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VirtualBox guru meditation

Problem

VirtualBox virtual machines stop working after installing kernel update. Situation:

  • <= 5.15.0-113: ok
  • 5.15.0-116: nok
  • 5.15.0-118: nok
  • (5.15.0-119: fixed but not available yet in the repository)

You are running Linux Mint 21 kernel 5.15.0-113

You have the most recent VirtualBox 1.6.50 installed from the Linux Mint 21 repository that can run virtual machines.

There is a new kernel 5.15.0-116 available, that you install.

VirtualBox modules get compiled/installed successfully.

Once rebooted with that new 5.15.0-116 kernel, things go wrong when installing/operating VMs.

The log is giving you a "Guru Meditation" error.

Solution1: use older working kernel

Linux systems frequently receive updates, including new versions of the kernel (the core of the operating system that manages hardware and system resources). However, sometimes a new kernel can introduce compatibility issues with specific hardware or software configurations. By keeping multiple kernels installed, users can easily switch back to an older, stable kernel if the new one causes problems (e.g., hardware drivers not working, system crashes). In Linux Mint 21.3, and most Linux distributions, you can choose different kernels at the GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) menu.

On BIOS systems, pressing and holding or sometimes repeatedly tapping the Shift key during boot will bring up the GRUB menu. On UEFI systems, the Esc key is used. If you have a dual-boot setup, GRUB may appear automatically.

An example: you come from kernel 5.15.0-91 -> 5.15.0-113 -> 5.15.0-116 (most recent kernel at the time of writing)

Do a cold start of Linux Mint 21 and try to get the GRUB menu. Select "Advanced options..."

Select the previous working kernel 5.15.0-113.

Once booted into Linux Mint 21 with the old kernel, let's remove the newer kernel. Go to the Mint menu -> Update Manager -> View -> Linux kernels. Select 5.15.0-116 and hit Remove.

Click on Details to see what's happening.

After removing the kernel, it will become available again for installation. Right-click -> Ignore the current update for this package. No newer 5.15 kernel will be installed from now on.

Check the blocked package using Update Manager -> Edit -> Preferences -> Packages.

Reboot Linux Mint 21. It will use the old 5.15.0-113 kernel again. Enjoy working VMs.

Solution2: install VirtualBox 7.0.20

Check the installed packages of VirtualBox 6.1.50

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dpkg -l | grep -i virtualbox

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guru@lab:~$ dpkg -l | grep -i virtualbox
ii  virtualbox                                 6.1.50-dfsg-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1       amd64        x86 virtualization solution - base binaries
ii  virtualbox-dkms                            6.1.50-dfsg-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1       amd64        x86 virtualization solution - kernel module sources for dkms
ii  virtualbox-ext-pack                        6.1.50-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1            all          extra capabilities for VirtualBox, downloader.
ii  virtualbox-guest-additions-iso             6.1.50-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1            all          guest additions iso image for VirtualBox
ii  virtualbox-qt                              6.1.50-dfsg-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1       amd64        x86 virtualization solution - Qt based user interface
guru@lab:~$

Remove those packages

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sudo apt purge virtualbox* -y

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guru@lab:~$ sudo apt purge virtualbox* -y
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-ext-pack' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-guest-x11' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-ose' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-ose-fuse' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-guest-additions-iso' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-guest-modules' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-guest-utils' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-guest-utils-hwe' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-guest-x11-hwe' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-modules' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-qt' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-2.0' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-2.1' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-2.2' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-3.0' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-3.1' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-3.2' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-4.0' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-4.1' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-4.2' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-4.3' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-5.0' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-5.1' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-5.2' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-6.0' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-6.1' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-source' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-dkms' for glob 'virtualbox*'
Package 'virtualbox-ose' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-ose-fuse' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-6.1' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-6.0' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-5.2' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-5.1' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-5.0' is not installed, so not removed
Note, selecting 'virtualbox-dkms' instead of 'virtualbox-modules'
Package 'virtualbox-2.0' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-2.1' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-2.2' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-3.0' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-3.1' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-3.2' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-4.0' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-4.1' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-4.2' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-4.3' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-guest-utils' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-guest-utils-hwe' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-guest-x11' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-guest-x11-hwe' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'virtualbox-source' is not installed, so not removed
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
libgsoap-2.8.117 liblzf1 libqt5opengl5 libqt5printsupport5 libqt5x11extras5 libsdl1.2debian libvncserver1
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
virtualbox* virtualbox-dkms* virtualbox-ext-pack* virtualbox-guest-additions-iso* virtualbox-qt*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 5 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 242 MB disk space will be freed.
(Reading database ... 565959 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing virtualbox-qt (6.1.50-dfsg-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1) ...
Removing virtualbox-ext-pack (6.1.50-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1) ...
0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%...100%
Successfully uninstalled "Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack".
Successfully performed extension pack cleanup
Removing virtualbox (6.1.50-dfsg-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1) ...
Removing virtualbox-dkms (6.1.50-dfsg-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1) ...
Module virtualbox-6.1.50 for kernel 5.15.0-113-generic (x86_64).
Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.

vboxdrv.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/5.15.0-113-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.


vboxnetadp.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/5.15.0-113-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.


vboxnetflt.ko:
- Uninstallation
- Deleting from: /lib/modules/5.15.0-113-generic/updates/dkms/
- Original module
- No original module was found for this module on this kernel.
- Use the dkms install command to reinstall any previous module version.

depmod....
Deleting module virtualbox-6.1.50 completely from the DKMS tree.
Removing virtualbox-guest-additions-iso (6.1.50-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-1) ...
Processing triggers for shared-mime-info (2.1-2) ...
Processing triggers for mailcap (3.70+nmu1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.26+mint3+victoria) ...
(Reading database ... 565306 files and directories currently installed.)
Purging configuration files for virtualbox-ext-pack (6.1.50-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1) ...
Purging configuration files for virtualbox (6.1.50-dfsg-1~ubuntu1.22.04.1) ...
guru@lab:~$

Install VirtualBox 7.0.20

Use the howto Install VirtualBox 7 on Linux Mint 21

Solution3: use kernel 6.5.0-44

Go to the Mint menu -> Update Manager -> View -> Linux kernels. The newest kernel 6.8.0-35 (at the time of writing) does not work for VirtualBox 6.1.50

The latest 6.5 branch, version 6.5.0-44 does work. Let's install it.

No errors here.

Reboot Linux Mint 21. It will use the new 6.5.0-44 kernel by default. Enjoy working VMs.