first of all: i (still) love VirtualBox. The ability to migrate VMs between Windows and Linux servers is really cool, and it is still free to use.

NO other Virtualization software can do that! 🙂

and that is exactly my point:

Simon Coter (Director of Product Management since at least 2 years) PLEASE FOCUS ESPECIALLY ON:

… it is THE factor that makes VirtualBox THE STORNGEST competitor of VMWare and POSITIVELY STANDS APART from Hyper-V (i tried to migrate between VirtualBox VMs and Hyper-V, it is catastrophic X-D) and also KVM (Linux Only, i know VirtualBox uses KVM?)

don’t clutter the project with useless features

Because NOBODY will use a fancy Virtualization software that can make cappuccinos with fancy toppings (the build-in screen recording is probably not a good idea, you can install one inside the guest if you want, but i would not assume that ALL users want this feature and make code base unecessary big) if it is UNSTABLE and HARD to keep running/updated.

clean “round” code is top priority – it needs to be a methamatically profen piece of perfect (or almost perfect) and secure.

feature suggest: vm repository

what is one of the strengths of docker/containers?

there is a free repositories to download, build upon, commit/upload vms!

now with VirtualBox some people (including myself) tried to implement something like this and it probably comes with all kinds of issues on the licensing side, but why not make it like this:

https://oracle.com/virtualization/virtualbox/vms/free -> here is the free repository with free (no costs) vms of all kinds of open source ready to go vms you can download and run

https://oracle.com/virtualization/virtualbox/vms/nonfree -> here is the nonfree repository with commercial (closed source and licensing costs involved) “webshop” if you want to download ready to go windows server 2019 + (some fancy corporate enhancing software pre installed)

successful in production use:

I have a old Windows Server 2012 R2 still running 5.1.18.

Just a few weeks ago i successfully migrated a VM of this Windows Server 2012 R2 to CentOS 7 (almost latest kernel) and it runs SMOOTH and RELIABLE.

Why am i still using this old version?

I made VERY BAD experiences with UPGRADES and also with VirtualBox upgrades on mission-critical in-production systems (yes i test out upgrades on a backup-server, before i do upgrades on the real server)

I am happy it works as rock solid as it does right now and i intend to keep it that way – may the version be outdated as the dinosaurs.

Also Guest Additions DOES NOT EASILY UPDATE with e.g. RedHat/CentOS “yum update” or Debian/Ubuntu’s “apt update”

no: you will have to find a working version every time you upgrade your linux guest and recompile the modules – or leave your guests without updates.

(or… scroll down for a solution)

  • 5.1.18 grafix driver (?) failed to compile
  • 5.2.22 grafix driver (?) failed to compile
  • 5.2.23 compiles fine, but still “kernel panic” “intramfs unpacking failed” “no cpio magic”

… virtualbox graka driver fails to load, then causes kernel panic on reboot.

maybe VBox Additions 5.2.23 is “generally” incompatible with VirtualBox 5.1.18

version 5.2.23 compiles fine with CentOS7 default kernel… but still kernel panic on reboot.

i am now going for the latest kernel, wish me luck.

also RedHat screwed up? maybe Oracle should worker closer with RedHat?

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53256701/centos-kernel-configuration-is-invalid-error-when-building-guest-additions

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2018:3014

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=84201#p399506

PS: no offense – but marketing wise maybe more people would watch the interview if it was hosted by an hot woman X-D

23 views in 6 months is… well something X-D

UPDATE: PROBLEM SOLVED! RELIEF!

compiling the latest kernel to date (4.20.2) like so: -> https://dwaves.de/2017/12/17/linux-centos7-install-mate-and-virtualbox-guest-additions/

hostnamectl
    Virtualization: kvm
  Operating System: CentOS Linux 7 (Core)
       CPE OS Name: cpe:/o:centos:centos:7
            Kernel: Linux 4.20.2 <- yeah!
      Architecture: x86-64

