Crash after open Preferences

[mateo.sb]

Hello,

I'm using the VirtualBox version 5.1.38_Ubuntu r122592 in Linux Mint Cinnamon 18.3. Since a few days, VirtualBox manager crashes right after opening Preferences menu (File -> Preferences). I'm sure it didn't happen before as I went to that menu to configure the VirtualBox after installation a couple of months ago. As far as I know, I didn't perform any major change in my configuration that could lead to this behaviour.

Thanks for your help.

[scottgus1]

I'm using the VirtualBox version 5.1.38_Ubuntu r122592

This is actually Ubuntu's fork, which they support on their forums.

But, try this:
Log off and back on again to shut down all Virtualbox processes.
Go to /home/{you}/.config/Virtualbox.
Rename Virtualbox.xml to Virtualbox.xml-bad
Rename Virtualbox.xml-prev to Virtualbox.xml
Try Virtualbox again.

[mateo.sb]

It didn't work. Thank you anyways. I'm going to ask in Ubuntu's forum

Edit:
Actual name of the program was Oracle VM VirtualBox Version 5.1.38_Ubuntu r122592

[scottgus1]

If you have a basic setup without any changes in the main Virtualbox window's File menu, Preferences, then you might be able to rename Virtualbox.xml to Virtualbox.xml-bad without doing anything else (do the log off and log on again) then Virtualbox will make a fresh new Virtualbox.xml, and you can re-register your guests.

[mateo.sb]

Unfortunately, it didn't work either. I think, it will be easier to reinstall it.

Thanks for your help.

[mpack]

Reinstalling will do nothing about bad config files. Reinstalls only replace programs, not data.

Is the config actually bad? Did you look at VirtualBox.xml? Because if the config is fine then that would indicate a problem with your host, perhaps in the Qt library or the graphics driver.

[mateo.sb]

But if I delete everything, the new installation can set up the right configuration again, don't? The first time I installed the virtual box, I could go to Preferences.

[mpack]

Reinstalling does not delete everything. If you reinstalled a word processor would you expect to lose all your documents?

Please answer the questions I asked previously.

[mateo.sb]

Of course, I meant manually deleting everything related to the virtualbox. Every folder created during the installation and then having a pre-installation environment.

The file VirtualBox.xml looks fine to me, but I'm nott sure about how it should look like. I can send you the file to check it everything is fine, but I don't know if it's safe to put that file here (because of the IP, etc. it contains)

[mpack]

Of course, I meant manually deleting everything related to the virtualbox. Every folder created during the installation and then having a pre-installation environment

Simply deleting VirtualBox.xml is enough to make VirtualBox recreate that file, but you said you already tried that. Deleting everything else won't make the software do a better job of repairing VirtualBox.xml, which is where global preferences are stored.

VirtualBox.xml does not contain any host IPs, only IPs for simulated networks, none of which are accessible from outside (only your IT providers IP is visible to the outside world).

However that's moot because I don't think I need to see it. If VirtualBox.xml was corrupted or empty then that would be very obvious, so you do not have a problem with that file. Your problem is something else, probably not even inside VirtualBox.

I think we need a more precise description of the crash, and evidence that it happens with a genuine install of VirtualBox (no third party forks of the open sources).

[mateo.sb]

I installed the Virtualbox through the Software manager. The description of the software is:
"VirtualBox is a free x86 virtualization solution allowing a wide range of x86 operating systems such as Windows, DOS, BSD or Linux to run on a Linux system.
This packages provides the Qt based graphical user interface for VirtualBox.
https://www.virtualbox.org/

Details:
Package virtualbox-qt
Version 5.1.38-dsf-0ubuntu1.16.04.3"

I'm also sending the log files generated after the crash. I hope the are useful.

[fth0]

An educated guess:

Check if /mnt/hhd1tb/Windows 10.vdi is accessible to the user msb, and that you're starting the VirtualBox Manager also as user msb.

And a far-fetched guess:

00:00:00.106611 nspr-2   USB: Unknown USB device detected (idVendor: 0x8087, idProduct: 0x0a2a)
00:00:00.106659 nspr-2   Successfully initialised host USB using sysfs
00:00:00.109890 nspr-2   NetIfAdpCtlOut: VBoxNetAdpCtl: Error while retrieving link speed for wlp2s0: VBoxNetAdpCtl: ioctl failed: Operation not supported

On you Linux host, for a test, disable the drivers for the Intel Bluetooth adapter and the Wireless network adapter wlp2s0, and test if the problem persists. Intel's wireless and bluetooth drivers are widespread, but not without problems. This is not VirtualBox specific, but could somehow influence it.