Can't get VirtualBox to work. (ABANDONED)

[Tony Norton]

Browsed around and found that Linux Mint 13 comes with VirtualBox.

Ran "sudo apt-get install virtualbox" in the terminal and followed what happened. Relevant info (AFIK): -

"The following packages will be REMOVED
  virtualbox-4.1 virtualbox-nonfree
The following NEW packages will be installed
  libgsoap1 virtualbox virtualbox-dkms virtualbox-qt
0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 2 to remove and 56 not upgraded."

Halfway down it reported: -

"* No suitable module for running kernel found
                                                                           [fail]"

and the final lines were: -

"DKMS: install completed.
 * Stopping VirtualBox kernel modules                                      [ OK ]
 * Starting VirtualBox kernel modules                                      [ OK ]
Setting up virtualbox-qt (4.1.12-dfsg-2ubuntu0.1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place"

However....... ..........when I run VirtualBox(Menu/Accessories/VirtualBox) and try to [Start] it I get: -

 "FATAL: No bootable medium found! System halted."

If I catch the [F12] I am offered: -

"VirtualBox temporary boot device selection

Detected Hard disks:

IDE controller:

1) Primary Master

Other boot devices:
f) Floppy
c) CD-ROM
l) LAN

b) continue booting"

All of these (I tried my bootable XP64 disk in the CD drive) return exactly the same "FATAL....." message.

What have I not set up correctly? I would have expected VB to detect my WinXP64 drive, which is SATA not IDE. The IDE "Primary Master" is, I would suggest, my Linux boot disk. The [Files] icon finds all my drives without any problem.

I am now somewhat stumped.

Tony N

[Mad Penguin]

And the reason you're not using KVM with virt-manager ... ? ( this also comes with and is generally a more robust solution)

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

Firstly there's a reason people don't just tell you to install Virtualbox through the package manager ..

a) it won't be the latest version
and
b) it will likely install the OSS version that doesn't support things like USB pass through.

So the first thing you want to do is remove it:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get remove virtualbox

then

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get autoremove

Now send the output from:

Code: [Select]

dpkg -l | grep virtualbox

Mad Penguins suggestion -

KVM requires hardware acceleration, so won't work with all CPU's .. but there's an easy way to find out if your CPU supports everything KVM requires.

run:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install cpu-checker

now what is the output from:

Code: [Select]

sudo kvm-ok

Send the output from those, and we'll go from there

[Tony Norton]

Firstly there's a reason people don't just tell you to install Virtualbox through the package manager ..

a) it won't be the latest version
and
b) it will likely install the OSS version that doesn't support things like USB pass through.

So the first thing you want to do is remove it:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get remove virtualbox

Done

then

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get autoremove

Done

Now send the output from:

Code: [Select]

dpkg -l | grep virtualbox

Output (grep)=

rc  virtualbox                             4.1.12-dfsg-2ubuntu0.1                  x86 virtualization solution - base binaries
rc  virtualbox-4.1                         4.1.12-77245~Ubuntu~precise             Oracle VM VirtualBox
ii  virtualbox-guest-dkms                  4.1.12-dfsg-2ubuntu0.1                  x86 virtualization solution - guest addition module source for dkms
ii  virtualbox-guest-utils                 4.1.12-dfsg-2ubuntu0.1                  x86 virtualization solution - non-X11 guest utilities
ii  virtualbox-guest-x11                   4.1.12-dfsg-2ubuntu0.1                  x86 virtualization solution - X11 guest utilities
rc  virtualbox-qt                          4.1.12-dfsg-2ubuntu0.1                  x86 virtualization solution - Qt based user interface

Mad Penguins suggestion -

KVM requires hardware acceleration, so won't work with all CPU's .. but there's an easy way to find out if your CPU supports everything KVM requires.

run:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install cpu-checker

Output (cpu chk)=

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  msr-tools
The following NEW packages will be installed
  cpu-checker msr-tools
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 56 not upgraded.
Need to get 15.6 kB of archives.
After this operation, 123 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main msr-tools amd64 1.2-3 [9,052 B]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main cpu-checker amd64 0.7-0ubuntu1 [6,538 B]
Fetched 15.6 kB in 0s (84.7 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package msr-tools.
(Reading database ... 171678 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking msr-tools (from .../msr-tools_1.2-3_amd64.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package cpu-checker.
Unpacking cpu-checker (from .../cpu-checker_0.7-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up msr-tools (1.2-3) ...
Setting up cpu-checker (0.7-0ubuntu1) ...

now what is the output from:

Code: [Select]

sudo kvm-ok

Output (kvm)=

INFO: /dev/kvm does not exist
HINT:   sudo modprobe kvm_amd
INFO: Your CPU supports KVM extensions
KVM acceleration can be used

Send the output from those, and we'll go from there

Mark to the rescue - again!

Thanks mate,

Tony N

P.S. Please note, I have finally sorted out the "quote-unquote" procedure.

[Mad Penguin]

You might also find KVM is "fractionally" quicker, esp. on IO for anything supporting virtio drivers. (which is pretty much everything bar Centos)

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

OK, looks like you're good to go with KVM/virt-manager

I must explain that I'm new to this approach myself, so we'll be finding our way through it together .. but as MP says (if your hardware supports it) it's probably a better solution.

OK, let's install kvm and virt-manager:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install kvm virt-manager

Now lets' check if you're in the kvm group ..

