[SOLVED] Virtualbox no longer works since upgrading to LM 20.3

[kanichiro]

Recently, I upgraded from LM 20.0 to Linux Mint 20.3 Una. Both versions run with Cinnamon desktop.
Previously, I tried upgrading to LM 20.1 but had some problems so I reinstalled LM 20.0.

Under LM 20.0 Virtualbox ran flawlessly. However, since upgrading to Linux Mint 20.3 Una, I am unable to get Virtualbox to run at all.

This is the error I get when I try to launch Virtualbox.

This is my system info:

Code: Select all

terceira@terceira:~$ inxi -Fxz
System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-96-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una 
  base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Convertible System: ASUSTeK product: Q535UD v: 1.0 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: ASUSTeK model: Q535UD v: 1.0 serial: <filter> 
  UEFI: American Megatrends v: Q535UD.303 date: 04/16/2019 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 43.8 Wh condition: 44.4/52.6 Wh (84%) 
  model: ASUSTeK ASUS Battery status: Not charging 
  Device-1: hid-0018:04F3:2557.0001-battery model: ELAN2557:00 04F3:2557 
  charge: N/A status: N/A 
  Device-2: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech K350 
  charge: 70% (should be ignored) status: Discharging 
  Device-3: hidpp_battery_1 model: Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse 
  charge: 55% (should be ignored) status: Discharging 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-8550U bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Kaby Lake rev: A L2 cache: 8192 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 31999 
  Speed: 700 MHz min/max: 400/4000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 729 2: 788 
  3: 742 4: 743 5: 785 6: 743 7: 795 8: 789 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 vendor: ASUSTeK driver: i915 v: kernel 
  bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP107M [GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile] vendor: ASUSTeK 
  driver: N/A bus ID: 01:00.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting 
  unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.3 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio vendor: ASUSTeK 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-96-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless 8265 / 8275 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: e000 
  bus ID: 02:00.0 
  IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
  IF-ID-1: tun0 state: unknown speed: 10 Mbps duplex: full mac: N/A 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 2.05 TiB used: 275.02 GiB (13.1%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Micron model: 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN size: 238.47 GiB 
  ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST2000LM007-1R8174 size: 1.82 TiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 1.24 TiB used: 186.99 GiB (14.7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb3 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 55.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 2400 
Info:
  Processes: 254 Uptime: 2h 21m Memory: 15.52 GiB used: 1.80 GiB (11.6%) 
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 
  inxi: 3.0.38

I seldom run Virtualbox, but as LM 20.0 runs everything without a hitch, I might revert back to the older operating system.


Thanks for any and all help!

kanichiro

[RIH]

What happens when you try what the error message suggests & put

Code: Select all

sudo /sbin/vboxconfig

in a terminal??

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

This is related to kernel, not to Linux Mint version. Reverting back to 20.0, you would get the same problem at the next kernel change.

So, try first "sudo /sbin/vboxconfig", then if failed, try to re-install VirtualBox.

Regards,

MN

[kanichiro]

Hi,

This is related to kernel, not to Linux Mint version. Reverting back to 20.0, you would get the same problem at the next kernel change.

So, try first "sudo /sbin/vboxconfig", then if failed, try to re-install VirtualBox.

Regards,

MN

I tried the command you suggested with no success, and then I uninstalled Virtualbox and reinstalled it.

This is my latest error.

Code: Select all

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine IE10 - Win7.

The virtual machine 'IE10 - Win7' has terminated unexpectedly during startup with exit code 1 (0x1).

Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component: MachineWrap
Interface: IMachine {85632c68-b5bb-4316-a900-5eb28d3413df}

I'm lost...

[kanichiro]

FYI: One thing I forgot to mention in my OP is that after I upgraded to LM 20.3 Virtualbox was no longer installed. The upgrading removed the Virtualbox I had installed. When I installed VB after I upgraded to LM20.3, a screen appeared that I had never seen before during a VB installation (see attached screen shot.)

[Pierre]

that error rc=1908 is an fairly common error.

it does relate to an upgrade / update in the LinuxMint Kernel
and the VB software has to be recompiled, in order to associate to the new kernel.

the error can usually be resolved, by using the suggested command:
- in an Terminal Box,
- with the SUDO command preceding the suggested command.

on most cases, the situation is easily resolved,
however,
it can be found, again, on each & every Linux Kernel update.

[MikeNovember]

FYI: One thing I forgot to mention in my OP is that after I upgraded to LM 20.3 Virtualbox was no longer installed. The upgrading removed the Virtualbox I had installed. When I installed VB after I upgraded to LM20.3, a screen appeared that I had never seen before during a VB installation (see attached screen shot.)

Hi,

A search in internet shows that this kind of error is very frequent with VirtualBox, with various error messages explaining how to solve the problem; generally problem remains unsolved.

