virtualbox.org

Had an issue with desktop login looping and errors about upstart after failed attempt to install guest additions version 5.2.1.

To fix I first uninstalled the guest additions by mounting the guest additions cdrom from command prompt after selecting Devices->Insert Guest Additions CD image...
Then press: ctl-alt-f1
Log In
Command: sudo mount /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
Command: cd /media/cdrom
Command: sudo su
Command: cd
Command: cd /media/cdrom
Command: ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run uninstall
Command: exit

I still couldn't login to desktop but was getting less errors on command prompt login.

Then I eventually found that the original install of Guest Additions had broken some targets by looking at system log. I tried a bunch of things but only this seemed to work.

Command: sudo apt-get remove at-spi2-core
Command: sudo apt-get install at-spi2-core

This allowed me to login by fixing targets but had also removed familiar packages like nautilus file manager. So I reinstalled Ubuntu Desktop to see if it would re-add the missing packages.

Command: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

This seemed to fix things for me. I tried a bunch of other fixes like looking for incorrect file permissions that plague other login loop issues but all my permissions were correct and nothing I did would keep me logged into the desktop. Anyway if someone reads this and knows why the Guest Additions are screwing up like this it would be nice to know. I would like to be able to use the bidirectional clipboard feature and installing the software made me panic when I could no longer get to my servers desktop to code.

Thanks.

There's a problem with these guest additions. Only thing that worked for me (just now) was to uninstall with VBoxLinuxAdditions uninstall. Then install the guest additions 5.1.30 you can google the directory of the main site and find it. This is with 3d acceleration on.

Thanks!

I can really use those copy paste features.

I'm going to try the 5.1.3 install on a clone though.
Don't want to risk losing my work again.
Not that it would really be lost but I would not like to have to reconfigure another server.

I would also suggest to try the latest Development Snapshot builds (at the bottom of the page).

Will do.

Thanks.

Is that fresh release socratis? GJ

Well it didn't break the desktop this time but the clipboard feature that I want to use still isn't working.
Host operating system is windows 10 if that matters at all.
That was version 119176.
Should I even bother with the test build 119103?

torsitch wrote:Is that fresh release socratis?

All the development builds are. By definition

Dmajor wrote:Well it didn't break the desktop this time

So that means that your original problem is fixed.

Dmajor wrote:but the clipboard feature that I want to use still isn't working

Maybe you should open a new thread for this and keep it one topic per thread. With an appropriate title...

Revision 119103 also does not break my desktop.

Started a new thread about the clipboard issue.

Sorry about that.