… also compiled all available modules for the virtualbox “hardware” and now it is

you might need to manually enable it in:

make menuconfig

RUNNING SUPER SMOOTH! 🙂
THANKS AND GOOD JOB ALL INVOLVED!

lsmod|grep vbox
vboxsf                 57344  0 
vboxvideo              45056  2 
ttm                   114688  1 vboxvideo
drm_kms_helper        200704  1 vboxvideo
syscopyarea            16384  2 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo
sysfillrect            16384  2 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo
sysimgblt              16384  2 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo
drm                   540672  5 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo,ttm
vboxguest             331776  5 vboxsf

modinfo vboxsf
filename:       /lib/modules/4.20.2/misc/vboxsf.ko
version:        5.2.23 r128039
alias:          fs-vboxsf
license:        GPL
author:         Oracle Corporation
description:    Oracle VM VirtualBox VFS Module for Host File System Access
srcversion:     686EC084AD213424962916A
depends:        vboxguest
name:           vboxsf
vermagic:       4.20.2 SMP mod_unload modversions 
parm:           follow_symlinks:Let host resolve symlinks rather than showing them (int)

modinfo vboxvideo
filename:       /lib/modules/4.20.2/misc/vboxvideo.ko
version:        5.2.23 r128039
license:        GPL and additional rights
description:    Oracle VM VirtualBox Graphics Card
author:         Oracle Corporation
srcversion:     4CB8846A8CA7C29B60735B3
alias:          pci:v000080EEd0000BEEFsv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        drm,drm_kms_helper,ttm,syscopyarea,sysfillrect,sysimgblt
name:           vboxvideo
vermagic:       4.20.2 SMP mod_unload modversions 
parm:           modeset:Disable/Enable modesetting (int)

modinfo vboxvideo
filename:       /lib/modules/4.20.2/misc/vboxvideo.ko
version:        5.2.23 r128039
license:        GPL and additional rights
description:    Oracle VM VirtualBox Graphics Card
author:         Oracle Corporation
srcversion:     4CB8846A8CA7C29B60735B3
alias:          pci:v000080EEd0000BEEFsv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        drm,drm_kms_helper,ttm,syscopyarea,sysfillrect,sysimgblt
name:           vboxvideo
vermagic:       4.20.2 SMP mod_unload modversions 
parm:           modeset:Disable/Enable modesetting (int)
[root@PraxisCommandCenter user]# modinfo vboxguest
filename:       /lib/modules/4.20.2/misc/vboxguest.ko
version:        5.2.23 r128039
license:        GPL
description:    Oracle VM VirtualBox Guest Additions for Linux Module
author:         Oracle Corporation
srcversion:     AC51CE525CC0F1B32AB034A
alias:          pci:v000080EEd0000CAFEsv00000000sd00000000bc*sc*i*
depends:        
name:           vboxguest
vermagic:       4.20.2 SMP mod_unload modversions 

find / -iname *vboxvideo*
/usr/src/linux-4.20.2/drivers/staging/vboxvideo
/usr/src/linux-4.20.2/drivers/staging/vboxvideo/vboxvideo_vbe.h
/usr/src/linux-4.20.2/drivers/staging/vboxvideo/vboxvideo.h
/usr/src/linux-4.20.2/drivers/staging/vboxvideo/vboxvideo_guest.h
/usr/lib/modules/4.20.2/misc/vboxvideo.ko

Links:

https://blogs.oracle.com/virtualization/

https://blogs.oracle.com/virtualization/oracle-vm-virtualbox/rss

liked this article?

  • only together we can create a truly free world
  • plz support dwaves to keep it up & running!
  • (yes the info on the internet is (mostly) free but beer is still not free (still have to work on that))
  • really really hate advertisement
  • contribute: whenever a solution was found, blog about it for others to find!
  • talk about, recommend & link to this blog and articles
  • thanks to all who contribute!
admin