it I got:

error: unknown option: --hwvirtexecl

Just changing the ---hwvirtex option did not seem to fix the problem.

Also, when I searched on this topic I came up with several threads that mentioned mucking about in the BIOS but none had any specifics. Since my 64 bit hardware is older and does not support hardware virtualization, I didn't think that would be applicable. Am I incorrect to think that?

[Perryg]

All fails then edit the machine xml and set the false flags for the hard* in the cpu section.
As I said normally this should not make a difference, but I have seen a time or two where people had to edit the xml and set them to false. I don't know why either.

I just tested these commands on one of my VMs and it works as advertised setting the flags on both to true, or false depending on what I told it to do.

[Rastus]

OK,
I edited the .xml file.
now the statistics that print out are the same for the guest that will run (on my Mac) and the guest that will NOT run (on my ubuntu server)

the settings are:

Hardw. virt.ext: on
Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: off
VT-x VPID: on

the message is the same:

VBoxHeadless --startvm "virtualexcsvr"
Sun VirtualBox Headless Interface 3.1.8
(C) 2008-2010 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Listening on port 3389.
Error: failed to start machine. Error message: VT-x is not available. (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX).
Unknown error creating VM (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX)

Are there any other things that I should Try?
Thanks

[Rastus]

I just had to reboot this particular virtualbox server and I noted that it only has one processor. If the virtual guest specifies 2 processors, would that cause this problem?

R