Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system [Solved]

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Galen10

Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system [Solved]

Post by Galen10 »

I've just tried to change my LMDE systems to use the new mintupdate-debian and the "latest" repository. I run one under Windows 7 using VirtualBox (latest edition) and the other on an old laptop. The Laptop system is fine, but I have come across a problem running under VirtualBox. Having updated the systems the kernel was updated from something ending in 686 to 686pae and it is with the latter that the problem lies. When I boot to this kernel Virtualbox's Guest Additions won't install. They are essential to run full screen - otherwise my old eyes have to cope with running in a little window. Attempting to install gives this error:-

Quote on ..........................................................................................

bob@debian-desktop /media/cdrom0 $ sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions.run
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing VirtualBox 4.0.12 Guest Additions for Linux.........
VirtualBox Guest Additions installer
Removing installed version 4.0.12 of VirtualBox Guest Additions...
Removing existing VirtualBox DKMS kernel modules ...done.
Removing existing VirtualBox non-DKMS kernel modules ...done.
Building the VirtualBox Guest Additions kernel modules
The headers for the current running kernel were not found. If the following
module compilation fails then this could be the reason.
...fail!
Your system does not seem to be set up to build kernel modules.
Look at /var/log/vboxadd-install.log to find out what went wrong.
Once you have corrected it, you can run

/etc/init.d/vboxadd setup

to build them.

Doing non-kernel setup of the Guest Additions ...done.
Installing the Window System drivers
Installing X.Org Server 1.10 modules ...done.
Setting up the Window System to use the Guest Additions ...done.
You may need to restart the hal service and the Window System (or just restart
the guest system) to enable the Guest Additions.

Installing graphics libraries and desktop services components ...done.

Quote off..................................................................................

The log referred to doesn't mean much to me - it just says :-

Quote on.................................................................................

Uninstalling modules from DKMS
Attempting to install using DKMS

Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/vboxguest/4.0.12/source ->
/usr/src/vboxguest-4.0.12

DKMS: add Completed.

Error! Your kernel headers for kernel 2.6.39-2-686-pae cannot be found at
/lib/modules/2.6.39-2-686-pae/build or /lib/modules/2.6.39-2-686-pae/source.
You can use the --kernelsourcedir option to tell DKMS where it's located.
Failed to install using DKMS, attempting to install without
Makefile:23: *** Error: unable to find the sources of your current Linux kernel. Specify KERN_DIR=<directory> and run Make again.. Stop.
Creating user for the Guest Additions.
Creating udev rule for the Guest Additions kernel module.

Quote off.............................................................................

Being fairly non-technical this means little to me except that it would appear that the new kernel is incomplete (no headers?) or in the wrong directory, or not configured correctly. I can get round the problem by booting to the old (none sae) kernel in Grub and re-installing the Vitualbox Guest Additions, but such an error looks to me as though it may cause other problems elsewhere, and would be better fixed now before it becomes too deeply embedded in the update system.

Regards,

Bob

I have written this long diatribe not so much because I'd like a fix for it, (I would, of course) but because we were asked to report back on problems with the new system.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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xenopeek
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Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system

Post by xenopeek »

See if you have the package linux-headers-2.6.39-2-686-pae installed, and the package build-essential.

Either use GUI package manager, or:

Code: Select all

dpkg -l | egrep -i "linux-headers-2.6.39-2-686-pae|build-essential"
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Galen10

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system

Post by Galen10 »

xenopeek wrote:See if you have the package linux-headers-2.6.39-2-686-pae installed, and the package build-essential.

Either use GUI package manager, or:

Code: Select all

dpkg -l | egrep -i "linux-headers-2.6.39-2-686-pae|build-essential"
"build e3ssential" was there, but linux-headers-2.6.39-2-686-pae was not. I added it, and was then able to install the Guest Additions. All is now as it should be - thank you very much for your help.
I assume that the missing package should have been included as a dependency in the recent update to the kernel - maybe I should let someone know but I don't know who - perhaps they're reading this?

Regards,

Bob
on4aa

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system

Post by on4aa »

Normally, GRUB should still offer you the possibility to start the old 686 non-pae kernel. Do so.
Then in the package manager, choose to instal linux-image-486 and completely remove the 686-pae kernel (not the 686 kernel that you are running!).
The linux-image-486 is a specially conceived image to catch this problem of the 686-pae not running with single core (virtual) machines.
After that, reboot your machine and choose this new 486 kernel in GRUB.
If you like, you can revisit the package manager know to completely remove the old 686 (non-pae) kernel since you will need it no longer.