REBOOT (not sure if this is necessary, but won't hurt)

Now send the output from:

Code: [Select]

groups

and

Code: [Select]

kvm

[Tony Norton]

OK, looks like you're good to go with KVM/virt-manager

I must explain that I'm new to this approach myself, so we'll be finding our way through it together .. but as MP says (if your hardware supports it) it's probably a better solution.

OK, let's install kvm and virt-manager:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install kvm virt-manager

Done

Now lets' check if you're in the kvm group ..

REBOOT (not sure if this is necessary, but won't hurt)

Now send the output from:

Code: [Select]

groups

Output="tony adm cdrom sudo dip plugdev lpadmin sambashare"

and

Code: [Select]

kvm

Output=(relevant details after <ctrl-B>)
window headed QEMU


Booting from ROM...
iPXE (PCI 00:03.0) starting execution...ok
iPXE initialising devices...ok

iPXE 1.0.0+ -- Open Source Network Boot Firmware -- http://ipxe.org
Features: HTTP iSCSI DMS TFTP AoE bzImage COMBOOT ELF MBOOT PXE PXEXT

net0 52:54 blah, blah, blah to

Nothing to boot: no such file or directory (http://ipxe.org/2d03e13b)
No more network devices

Booting from Hard Disk...
Boot failed: could not read the boot disk

Booting from Floppy...
Boot failed: etc

No bootable device


This window was not 'active' so I couldn't copy it.
Not sure what it was trying to boot, "kvm" or "WinXP"

I put a bootable floppy in the Floppy drive and got a similar result, except that after the "Features" line I got a prompt: -

"iPXE>"

The mouse was not active in this window, but the keyboard was. I typed in "help" and got a list of 38 acceptable commands, some of which were similar to DOS commands, but most of which were new to me.

Typing "exit" did take me out of that window, but resulted in the window as above.

As I had seen, after typing "exit", an attempt to boot from CDROM, I put my bootable XP64 disk in the drive and re-ran the "exit" command, but it didn't 'see' the CDROM drive as bootable.

Over to the experts.

Tony N

[Mad Penguin]

Type "virt-manager"

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

[Tony Norton]

Type "virt-manager"

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

Hi Mad Penguin,

did that, and got this: -




Virtual Machine Connection Failure

Unable to connect to libvirt:

Failed to connect socket to '/var/run/libvirt/libvirt-sock': Permission denied

Verify that:
 - The 'libvirt-bin' package is installed
 - The 'libvirtd' daemon has been started
 - You are member of the 'libvirtd' group


When I entered "sudo apt install libvirt" I got: -  "E: Unable to locate package libvirt".

When I entered "groups" I got: - "tony adm cdrom sudo dip plugdev lpadmin sambashare".

It would seem that I'm not a member. How do I join? Please?

Tony N

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

OK, the "Users and Groups" GUI application may not be installed by default in 12.04/12.10, so run:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install gnome-system-tools

Now fire up "Users and Groups" .. then click "Manage Groups" .. scroll down to "libvirtd", and double-click it .. in the resulting "Group 'libvirtd' Properties" dialog box, make sure your username is ticked .. click "OK" .. close the other dialog boxes that are still open.

REBOOT.

when rebooted, run:

Code: [Select]

groups

and post the output.

also try:

Code: [Select]

virt-manager

[Mad Penguin]

Yeah, what Mark said .. 

To find out why, do ls -la on the file it says you don't have permission to access, i.e;

Code: [Select]

# ls -la /var/run/libvirt/libvirt-sock
srwxrwx--- 1 root libvirtd 0 Nov  9 12:13 /var/run/libvirt/libvirt-sock

Note from this, full access is available to "root" and to anyone in the "libvirtd" group.
As you want to run virt-manager as a user, and as the program seems to need access to this file, your only option is to join the group .. 

[Mad Penguin]

When the GUI appears, add a connection to "localhost" (all default settings once you select "connect") and you should then see an option to add a new VM. What you will need is an ISO image of the CD you want to install from .. for example, RIP a copy of Ubuntu 12.04 and store the image in /var/lib/libvirt/images as ubuntu_12.04.i so, then when you come to add a VM it should let you select this as the "ISO" to install from.

[Tony Norton]

OK, the "Users and Groups" GUI application may not be installed by default in 12.04/12.10, so run:

Code: [Select]

sudo apt-get install gnome-system-tools

Now fire up "Users and Groups" .. then click "Manage Groups" .. scroll down to "libvirtd", and double-click it .. in the resulting "Group 'libvirtd' Properties" dialog box, make sure your username is ticked .. click "OK" .. close the other dialog boxes that are still open.

Slight problem, I don't seem to have "Users and Groups" and therefore not "Manage Groups".

If I enter "users"  in the terminal I just get "tony tony", "groups" gives the same as before.

Perhaps it's a different name, or route, in Mint from Ubuntu?

Tony N

[Mark Greaves (PCNetSpec)]

Open a terminal and run:

Code: [Select]

users-admin

That *should* fire up "Users and Groups".

[Tony Norton]

Open a terminal and run:

Code: [Select]

users-admin

That *should* fire up "Users and Groups".

Yes, thanks Mark. That did the business as far adding "libvirtd" to my "groups" which now read: -

"tony adm cdrom sudo dip plugdev lpadmin sambashare libvirtd"

Only problem now is, I don't really know how to use it. "virt-manager" brings up the "Virtual Machine Manager" window, but I've no idea where I go from there.

New VM ("Create a new virtual machine") offers an option "Import existing disk image" which I think is probably what I would like to do, but would that import the OS from my WinXP64 drive, or just the app I want to run?

I'm there, but now I am I'm even more confused.

Tony N