Busy box kernel 2.6.38

[mkopacz]

I am unable to get virtualbox to boot a guest OS with a kernel version of 2.6.38

I have a busybox/tinylogin based operating system that I boot off of a usb stick. If I plug into a machine this boots fine. When I change my grub menu and compile into a vdi it will not boot in virtual box.

Does virtual box support 2.6.38 kernel versions?

It didn't work with an older version of virtualbox so i upgraded to the latest it still doesn't seem to work.

any idea would be great thanks...

[Perryg]

VirtualBox does not support booting from USB.

[mkopacz]

I don't boot from USB I compile it into a VDI file before booting

Code: Select all

sudo dd if=/dev/sdb | VBoxManage convertfromraw stdin xxxx.vdi  xxxxxmediasizexxx

[Perryg]

In that case I am not sure what you issue cold be. I have several guests that have the 2.6.38-* kernel, so yes VirtualBox supports it.

[mkopacz]

in your 2.6.38's are you using grub 0.97 or something else?

[Perryg]

1.99

[mkopacz]

I found a solution, I'm not 100% positive as to why it is working. Perhaps you can provide some additional insight. With your VDI's.

I found that using a SATA controller instead of and IDE controller will allow for my VDI's to boot. Are you using IDE or SATA controllers for your Virtual machines?

If SATA could you try switching to IDE, then we can possibly say its a problem with IDE and 2.6.38.*

[Perryg]

Works for me with either. I would say if it works using SATA for you and not IDE there might be an issue with your kernel.

[jimjamsgolf]

I believe that GRUB 0.97 causes a problem with VirtualBox, but only when the hardware virtualization is enabled, so you can disable it [System->Acceleration->Hardware virtualization].

I have a linux host and windows xp guest configured to load either windows or grub 0.97 via a entry in boot.ini. My grub config loads G4L (which is based on busybox).

In my GRUB menu I select G4L enter, and then VirtualBox VM crashes and I do not get to the "Decompressing Linux ..." stage unless I turn the Hardware acceleration off, if you get to this stage then it is not a GRUB problem.

I have done a

dd if=/dev/sdb | VBoxManage convertfromraw stdin fred.vdi 1073741824

and it is not causing me any problems.

I've just seen your recent message ... does the kernel actually boot and then complains about something or just not boot? Is there anything in the startup scripts / fstab referring to sda, which will not be availabe using IDE.