Dificulies Updating VB

[Tanker]

My current configuration is Linux Mint 18.2 running with an Intel Core I7 processor.
The version of VB I currently have installed is virtualbox-5.1_5.1.24-117012~Ubuntu~xenial_amd64.deb with the Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.1.24-117012.vbox-extpack
(yes I think there is a mismatch there )

I'll try to keep this as concise as possible.

I'm new to Linux and VB but I know my processor isn't an AMD and for an Intel I probably should have installed the i386 package. The only thing I can think of is I mis-clicked and downloaded the AMD by mistake. I only just noticed it. Anyway...

Currently VB is running good with my WindowsXP VM. I went to update my system using Update Manager and one of the requirements was to update a few VB guest packages. This drove me to cancel and go to the VB site to see what updates were available. This time I downloaded the i386 package of 5.2.10-122088. Keep in mind, at this point I thought I doing things the correct way and I wasn't aware of the update check in the preferences Double clicking the deb package gave me an error in the Package Installer that it Breaks existing package 'virtualbox-5.1' that conflict: 'virtualbox'. ....

So, in my ignorance I uninstalled VB using Synaptic Package Manager. Then installed the new version, which seem to go well until I tried to launch my VMs. I got some kind of kernel mismatch error and they failed to launch. Unfortunately I didn't record the error. At this point instead of compounding the problems I rolled my system back (using a backup program) to just before I started messing around. Now I'm back to the beginning.

My questions:
1. Should I continue using the AMD VB package and turn on the auto update to update VB?
2. Should I uninstall the AMD package again and install the i386 package? I'm thinking, it may run now, but for how long giving that I have a package installed for a different processor. If I do how do I get the VMs I have created in AMD VB to launch under the i386 VB and avoid the problems I had above? Would I need to use the Export/Import Appliance function to "transfer" the VMs from one version of VB to the other (AMD to i386)?

I hope this is clear without being to long. Can anyone help me get back on the right track?

Stan

[socratis]

virtualbox-5.1_5.1.24-117012
...
VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.1.24-117012
...
I think there is a mismatch there

Nope. Perfect matching...

I know my processor isn't an AMD and for an Intel I probably should have installed the i386 package.

AMD64 = 64-bit OS (your host). i386 = 32-bit OS (your host). Wikipedia is your friend...

I went to update my system using Update Manager ... I downloaded the i386 package of 5.2.10-122088.

That sounds like the beginning of a horror movie...

At this point instead of compounding the problems I rolled my system back (using a backup program) to just before I started messing around.

You ... backup??? You must be one of the few sane ones! Kudos!!!

Here's what's going on: Ubuntu offers a forked VirtualBox in their repositories. You could install it, but be aware that it has its share of problems, and if you want user support, you'll need to head to the Ubuntu forums, not here.

On the other hand there's the official VirtualBox from the Linux Downloads page. There are even instrustions for adding the VirtualBox repository to your own list, so that apt-get (haven't tried my favorite, Synaptic) could get the updates for you from the official site, not the forked one. Look at the "Debian-based Linux distributions", which is what Ubuntu is.

You *need* the AMD64 version if you have a 64-bit OS. Before either downloading directly VirtualBox from the official site, or adding the VirtualBox repository as an approved repository, you need to make absolutely sure that you've cleaned/deleted/purged/nuked to oblivion any VirtualBox system files. That does definitely not include your VMs or your preferences. Just the installed files. Use Synaptic, or "apt-get purge".

BTW, 5.1.24 is ancient in terms of software. We're now up to 5.2.10. Get that!

[Tanker]

virtualbox-5.1_5.1.24-117012
...
VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.1.24-117012
...
I think there is a mismatch there

Nope. Perfect matching...

The mismatch I THOUGHT was between the AMD and i386.

I know my processor isn't an AMD and for an Intel I probably should have installed the i386 package.

AMD64 = 64-bit OS (your host). i386 = 32-bit OS (your host). Wikipedia is your friend...

I've been using computers since the 8088 days. I always thought that i386 referred to the Intel brand of processors and AMD referred to, well, the AMD brand. There really wasn't any ambiguity in my thinking, it was just wrong I'll probably have to stick a post-it on my monitor until the thought of AMD(64) applies to Intel too.

I went to update my system using Update Manager ... I downloaded the i386 package of 5.2.10-122088.

That sounds like the beginning of a horror movie...

Ya, I kind of freaked out

At this point instead of compounding the problems I rolled my system back (using a backup program) to just before I started messing around.

You ... backup??? You must be one of the few sane ones! Kudos!!!

For me, being new to Linux, it's an OCD thing. At least this way I can tweak and if I frack up I can roll it back. Like I just did.

You *need* the AMD64 version if you have a 64-bit OS. Before either downloading directly VirtualBox from the official site, or adding the VirtualBox repository as an approved repository, you need to make absolutely sure that you've cleaned/deleted/purged/nuked to oblivion any VirtualBox system files. That does definitely not include your VMs or your preferences. Just the installed files. Use Synaptic, or "apt-get purge".

BTW, 5.1.24 is ancient in terms of software. We're now up to 5.2.10. Get that!

Cool, thanks for the info. At this point, since I currently have the AMD version from the VB site, I'll turn on the update feature and see what happens. I'm backed up so if it fracks up, I'm good.
Thanks for the help and the learnin'
Stan