I got this information from a warning that appeared during the update process. (Sometimes it is useful to read the warnings :P )

The only thing that I could not get to work -and this is why I ended up here- are the VirtualBox guest additions,
and it seems I am not alone: http://www.debianuserforums.org/viewtop ... =864#p9483
Last edited by on4aa on Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Galen10

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system [Solved]

Post by Galen10 »

One of my problems is not that I don't read the warnings, but I often don't understand them if I see them - I'm still learning a few bits about Linux as I go along. Having said that, I have no recollection of having been warned a) that the new kernel was being installed at all or b) that it was going to screw up my VirtualBox system. When you say you could not get the VB Guest Additions to work, do you mean you still could not after you had installed linux-image-486? If so, I'll stick with 686-pae, now I've got it working.
on4aa

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system [Solved]

Post by on4aa »

No hard feelings. I am also still learning.
Good for you that you got the 686-pae working via an essential rebuild, but don't be surprised when it breaks again with a next update.

As for the VirtualBox guest additions, I cannot for sure tell you why it no longer works because I updated VirtualBox, VirtualBox Additions and LMDE all on the same day (yesterday).

Code: Select all

sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions.run
runs and exits normally,... but at least dynamic window resizing does not work.

I also tried to install the VirtualBox additions from the repository, but this does not work either.

Nonetheless I suspect the VirtualBox Additions 4.1.0_73009 are at fault.
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xenopeek
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Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system

Post by xenopeek »

Galen10 wrote:I assume that the missing package should have been included as a dependency in the recent update to the kernel - maybe I should let someone know but I don't know who - perhaps they're reading this?
There is no dependency from the kernel image on the kernel headers, as the headers are only used to build things and are not needed by default (opinions on that differ :D). But now that you have the kernel headers installed, future updates to the kernel will also install new kernel headers version. Perhaps you do need to repeat the steps to get the guest additions working again, I'm not sure.
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Galen10

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system [Solved]

Post by Galen10 »

I'm using the latest v 4.1.12 VirtualBox direct from the Oracle Website, and also their extension pack. I'm guessing from your version number yours is not - so that might be worth a try. I gather there are some differences between that and the other versions that are less "commercial" - not the least that Oracle's has USB support. Whether or not it includes better window re-sizing I don't know. Another guess is that it may not re-size if you haven't got your screen resolution set high enough within Linux to force the larger page size?
Galen10

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system

Post by Galen10 »

xenopeek wrote:
Galen10 wrote:I assume that the missing package should have been included as a dependency in the recent update to the kernel - maybe I should let someone know but I don't know who - perhaps they're reading this?
There is no dependency from the kernel image on the kernel headers, as the headers are only used to build things and are not needed by default (opinions on that differ :D). But now that you have the kernel headers installed, future updates to the kernel will also install new kernel headers version. Perhaps you do need to repeat the steps to get the guest additions working again, I'm not sure.
Ah, that's good, I won't have to keep repeating the procedure then. Re-installing the Guest Additions is no problem even though the autorun script doesn't work in Debian - I know the commands from memory now I've done them so many times :-(

Thanks again for your help.
on4aa

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system [Solved]

Post by on4aa »

This is an update to a previous reply. Virtualbox Additions now also work.

The problem arises from the fact that the 686-pae kernel will not work on single-core virtual or non-virtual (e.g. 486) machines.

Normally, GRUB should still offer you the possibility to start the old 686 non-pae kernel. Do so.
Then in the package manager, choose to instal both linux-image-486 and linux-headers-486, furthermore completely remove the 686-pae kernel and its headers
(not the 686 kernel that you are running!).

The linux-image-486 is a specially conceived image to catch this problem of the 686-pae not running on single-core (virtual) or older machines.
After that, reboot your machine and choose this new 486 kernel in GRUB.
If you like, you can revisit the package manager know to completely remove the old 686 (non-pae) kernel and its headers since you will need them no longer.

I got this information from warnings that appeared during the update process.
Unlike the solution offered earler, this solution will keep on working with kernel upgrades. Virtualbox Additions also install and function propoerly as long as the linux-headers-486 are installed together with linux-image-486.
Galen10

Re: Update to "Latest" breaks Virtualbox system [Solved]

Post by Galen10 »

Thanks for the update. I've changed to the 486 kernel, and all is running OK, and should now stay that way.

Regards,

Bob
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