You are not logged in.
Hi everyone,
I recently bought a couple of Mac computers (a mac pro and a macbook pro), but I missed Linux and decided to give Arch Linux a try running under Sun's Virtual Box as a guest OS (with Mac OS X the host OS, obviously). I really like Arch -- it's clearly the Linux I've been looking for for many years (having used Red Hat, Debian testing and unstable, Gentoo, Ubuntu and Mandriva). Unfortunately, about 2/3 of the time it dies on startup with a kernel panic. Worse, I can't even learn much about what went wrong, since the original cause scrolls off the top of the screen and AFAICT there's no record of it the next (successful) time I log in. I do know that the point at which it crashes is when it's loading the udev support. I've installed the VirtualBox Linux additions and allocated plenty of memory (512 Mb RAM, 64 Mb video RAM, 20 Gb disk) to the Arch VM. I get the same crash behavior on both the Mac Pro and the MacBook Pro. For comparison, I've also installed a virtual Ubuntu VM and it has not crashed yet. I've also found that one program (DrScheme, or its command-line cousin mzscheme) can cause a kernel panic all by itself, though I haven't compiled it from scratch yet. BTW the fallback kernel also crashes in a similar way. When Arch is up and running it's been pretty stable aside from the DrScheme bug.
I'm not sure if this is a kernel bug or some kind of incompatibility between VirtualBox and Arch, but it's very frustrating and I'd appreciate any help. One reason I chose VirtualBox was that the out-of-the-box install has an option for Arch Linux as a guest OS -- I'm guessing that VMWare and Parallels are not as Linux-friendly.
Cheers,
Mike
Offline
One thing first, if you installed VirtualBox 2.0, then that might be the problem in and of itself. I've tried using it so me, and it seems pretty unstable. You should try installing VirtualBox1.6.6 if you are using 2.0 and see what happens.
That said, it doesn't sound like the same problems I was having. If you installed it on an expanding vdi image, you might want to try a fixed size image, to see if it will work. I've also had trouble there. Though, I do have a working Arch setup, within Arch no less, for testing, and I believe it's a dynamically sized image.
Also, you might want to try switching between the IDE and SATA controller options.
As far as VMWare goes, though I've never tried it, I know that it would work with Arch, and is definitely 'Linux-friendly', as it's been around a lot longer than VirtualBox.
Anyway, those are some things to try.
Offline
All good suggestions, and I'll try them. Thanks! Arch within Arch... the mind reels.
Mike
Offline
I had a ton of weird things happen even with 2.0 though not because of it...
NOW that 2.0.2 is out all problems are gone
a couple of things though as I'm still treading carefullly
At this time unless something hjas changed in the last day or two you MUST install ARCH in the IDE legacy mode which you see when the install cd boots up to that blue list of options... sorry for poor explanation
Also, there's been comments about needing to turn apci off as in uncheck the box. disable acpi index the arch guest machines SETTING then under "general" on the left and then "advanced"then look down the page there.
I'm having a very good experience now with 2.0.2 as things were WAY problematical with ALL other version..
reading the changelog made me go....oh, maybe that's the fix for a couple of things they wrote in it.
So, it's GOTTA be IDE-legacy mode as comfirmed if you hunt around the vbox site for that guest compatibility page list of tables for a lot of distros.
Oh, and don't forget to choose ARCH LINUX as the type of linux when you create the machine itself.
Last edited by yvonney (2008-09-18 06:34:56)
Offline
yvonney, I had the same experience with 2.02. Once I installed it pretty much all my problems were gone. I didn't even disable ACPI, but I did enable the SATA controller. So now things are working well. Go Arch!
Offline
cool. i didn't fully comment on my ACPI enabled/disabled experiences though i agree, seems to be fine as it is, WITH it on. really glad they fixed whatever it was. The SATA enabled thing you did is very interesting... i don't really GET how the options in VBox affect an install if turned on or off after or before installing etc. Very interesting and someday I'll know more about VBox.... That said, it's useful and all though getting a faster laptop so a could drag the server 2008 fast laptop (groan) AND a much loved and fast enough ARCH laptop ..... that would be more useful....
OR... I'm now thinking of how I could do most all my basic work on a VBox install on my fast laptop with the arch guest and convert it at some point when i get a dedicated FASTER laptop. I'm running arch on a 1ghz old laptop and it's a bit cramped. Probably just a cool thing to know how to do as people seem to go from real machine to virtual. Now that i think of it i'd just reinstall when i get a faster 2nd laptop as it's so much fun to learn. the vbox thing is useful of course!
anyways! cool again!
Last edited by yvonney (2008-09-18 07:47:37)
Offline
For what its worth, I've installed Arch a few different times as VirtualBox guests. And I have gotten it to install fine using all standard options, but I have also had problems, and I know other people have as well, so I don't know.
According to the VBox Manual, using the SATA controller is faster than the default IDE one, just like it is for actual hardware. So if you can get the SATA controller to work, by enabling it and setting the virtual hard drive to SATA Port 0 rather than IDE Primary Master, you should do it. Personally, I don't know how much of a difference it makes, but I doubt they would lie about something like that.
Offline
More interestings tips and hints. cool. It's the IDE-legacy aspect that makes me wonder if that 'need to install as' is somehow tied to, and crippling of VBox's ability to provide stuff like, usb 2, sata, etc...
dunno, though interesting and i bet it all gets clearer someday!
Last edited by yvonney (2008-09-18 16:34:03)
Offline