virtualbox.org

So, here's what's going on: some time ago I downloaded VirtualBox on an Ubuntu 16.04 and created a Windows 10 64 bit VM for various reasons. Then saved the image on a disk (not sure if it was shut down first), then reinstalled Ubuntu, and installed VirtualBox again. Not sure what VirtualBox I got the first time (I was unaware there are two versions - WHY?!!!). The second time it seems I got the PUEL version. When I try to start the VM I get the error below (may be due to PUEL/OSE incompatibility). My question is: how can I tell if the image is PUEL or OSE? I looked all over the .vbox and the log files, and there is no note of this apparently crucial option. Why? Who thought that this would be a great idea?

Anyway, enough ranting. Thanks for the help. If PUEL vs OSE is not the issue, any other ideas?

Error text:


RTR3InitEx failed with rc=-1912 (rc=-1912)

The VirtualBox kernel modules do not match this version of VirtualBox. The installation of VirtualBox was apparently not successful. Executing

'/sbin/vboxconfig'

may correct this. Make sure that you do not mix the OSE version and the PUEL version of VirtualBox.

where: supR3HardenedMainInitRuntime what: 4 VERR_VM_DRIVER_VERSION_MISMATCH (-1912) - The installed support driver doesn't match the version of the user

Best,
Mihai

There's no such thing as PUEL or OSE any more - there hasn't been for quite a few years. VirtualBox is open source, period, and covered by GPL. Oracle also makes available an optional closed source plugin (the extension pack) which provides the features which the devs don't want to publish source for, and which used to be part of the PUEL edition.

One of the downsides of open source is that any Tom, Dick or Harriet can take the source and create a fork. Which is fine, but don't expect the forked version to be supported here. As to why the Ubuntu people created a fork - you'd have to ask them that.

I don't recognize the error, but I'd guess that perhaps the guest is in a saved state (so discard the saved state) and/or VirtualBox has not been installed properly (compiled for the wrong kernel then moved?). Perhaps you need to completely purge the previous software installation (not the VMs, just the software) before (re)installing the official version, using the install instructions from the manual.

1. Thanks God that there is no more PUEL /OSE nonsense.

2. I can't tell you how I installed - the forum would not let me for fear of posting URLs.

sbin$ sudo ./vboxconfig
vboxdrv.sh: Stopping VirtualBox services.
vboxdrv.sh: Building VirtualBox kernel modules.
vboxdrv.sh: Starting VirtualBox services.
sbin$

After that upon start it tells me that there is some file missing. I thought that the images are in the ./Snapshots/*.sav, but it is looking for a different file somewhere else. I'll try to retrieve that to see if it solves the problem.

Thanks for the help,
Mihai

Details for 2 above: I used the approach in https://tecadmin.net/install-oracle-vir ... on-ubuntu/

Stupid forum would not let me post the link or even the bash script (uses wget).

The tutorial referenced does seem to show how to install the official version. So now you need only make sure to purge any fork versions you might have.