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Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 23. Sep 2012, 17:38
by asktoby
I want to synch my debian guest OS clock to the debian host clock.
I understand this is achieved by installing VBox Guest Additions on the guest.
I am running everything headless on a server so am looking to do this without the GUI.
My host does not have /usr/share/virtualbox/VBoxGuestAdditions.iso.
I have found a link to manually download VBoxGuestAdditions.iso (
http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox) but there are various versions and I do not know which version to get. How can I find out which version of Virtualbox I am running to get the matching iso?
on my host gives 3.2.10_OSEr66523 but there is no 3.2.10 on that page!
Re: Synching debian guest clock to debian host clock
Posted: 23. Sep 2012, 17:46
by Y E T I
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 10:21
by asktoby
I've changed the thread title to better reflect what I'm trying to do.
How can I find out which version of Virtualbox I am running to get the matching VBoxGuestAdditions.iso? Or does it not matter?
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 12:30
by mpack
The correct VBoxGuestAdditions.iso to use with your installed version of VBox is bundled with VBox, and can be found in the VBox program folder. There is no need to look elsewhere for it.
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 15:54
by asktoby
My copy of Virtualbox was installed from debian repos, and /usr/share/virtualbox/VBoxGuestAdditions.iso does not exist.
I'm not sure what you mean by "the VBox program folder"?
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 16:32
by mpack
Then you need to go to the Debian people for support. This site only supports the official Oracle distribution.
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 16:36
by Y E T I
VBoxManage -version
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 18:12
by asktoby
vboxmanage -version: 3.2.10_OSEr66523
I have downloaded
http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualb ... 3.2.10.iso
When I run sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run it fails with:
Code: Select all
Building the main Guest Additions module ...fail!
(Look at /var/log/vboxadd-install.log to find out what went wrong)
Installing the Window System drivers ...fail!
(Could not find the X.Org or XFree86 Window System.)
The full contents of /var/log/vboxadd-install.log are here:
http://pastebin.com/uU5SbCNw
The error seems to be:
echo " ERROR: Kernel configuration is invalid."; \
echo " include/generated/autoconf.h or include/config/auto.conf are missing.";\
echo " Run 'make oldconfig && make prepare' on kernel src to fix it."; \
uname -a gives: Linux Media 3.2.0-31-generic
I've installed build-essential and linux-headers-generic.
I'm not sure where to go from here?
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 18:38
by Y E T I
#sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run --help
will show you
#sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run --nox11
you get shared folders and time sync only without xorg.
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 19:49
by asktoby
Thanks, but the --nox11 flag doesn't seem to make any difference:
$ sudo sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run --nox11
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing VirtualBox 3.2.10 Guest Additions for Linux........
VirtualBox Guest Additions installer
Removing installed version 3.2.10 of VirtualBox Guest Additions...
Uninstalling old VirtualBox DKMS kernel modules ...done.
Building the VirtualBox Guest Additions kernel modules
Building the main Guest Additions module ...fail!
(Look at /var/log/vboxadd-install.log to find out what went wrong)
Installing the Window System drivers ...fail!
(Could not find the X.Org or XFree86 Window System.)
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 25. Sep 2012, 20:05
by Y E T I
of course there is an error installing the x system. you don't have it. the time sync should as well as the shared folders.
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 26. Sep 2012, 15:21
by asktoby
I believe you are suggesting that the guest additions have installed correctly except for the X11 portion?
I think that this may not be the case.
My /var/log/vboxadd-install.log reports lots of install errors:
http://pastebin.com/uU5SbCNw
Also, running $ VBoxService gives
: error: VbglR3Init failed with rc=VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND.
Also, time synchronisation is not working.
It seems to me that the guest additions have not installed?
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 26. Sep 2012, 18:43
by JKyleOKC
I had the exact same error, attempting to install 64-bit guest additions for vbox 3.2.12; the 32-bit additions, however, worked properly on other VMs in the same host. Apparently one of the header files is missing from the vbox iso file itself, or an uncompress action is failing...
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 27. Sep 2012, 13:51
by asktoby
Should I try using a more recent VBoxGuestAdditions iso with my 3.2.10 install? Which would you suggest?
Re: Installing VBoxGuestAdditions headless?
Posted: 27. Sep 2012, 16:23
by asktoby
I took a gamble and downloaded the 3.2.14 guest additions iso.
Code: Select all
sudo sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing VirtualBox 3.2.14 Guest Additions for Linux........
VirtualBox Guest Additions installer
Removing installed version 3.2.10 of VirtualBox Guest Additions...
Uninstalling old VirtualBox DKMS kernel modules ...done.
Building the VirtualBox Guest Additions kernel modules
Doing non-kernel setup of the Guest Additions ...done.
Starting the VirtualBox Guest Additions ...done.
Installing the Window System drivers ...fail!
(Could not find the X.Org or XFree86 Window System.)
...it seems to be working! My guest clock is now synched to the host.
I guess my only concern now is that it is not managed by apt so, when I come to update debian, Virtualbox will be left behind.