[SOLVED] VBox>Mint: hangs while booting with >1 CPU

[charrison]

Have a stable, vanilla Mint with latest updates applied. Boots fine when VirtualBox VM is configured with 1 CPU, but hangs with 2 CPUs. Does Mint not support multiprocessors?

Details (inxi)

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.15.0-72-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.3.0 Desktop: Xfce 4.16.0
    tk: Gtk 3.24.23 wm: xfwm dm: LightDM Distro: Linux Mint 21.1 Vera base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Virtualbox System: innotek GmbH product: VirtualBox v: 1.2 serial: <superuser required>
    Chassis: Oracle Corporation type: 1 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Oracle model: VirtualBox v: 1.2 serial: <superuser required> BIOS: innotek GmbH
    v: VirtualBox date: 12/01/2006
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 50.0 Wh (100.0%) condition: 50.0/50.0 Wh (100.0%) volts: 10.0 min: 10.0
    model: innotek 1 serial: N/A status: Full
CPU:
  Info: single core model: Intel Core i7-3635QM bits: 64 arch: Ivy Bridge rev: 9 cache: L1: 64 KiB
    L2: 256 KiB L3: 6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): 2404 min/max: N/A core: 1: 2404 bogomips: 4807
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3
Graphics:
  Device-1: VMware SVGA II Adapter driver: vmwgfx v: 2.19.0.0 ports: active: Virtual-1
    empty: Virtual-2, Virtual-3, Virtual-4, Virtual-5, Virtual-6, Virtual-7, Virtual-8
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 15ad:0405
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 compositor: xfwm v: 4.16.1 driver: X: loaded: vmware
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa gpu: vmwgfx display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1403x828 s-dpi: 96
  Monitor-1: Virtual1 mapped: Virtual-1 res: 1403x828 size: N/A
  OpenGL: renderer: SVGA3D; build: RELEASE; LLVM; v: 2.1 Mesa 22.2.5 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801AA AC97 Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_intel8x0 v: kernel bus-ID: 00:05.0
    chip-ID: 8086:2415
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-72-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82540EM Gigabit Ethernet driver: e1000 v: kernel port: d020 bus-ID: 00:03.0
    chip-ID: 8086:100e
  IF: enp0s3 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI type: network bridge driver: piix4_smbus v: N/A
    port: N/A bus-ID: 00:07.0 chip-ID: 8086:7113
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 100.34 GiB used: 192.3 GiB (191.7%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: VirtualBox model: VBOX HARDDISK size: 100.34 GiB speed: 3.0 Gb/s
    serial: <filter>
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 98.08 GiB used: 21.02 GiB (21.4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 512 MiB used: 6.1 MiB (1.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda2
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 1.14 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swapfile
USB:
  Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: Full speed or root hub ports: 12 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0002
  Hub-2: 2-0:1 info: Full speed or root hub ports: 12 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0001
  Device-1: 2-1:2 info: VirtualBox USB Tablet type: HID driver: hid-generic,usbhid rev: 1.1
    speed: 12 Mb/s chip-ID: 80ee:0021
Sensors:
  Message: No sensor data found. Is lm-sensors configured?
Repos:
  Packages: apt: 2077
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb http: //packages.linuxmint.com vera main upstream import backport
    2: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
Info:
  Processes: 185 Uptime: 2m Memory: 3.83 GiB used: 807.7 MiB (20.6%) Init: systemd v: 249
  runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 11.3.0 alt: 11/12 Client: Unknown python3.10 client inxi: 3.3.13

[DisturbedDragon]

