Arch Linux

maxxon

Member

Registered: 2017-10-02

Posts: 13

Having trouble with the VitualBox instructions

I'm reading the VBox instructions but am having difficulty understanding if the instructions are related to the Host or the Guest.  Some of the instructions that say Guest seem to be referring to a guest running on ArchLinux and some referring to ArchLinux acting as a guest.  I was able to use some of the instructions to setup my vbox to set the correct framebuffer settings, but maybe this was just in general for the ArchLinux Host to host a ArchLinux Guest.  Can someone clarify?

What I think I need is to setup the virtualbox-guest-utils, which I'm guessing is for ArchLinux acting as a guest.  However, that doesn't seem to work.

I also have something wrong now with the systemd-modules-load.service starting up.  I get a Failed to find module 'vboxguest' and a Failed to find module 'vboxsf'.  I don't know where these errors are coming from.  From this page it would seem that I should look into the /etc/modules-load.d/ directory, but that is empty.  I don' t know where this is going to find the info.  I've tried to uninstall/reinstall/uninstall the packages virtualbox and virtualbox-guest-utils without any success.

Is there a way to clean up this mess without me having to start from scratch... again?

Thanks

ooo

Member

Registered: 2013-04-10

Posts: 1,638

Re: Having trouble with the VitualBox instructions

What I think I need is to setup the virtualbox-guest-utils, which I'm guessing is for ArchLinux acting as a guest.  However, that doesn't seem to work.

What exactly doesn't seem to work?

This chapter in wiki is completely about installing arch as guest.

I also have something wrong now with the systemd-modules-load.service starting up.  I get a Failed to find module 'vboxguest' and a Failed to find module 'vboxsf'.  I don't know where these errors are coming from.

I'm guessing the errors are from vboxservice.service trying to load the kernel modules for virtualbox guests. Most likely you forgot to install either virtualbox-guest-dkms or virtualbox-guest-modules-arch package. Check the part about installing guest additions in wiki,

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,722

Re: Having trouble with the VitualBox instructions

Is Arch the host?  If so, yo do not need the guest utils.  The guest could be Windows, BSD, another Arch distribution, or could be Arch itself.
Is Arch the guest? Then you will want to install the guest utils to get the most out of the interaction with the real hardware.

Which are you trying to achieve?

Last edited by ewaller (2017-10-04 03:36:22)

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maxxon

Member

Registered: 2017-10-02

Posts: 13

Re: Having trouble with the VitualBox instructions

Hi ooo.  The guest services didn't seem to work.

Hi ewaller, I was refering to the later. The way it read, I didn't find it clear.

I have made a new VM (PITA) and have made snapshots to ensure that I don't have to go back too far anymore in case of something stupid messing up the VM.

Seems that it is now working.  Thanks.

Question, why would I use *-dkms vs the *-arch package?

Thanks

2ManyDogs

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2012-01-15

Posts: 4,648

Re: Having trouble with the VitualBox instructions

Question, why would I use *-dkms vs the *-arch package?

The wiki link you were given answers this question.

Both packages will make you choose a package to provide guest modules:

    for the default linux kernel choose virtualbox-guest-modules-arch
    for non-default kernels choose virtualbox-guest-dkms

maxxon

Member

Registered: 2017-10-02

Posts: 13

Re: Having trouble with the VitualBox instructions

Hi @2ManyDogs,

Yes, I read that.  But is meant by a default and a non-default kernel?  And why is there a difference and what is it?

Thanks

Last edited by maxxon (2017-10-06 11:50:12)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,435

Re: Having trouble with the VitualBox instructions

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=228796

Replace nvidia and nvidia-dkms with virtualbox-guest-modules-arch and virtualbox-guest-modules-dkms respectively.