It is strange that upgrade to Mint 20.3 did remove your VB installation. Did you perform a simple upgrade (using update manager) or a fresh install from an ISO? In an upgrade, nothing should be removed, just updated if a new version is available.

What version of VB did you install ? 6.1.26 repos' one or 6.1.32 from VB website ? The bug might have been corrected in the most recent version.

Have you an EFI computer with Secure Boot activated? In that case, the screen you got when trying to install VB is probably there for you to enter a Secure Boot password and sign VB kernel modules. This problem is addressed in VB user manual, here: https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserM ... linux-host

I use VMware Workstation Player for Linux (version 16.2.1). It is a freeware for personal use. Before to use it I made a comparison with VB:
- VB installation is done in three steps (VB and extension pack on host, guest additions on guest) while VMware one is done is two steps (VMware on host and vmware tools on guest).
- Windows installation in VMware is easier and faster than in VB, thanks to an automation assistant.
- VB has lots of graphics limitation (graphics memory size in very limited, while you can go up to 1GB for VMware; in VMware you can get OpenGL 4.6 and DirectX 12 in Windows 10, provided your host has an Nvidia card, while in VB you can get OpenGL 2.1 only).
- VMware is much faster and more versatile than VB.
- VMware has lost its Unity Mode in version 12 as soon as host or guest is Linux, while VB has kept its host integration mode. (This is the only VB advantage).

When kernel changes, at the first launch of VMware Player, two modules, vmmon and vmnet, are automatically compiled and integrated to the kernel. This has never failed for me. Note that I don't use EFI (I use BIOS, while my computer is also able to use EFI) and I don't have Secure Boot.

So, if you were not able to have VB work again, my advice would be to go to VMware Workstation Player.

NB: you would need to uninstall guest additions from your host and to convert your virtual machine from its native VB format to OVA or OVF in order to import it in VMware; and for this you need a working VB

Regards,

MN

[kanichiro]

FYI: One thing I forgot to mention in my OP is that after I upgraded to LM 20.3 Virtualbox was no longer installed. The upgrading removed the Virtualbox I had installed. When I installed VB after I upgraded to LM20.3, a screen appeared that I had never seen before during a VB installation (see attached screen shot.)

Hi,

A search in internet shows that this kind of error is very frequent with VirtualBox, with various error messages explaining how to solve the problem; generally problem remains unsolved.

It is strange that upgrade to Mint 20.3 did remove your VB installation. Did you perform a simple upgrade (using update manager) or a fresh install from an ISO? In an upgrade, nothing should be removed, just updated if a new version is available.

What version of VB did you install ? 6.1.26 repos' one or 6.1.32 from VB website ? The bug might have been corrected in the most recent version.

Have you an EFI computer with Secure Boot activated? In that case, the screen you got when trying to install VB is probably there for you to enter a Secure Boot password and sign VB kernel modules. This problem is addressed in VB user manual, here: https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserM ... linux-host

I use VMware Workstation Player for Linux (version 16.2.1). It is a freeware for personal use. Before to use it I made a comparison with VB:
- VB installation is done in three steps (VB and extension pack on host, guest additions on guest) while VMware one is done is two steps (VMware on host and vmware tools on guest).
- Windows installation in VMware is easier and faster than in VB, thanks to an automation assistant.
- VB has lots of graphics limitation (graphics memory size in very limited, while you can go up to 1GB for VMware; in VMware you can get OpenGL 4.6 and DirectX 12 in Windows 10, provided your host has an Nvidia card, while in VB you can get OpenGL 2.1 only).
- VMware is much faster and more versatile than VB.
- VMware has lost its Unity Mode in version 12 as soon as host or guest is Linux, while VB has kept its host integration mode. (This is the only VB advantage).

When kernel changes, at the first launch of VMware Player, two modules, vmmon and vmnet, are automatically compiled and integrated to the kernel. This has never failed for me. Note that I don't use EFI (I use BIOS, while my computer is also able to use EFI) and I don't have Secure Boot.

So, if you were not able to have VB work again, my advice would be to go to VMware Workstation Player.

NB: you would need to uninstall guest additions from your host and to convert your virtual machine from its native VB format to OVA or OVF in order to import it in VMware; and for this you need a working VB

Regards,

MN

BINGO!
Recently, I performed a firmware update from Asus, and I have to assume that this update turned Secure Boot on again. I had turned off Secure Boot to install Linux Mint the first time after I purchased this laptop in 2019. I have not touched the Boot menu since that time.

This morning I checked and Secure Boot was turned on. I turned it off again and rebooted. Next I uninstalled Virtualbox and reinstalled that. After the reinstall, Virtualbox ran perfectly!

Thanks!

Kanichiro

Update: I need to add that I updated the firmware 2 months or more ago, and I have not used Virtualbox from before that time to after I upgraded to LM 20.3.