virtualbox problem

[barf]

I am having the same problem. RPMfusion have not released the kernel module to match the 3.6.3 kernel. If I try yo build it as suggested above I get

sudo /etc/sysconfig/modules/VirtualBox.modules
[sudo] password for xxxxxx:
ERROR: Module vboxdrv not found.
ERROR: Module vboxnetflt not found.
ERROR: Module vboxnetadp not found.

[smr54]

Here is what I do, and I never have problems.

I download the rpm from Virtualbox.org

I make sure that I have the same version of running kernel and kernel-devel

rpm -q kernel-devel

uname -r

For example, on this CentOS machine

2.6.32-279.11.1.el6.centos.plus.x86_64

kernel-devel-2.6.32-279.11.1.el6.centos.plus.x86_64

If those two numbers are different, or if you have a kernel with PAE in the name and kernel-devel doesn't, then you have trouble
I don't worry about dkms--I do have to run /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup each time I upgrade a kernel, but this way, I can also see if there's a problem.

However, assuming I have the necessary tools, bzip2, tar, gcc, make, and automake (I'm not sure if all those are necessary) then I've never had issues with Fedora and VirtualBox. In contrast, those who use the Fedora repo (including the one that is or was offered by VirtualBox) or rpmfusion seem to have issues from time to time.

For me it's just much easier to continue to do it manually and seems to avoid problems.

[barf]

@SMR45, that's how I used to do it but I haven't used VB for a while and I thought I'd try using the one from the rpmfusion repo but they are a bit lacking in getting the updated kernel module out for the current kernel, which is the problem here. The solution is simple, just pick the previous kernel from the grub menu and use that until they issue the new module. That is unless you also have the Nvidia driver from rpmfusion installed as well in which case you will find that you can't get X on the previous kernel because you don't have an Nvidia driver installed to match the old kernel. The solution is simple, just remove the Nvidia driver from your current kernel before you try to use the previous one. I think I'll just use the nouveau driver in future, (I don't really know why I keep installing the Nvidia one) and get my VB direct from oracle again - once their website is back up that is. It's been an interesting couple of days :-)

[Bert Rolston]

Up until I moved from F14 to F17 I didn't have any of these problems.
Even after the first couple of kernel updates on F17 the VBox updates stayed in step.

For the last 2-3 kernel updates I've noticed it takes up to a week for the VBox kernel modules to catch up.
So this time I held off for several days, no good.

When I did run into this problem I simply reverted to the previous kernel at boot time and VBox worked.

Buuttttt.............................

This time I can't even get the earlier kernel versions to go all the way to the login prompt.

So I thought I could try accessing another virtual machine using VMM ...... script errors and it won't launch.

So now I can't access the Windows cashbook program I need for my business.
Cashbook will run in wine, but the data file is on a server and it corrupts regularly using wine.

[smr54]

Other possibilities, if you have another machine available. Install Ubuntu, Mint, or another more conservative distribution on the new machine, install VirtualBox on it, then copy over your Windows vdi file.

Unfortunately, sometimes Fedora, and no doubt, other distributions that I don't use as heavily, so that _I_ haven't encountered the issue, have packages that are missing something I need, or are simply broken. Sometimes, it seems to be as simple as the packager using Gnome, or possibly other desktop environments, and not realizing that if one uses a more minimalistic window manager, such as dwm, a dependency doesn't get installed. Sometimes, I'm sure it's just human error. At any rate, for me, I find I have better luck with a few programs if I install them from source rather than Fedora's package.

[noori]

Hi,
Don't throw the problem, Solve it!
if you use PAE kernel, you should install PAE packages for all kmods, such as VirtualBox, wl and ...
you can use this

yum install kmod-VirtualBox-PAE

[Bert Rolston]

I checked that the correct file versions were installed. I've been using VirtualBox since F12 so am pretty familiar with it's idiosyncrasies.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Here's my problem.

Kernel = Kernel Linux 3.6.3-1.fc17.i686.PAE

VBox kmod files = Linux kernel 3.6.2-4.fc17.i686.PAE

When I try to boot to Linux kernel 3.6.2-4.fc17.i686.PAE the it never gets to the GDM login screen. The same thing happens to the kernel before that.

The last 2 or 3 kernel updates have had the same problem - VBox kmods are updated a significant time AFTER the kernel has been updated.
I'll just have to wait a while longer. I thought I had waited long enough this time but obviously not.

I have been contemplating a switch to KVM but right now it is broken as well.
That's why I am stuck with nothing.

This is my main work machine so installing a different distro isn't really an option (time limitations).
Prior to F17 the VBox updates were usually right in step with the kernel updates.

What it has shown me is I MUST get my Centos VM server up and running so I am less vulnerable to living on the bleeding edge.
Having said that, this bleeding edge is still better than the window pains I fix every day!
And I have been using Redhat / Fedora since 1999 while fixing Windows most of that time.

---------- Post added at 01:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:07 PM ----------

Originally Posted by barf

SNIP ...... I think I'll just use the nouveau driver in future, (I don't really know why I keep installing the Nvidia one) and get my VB direct from oracle again - once their website is back up that is. It's been an interesting couple of days :-)

Hey barf, I know why I use the NVidia driver....
It handles multiple screens correctly eg. the laptop screen and a projector OR my docking station with a different size / resolution LCD monitor.

I've never had as much control over this stuff with the nouveau driver.

So I'm hindered by my desire to get the best resolution out of ALL my video devices, or compatibility and not be able to use at least the projector / laptop simultaneously.

Up until this kernel update I could use the previous kernel with NVidia drivers as well.

[barf]

Bert see my post above. If you have also installed the Nividia driver from RPMfusion you wil not be able to get a display on the old kernels. You need to boot up the kernel that works and remove the Nvidia driver then roll back the kernel.