Supports multiple cores and CPU's.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.15.0-72-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
  Desktop: MATE 1.26.0 info: mate-panel wm: marco 1.26.0 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Virtualbox System: innotek product: VirtualBox v: 1.2 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: Oracle Corporation type: 1 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Oracle model: VirtualBox v: 1.2 serial: <filter> UEFI: innotek 
  v: VirtualBox date: 12/01/2006 
CPU:
  Topology: 8-Core model: AMD Opteron 6376 bits: 64 type: MCP 
  arch: Bulldozer L2 cache: 2048 KiB 
  flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 
  bogomips: 36801 
  Speed: 2300 MHz min/max: N/A Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2300 2: 2300 3: 2300 
  4: 2300 5: 2300 6: 2300 7: 2300 8: 2300 
Graphics:
  Device-1: VMware SVGA II Adapter driver: vmwgfx v: 2.19.0.0 
  bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 15ad:0405 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting 
  unloaded: fbdev,vesa alternate: vmware compositor: marco v: 1.26.0 
  resolution: 1680x1050~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 12.0.0 256 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 21.2.6 
  compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801AA AC97 Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_intel8x0 
  v: kernel bus ID: 00:05.0 chip ID: 8086:2415 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.15.0-72-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82540EM Gigabit Ethernet driver: e1000 v: kernel 
  port: c1a0 bus ID: 00:03.0 chip ID: 8086:100e 
  IF: enp0s3 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Intel 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI type: network bridge 
  driver: piix4_smbus v: N/A port: c100 bus ID: 00:07.0 chip ID: 8086:7113 
  IF-ID-1: gpd0 state: down mac: N/A 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 220.00 GiB used: 142.36 GiB (64.7%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: VirtualBox model: VBOX HARDDISK size: 220.00 GiB 
  speed: 3.0 Gb/s serial: <filter> rev: 1.0 scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 215.50 GiB used: 142.36 GiB (66.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
Sensors:
  Message: No sensors data was found. Is sensors configured? 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/haxe-releases-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/haxe/releases/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ltsp-ppa-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ltsp/ppa/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mumble-release-focal.list 
  1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/mumble/release/ubuntu focal main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb https://mirrors.advancedhosters.com/linuxmint/packages una main upstream import backport
  2: deb http://mirror.arizona.edu/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://mirror.arizona.edu/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://mirror.arizona.edu/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list 
  1: deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.skype.com/deb stable main
Info:
  Processes: 274 Uptime: 2d 12h 51m Memory: 15.93 GiB used: 2.54 GiB (15.9%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.4.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: mate-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

[charrison]

Why might I be having trouble booting Mint when I've configured its VM to have two processors? All the relevant software is as up-to-date as possible and there's very little that I've installed (GParted, ssh). Any ideas how to trouble-shoot this? There's only a single variable that determines whether Mint boots or not, and that's whether the # of VM CPUs is 1 or 2.

[DisturbedDragon]

Having run Mint and many Linux distributions on real and virtual hardware ranging from single 16c/32t CPU's and dual 16 core CPU's I would say look into your BIOS settings regarding CPU performance and virtualization. One limitation could also be how Mint and Virtualbox see your processor. Your CPU is a quad core, does it show as such in the vbox interface? When you select the second core on the VM settings slider, is it in the red on core count in vbox?

[ajgreeny]

You should also check that you have virtualization enabled fully in your BIOS; the setting may be called VT-x, AMD-V, SVM, or Vanderpool. Enable Intel VT-d or AMD IOMMU if the options are available.

[charrison]

@ajgreeny and @DisturbedDragon - thanks for replying. When you say BIOS are you referring to something provided virtually by VirtualBox? Namely the System settings for the VM? (The term BIOS is vaguely familiar as a PC term but I've only used Macs.) Here's what I've got:

Settings > System:
- Motherboard:

• Base memory: 4096MB
• Chipset: PIIX3
• TPM: none
• Extended features: Enable I/O APIC; Enable HW Clock in UTC time; not Enable EFI

- Processor:

• Processors: 1 (or 2) The slider runs from 1 to 8; I can select up to 4 without any warning but beyond that there's a warning that I've exceeded the number of physicals CPUs on the host, 4.
• Execution cap: 100%
• Extended features: Enable PAE/NX; not Enable Nested VT-x/AMD-V (this feature isn't selectable)

- Acceleration:

• Paravirtualization interface: default
• Hardware virtualization: Enable Nested Paging

I hope I've answered your questions - I don't see any other virtualization options in VBox.

On a perhaps unrelated note, I'm experiencing unexplained system freezes anywhere from 6 minutes to 2 hours after booting, even when booting from the live .iso disk, so I'm beginning to wonder if VirtualBox 7.0.8 is problematic, maybe on MacOS 10.15.7 which is no longer supported.

[charrison]

Well! After downgrading from VirtualBox 7.0.8 to 6.1.44 (latest in the v6 series), it's like a new day. Everything's a lot faster, stabler, and I'm running happy as a clam on two virtual CPUs, as confirmed by top.

Apparently MBP early 2013, MacOS Catalina (10.15.7), and VBox 7 don't get along very well.

[DisturbedDragon]

Good to see the downgrade works. Not used a Mac since the G3 days so i truly could not say what the BIOS would look like or if still the same firmware interface as the days of old. Could be the issue was between VB and MacOS or the CPU or just a general bug.Either way you have it working now which is what matters.