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Message boards : Number crunching : Vbox on Linux Ubuntu 14.04.1 - Warning

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Robert Gammon
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Message 38116 - Posted: 27 Sep 2014 | 22:11:02 UTC

It works, BUT, this is a BIG BUT.

Download from the Oracle site that hosts the S/W, and install it.

I tried a straight download and a download that patched the kernel (like Nvidia drivers do).

BOTH CRASHED UBUNTU 14.04.1 on reboot after a kernel update.

Hdd light flickered intermittently for 10 minutes with Ubuntu not starting, requiring a reinstall of Ubuntu to work around this problem.

A workaround that I have not tested yet, is when a kernel update is ready to happen, uninstall Vbox FIRST!!

Robert Gammon
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Message 38404 - Posted: 10 Oct 2014 | 19:00:39 UTC - in response to Message 38116.

It did it again.

Straight download from Oracle site, installed ok.

Atlas and one other app used it.

Ubuntu updated kernel again. On reboot, the text messages that come up when Ubuntu starts were there, but X would not start.

May work fine on Windows, BUT ONTO ON UBUNTU LINUX, AT LEAST NOT WHEN YOU HAVE TO REINSTALL UBUNTU EVERY TIME THE KERNEL UPDATES!!!

captainjack
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Message 38405 - Posted: 10 Oct 2014 | 19:18:20 UTC

Robert,

How did you install VirtualBox? Did you register it with DKMS?

I am running Ubuntu 14.04 with VirtualBox 4.3.12 and have been through several kernel updates without any issues.

When you say that X would not start, are you talking about X-server for video? What kind of error messages are you getting? If you are talking about video, how did you install your video device drivers?

Robert Gammon
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Message 38407 - Posted: 11 Oct 2014 | 2:22:34 UTC - in response to Message 38405.

I tried BOTH a straight download and install from the Oracle website AND registration with DKMS. the latest kernel update, 3.13.0.37 (??) applied and when reboot with new kernel, no errors messages, no desktop, wait forever, nothing happens. Just did it on this computer and used Synaptic Package Manager to REMOVE Virtual Box before reboot.

Same problem, no error messages and no desktop, even wait 30 minutes, no desktop.

Ready to reinstall NVidia, manual install and BOINC again.

For me on TWO computers, VBOX stops Ubuntu from restarting once a kernel update happens.

I will try again on this computer, registration with DKMS

Robert Gammon
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Message 38408 - Posted: 11 Oct 2014 | 2:49:24 UTC - in response to Message 38407.

DKMS registration of 4.3.10 as that is the only version available.

Latest version from Oracle is 4.3.16

After install of Ubuntu again kernel is 3.13.0.32. .37 will come in 24-48 hours and we will see what happens

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Message 38412 - Posted: 11 Oct 2014 | 15:52:52 UTC

Robert,

When you install the NVIDIA drivers, do you also select to register with DKMS?

Robert Gammon
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Message 38435 - Posted: 12 Oct 2014 | 16:31:26 UTC - in response to Message 38412.

How to do that?? No option on Nvidia manual install, and no option when installing the Ubuntu drivers.

It crashed AGAIN when Ubuntu restarted after updated kernel to 3.13.0.37

Unless I figure this out soon, VBOX IS DEAD SO FAR AS I AM CONCERNED. It works, but to REINSTALL UBUNTU EVERY TIME UBUNTU UPDATES THE KERNEL IS A NON-STARTER

Robert Gammon
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Message 38437 - Posted: 12 Oct 2014 | 16:50:55 UTC - in response to Message 38435.

DKMS when used is later installed, so I must make it FIRST after installation finishes. NVIDIA, I hope with the 340.24 driver I have will register and when 3.13.0.37 kernel comes, all will be well

Robert Gammon
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Message 38439 - Posted: 12 Oct 2014 | 17:41:06 UTC - in response to Message 38437.

Ubuntu installed again.

DKMS downloaded and installed FIRST. There are no warnings about this, generally comes as a post-script note [if you want to register your modules with DKMS so that they automatically update when Linux updates kernel]

They make it seem on BOTH Virtual Box and Nvidia that this is NOT necessary.

With NVIDIA, it is not.

It appears MANDATORY for Virtual Box

Robert Gammon
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Message 38441 - Posted: 12 Oct 2014 | 22:15:49 UTC - in response to Message 38439.

Will it work to manually install Nvidia drivers AGAIN after DKMS is installed?? This SHOULD register NVIDIA with DKMS so that when kernel updates BOTH get updated, and the system works correctly.

Am I correct in this assumption??

One system is configured with both on DKMS, the other only has VBOX in DKMS and I KNOW that system will CRASH when kernel goes from 3.13.0.37 to something higher.

I will likely find out tomorrow if DKMS on BOTH solves my problem.

Robert Gammon
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Message 38570 - Posted: 19 Oct 2014 | 16:52:19 UTC - in response to Message 38441.

What seems to work is to

install dkms first

manual install of NVIDIA drivers (340* or higher)

then install boinc from LocutusOfBorg


sudo apt-get purge virtualbox*


then reboot.

sudo apt-get install virtualbox*


Then vbox apps run cleanly. Without the * some apps will never run

I have yet to get a kernel update to test this, but apps are running on two machines without issue

Robert Gammon
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Message 38577 - Posted: 20 Oct 2014 | 7:17:55 UTC - in response to Message 38570.

And at some point, Vbox stops talking to BOINC and the computer must reboot to get the tasks running again.

I suspect that this does NOT happen on Winblows

Robert Gammon
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Message 38588 - Posted: 20 Oct 2014 | 13:51:05 UTC - in response to Message 38577.

I can confirm. Vbox stopped talking to the ATLAS application and to get it restarted, Ubuntu had to reboot.

This is not good behavior

RaymondFO*
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Message 38589 - Posted: 20 Oct 2014 | 14:34:56 UTC - in response to Message 38577.
Last modified: 20 Oct 2014 | 15:00:01 UTC

And at some point, Vbox stops talking to BOINC and the computer must reboot to get the tasks running again.

I suspect that this does NOT happen on Winblows



I have tried to run Atlas@home using Windows 7 and that is what I experienced. Please note that these tasks should be run with hyper-threading not being enabled. After re-booting, the tasks would sometimes error out as well. Atlas@home has very intensive and demanding tasks being run using virtualization software, and IMHO running highly intensive and demanding applications using virtualization software is never a good idea as problems usually occur that does not end well. Others may disagree.

Robert Gammon
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Message 38590 - Posted: 20 Oct 2014 | 17:19:54 UTC - in response to Message 38589.

Hyperthreading enabled???

Have not TOUCHED the VBOX manager.

It happened again. Rebooted this morning and after 6 hours, Atlas stopped running. Several jobs finished, but one got stuck

Robert Gammon
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Message 38591 - Posted: 20 Oct 2014 | 17:21:56 UTC - in response to Message 38590.

Opened the manager, but did NOT create a window. The window that SHOULD be there was not. At one point in the last two days, up to 5 ATLAS jobs were running at the same time

Robert Gammon
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Message 38592 - Posted: 20 Oct 2014 | 17:24:43 UTC - in response to Message 38591.

On the other machine, 4 Atlas jobs are running, but no window in Oracle Window manager

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Message boards : Number crunching : Vbox on Linux Ubuntu 14.04.1 - Warning

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