Originally Posted by Bert Rolston

Up until I moved from F14 to F17 I didn't have any of these problems.
Even after the first couple of kernel updates on F17 the VBox updates stayed in step.

For the last 2-3 kernel updates I've noticed it takes up to a week for the VBox kernel modules to catch up.
So this time I held off for several days, no good.

When I did run into this problem I simply reverted to the previous kernel at boot time and VBox worked.

Buuttttt.............................

This time I can't even get the earlier kernel versions to go all the way to the login prompt.

So I thought I could try accessing another virtual machine using VMM ...... script errors and it won't launch.

So now I can't access the Windows cashbook program I need for my business.
Cashbook will run in wine, but the data file is on a server and it corrupts regularly using wine.

[weitjong]

I managed to resolve my own VB problem "again" today. Here is what I have just done.

yum reinstall VirtualBox akmod-VirtualBox kmod-VirtualBox

After reboot, I am able to launch VB without error and now posting this in my guess "Lion" running under F17 64-bit version. There is no change in the kernel version. Still 3.6.3-1.fc17.x86_64. I am not entirely sure whether it is the act of reinstalling that fixes the problem or it is because just nice the kmod-VirtualBox just get updated in the repo.

Here is the version I got:
VirtualBox-4.2.0-3.fc17.x86_64
akmod-VirtualBox-4.2.0-1.fc17.x86_64
kmod-VirtualBox-4.2.0-1.fc17.4.x86_64

[Bert Rolston]

Originally Posted by barf

Bert see my post above. If you have also installed the Nividia driver from RPMfusion you wil not be able to get a display on the old kernels. You need to boot up the kernel that works and remove the Nvidia driver then roll back the kernel.

Thanks barf,
I saw your previous post. As I stated at the bottom of my last post I NEED the nVidia driver for the improved functionality.
If I revert to the noveau driver, I only get 1024 x 768 resolution on my 19" widescreen when the laptop is attached to the docking station.
I also have great difficulty controlling output to S-Video or VGA projectors using the Nouveau drivers.

I would much rather walk to another room and use a grotty old laptop to enter info into the financials then mess around with a temporary problem on my main work machine.

---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 AM ----------

Originally Posted by weitjong

I managed to resolve my own VB problem "again" today. Here is what I have just done.

yum reinstall VirtualBox akmod-VirtualBox kmod-VirtualBox

After reboot, I am able to launch VB without error and now posting this in my guess "Lion" running under F17 64-bit version. There is no change in the kernel version. Still 3.6.3-1.fc17.x86_64. I am not entirely sure whether it is the act of reinstalling that fixes the problem or it is because just nice the kmod-VirtualBox just get updated in the repo.

Here is the version I got:
VirtualBox-4.2.0-3.fc17.x86_64
akmod-VirtualBox-4.2.0-1.fc17.x86_64
kmod-VirtualBox-4.2.0-1.fc17.4.x86_64

Hi Weitjong,
I am only running the kmods because, as I understand things, the system is an either or case. Either AKMOD or KMOD but not both.
However I will try the akmod if it fixes the problem.

Thanks,
Bert

[weitjong]

That is not how I understand it. I believe the kmod and akmod is not mutually exclusive. If the system has the kmod installed, whenever there is a newer kmod version in the repo matching the installed kernel in the system then the package manager (e.g. yum) will download and update it when performing packages update. However, if there isn't any in the repo that matches the installed kernel then this is where the akmod comes in. If akmod is installed then the kernel module will automatically be rebuilt from the akmod source rpm and immediately installed. The system will use this locally built kernel module until the package manager installed the matching kmod in the next update. Well, at least that is how I understand kmod-nvidia works.

As mentioned in my post #24 above, I am not sure why kmod-Virtualbox did not rebuild the kernel module correctly. I prefer KVM/Qemu in the past and only have VB installed in my F17 recently, so I don't know whether the akmod-Virtualbox always behave unreliable like this or is it just lately in F17.

[barf]

Originally Posted by weitjong

If akmod is installed then the kernel module will automatically be rebuilt from the akmod source rpm and immediately installed. The system will use this locally built kernel module until the package manager installed the matching kmod in the next update. .

Thanks for the tip, I've done a little research to confirm it and all you need is the akmod package (and the kernel development headers) and it will build the new module to match the installed kernel. I am assuming this is a two way street ie if you downgrade the kernel akmod will build the matching module. That would explain why I've never had this issue in the past. Some experimenting to done, but not this week.

[sea]

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showth...=1#post1612332

[Bert Rolston]

Originally Posted by sea

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showth...=1#post1612332

Your comment above got the old gray matter churning .............. slowly after a day of messing around fixing VISTA machines.

I took weitjong's advice yesterday, but it didn't work and when I ran /etc/sysconfig/modules/VirtualBox.modules it made some noises about missing modules.

So this afternoon I tried running VirtualBox again, got the obligatory message with /etc/sysconfig........... that I decided to run again.
Lo and behold no error messages.
So I ran VirtualBox and I am back in business.


I've been getting rather frustrated because
virt-manager was throwing random python error message, I didn't really want to set up KVM bridging

Thanks for all the mental stimulus folks.
I'm back in business.

[weitjong]

Just performed a yum update on my F17 today. It appears the kernel package maintainers are quite busy lately. My system is now installed with yet another newer kernel version (3.6.5-1). Fortunately, this time round yum also able to find the matching kmod-VirtualBox-3.6.5-1 in the repo. So after rebooting, my VB still works. Strangely, so far I have never done the /etc/sysconfig/.... thingy to make VB work but I am happy to hear it works for you.