[SOLVED] VirtualBox Guest & Host modules

WFV · 05-28-2016, 12:41 PM

I have a question that may seem quite dumb to some. I've been running VirtualBox guests on a Linux host machine for several years now and recall that when I first installed it (in Ubuntu 11.04, then later LM12, and now Arch) it seems on the host i had to install both virtualbox-guest-modules and virtualbox-host-modules in order for the guests to work. Since then (2010?) VBox and linux kernels have changed over the years (improved). I have tried to keep my system up-to-date, currently Arch 4.5.4-1, actually running a custom kernel from the AUR, it's presently -1 rev level due to a vboxguest dkms problem I ran into updating it recently so rolled back temporarily. The latest rev looks like guest-modules are no longer required installed on the host machine and the maintainer only offered an ambiguous answer 'guest for guests, host for hosts'. I don't find information about the modules in the VirtualBox documentation - no I haven't read the entire document but believe I've covered the most pertinent or relevant sections for my installs, let's face it, by time one who isn't a speed reader can read the whole thing it will be long outdated. I don't find any mention in release notes either.

So my question is for a current Linux host computer with VirtualBox app installed, I only need to install the host-modules, and for any VirtualBox guest running on the Linux host machine, the guest has to have guest-modules installed? or does it depend on the Linux O/S of either?

I tried installing virtualbox-guest-utils in an Ubuntu 14.04LTS guest and it fails due to missing dependencies however the guest-iso installed without any problems and the guest Ubuntu 14.04LTS runs fine but it too is -1 rev, as when I updated it today the screen size switched to small and would not "auto-resize-guest-display" in fact the option remained grayed out, hence the attempt to install the guest-utils (which contain the guest-modules). I replaced it with a recent backup to resume normal display size.

Emerson · 05-28-2016, 02:59 PM

Never had anything that would be called guest-modules installed for host. Running VirtualBox for many years now.

WFV · 05-28-2016, 03:47 PM

Arch virtualbox-guest-modules
Arch virtualbox-host-modules
there are other guest module options in the AUR
Ubuntu guest modules are included in the "X86 virtualization solution - X11 guest utilities" package(s)
Running an Ubuntu guest on an Arch host which at present doesn't need the above package installed in the guest for the guest to function properly.

WFV · 05-28-2016, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Never had anything that would be called guest-modules installed for host. Running VirtualBox for many years now.

Thanks Emerson, either I've been doing it wrong for years or misinterpreted some boot log errors and VBox guest start failures and forums on correcting them or all of the above most likely. So if you are saying that guest-modules do not need to be installed on the host machine but do need to be installed (or might need to be installed) in the guest O/S, it makes sense - my pea brain usually needs it spelled out as its quite rare that I'm able to grasp a one-liner in Linux unfortunately as programming languages essentially are various forms of short-hand.

Emerson · 05-28-2016, 05:01 PM

Below is the listing available to Gentoo users, virtualbox-additions is the package for guests. It is in the host system as an ISO image, nothing from it is actually installed on host.

Code:

~ $ eix virtualbox
* app-emulation/phpvirtualbox
     Available versions:  
     (4.1.11) (~)4.1.11
     (4.2.7) (~)4.2.7
     (4.3.0) (~)4.3.0
     (5.0.3) (~)5.0.3
       {vhosts}
     Homepage:            https://sourceforge.net/projects/phpvirtualbox/
     Description:         Web-based administration for VirtualBox in PHP

[I] app-emulation/virtualbox
     Available versions:  4.3.32 (~)4.3.36 (~)5.0.16-r1 (~)5.0.20 {+additions alsa debug doc extensions headless java libressl lvm +opengl pam pulseaudio python +qt4 +sdk +udev vboxwebsrv vnc ELIBC="FreeBSD" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7"}
     Installed versions:  5.0.20(05:44:26 AM 05/16/2016)(alsa opengl qt4 sdk udev -debug -doc -headless -java -libressl -lvm -pam -pulseaudio -python -vboxwebsrv -vnc ELIBC="-FreeBSD" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7")
     Homepage:            http://www.virtualbox.org/
     Description:         Family of powerful x86 virtualization products for enterprise and home use

[I] app-emulation/virtualbox-additions
     Available versions:  4.3.32^m (~)4.3.36^m (~)5.0.16^m (~)5.0.20^m
     Installed versions:  5.0.20^m(05:47:22 AM 05/02/2016)
     Homepage:            http://www.virtualbox.org/
     Description:         CD image containing guest additions for VirtualBox

* app-emulation/virtualbox-bin
     Available versions:  4.3.32.103443-r1^m (~)4.3.36.105129-r1^m (~)5.0.16.105871-r1^m (~)5.0.20.106931^m {+additions +chm debug headless python rdesktop-vrdp sdk vboxwebsrv PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7"}
     Homepage:            http://www.virtualbox.org/
     Description:         Family of powerful x86 virtualization products for enterprise as well as home use

[I] app-emulation/virtualbox-extpack-oracle
     Available versions:  4.3.32.103443^ms (~)4.3.36.105129^ms (~)5.0.16.105871^ms (~)5.0.20.106931^ms
     Installed versions:  5.0.20.106931^ms(06:06:58 AM 05/02/2016)
     Homepage:            http://www.virtualbox.org/
     Description:         PUEL extensions for VirtualBox

* app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions
     Available versions:  4.3.32 (~)4.3.36 (~)5.0.16 (~)5.0.20 {X KERNEL="linux"}
     Homepage:            http://www.virtualbox.org/
     Description:         VirtualBox kernel modules and user-space tools for Gentoo guests

[I] app-emulation/virtualbox-modules
     Available versions:  4.3.32 (~)4.3.36 (~)5.0.16 (~)5.0.20 {pax_kernel KERNEL="linux"}
     Installed versions:  5.0.20(10:54:53 AM 05/07/2016)(-pax_kernel KERNEL="linux")
     Homepage:            http://www.virtualbox.org/
     Description:         Kernel Modules for Virtualbox

* x11-drivers/xf86-video-virtualbox
     Available versions:  4.3.32 (~)4.3.36 (~)5.0.16 (~)5.0.20 (~)5.0.20-r1 {dri KERNEL="linux" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7"}
     Homepage:            http://www.virtualbox.org/
     Description:         VirtualBox video driver

Found 8 matches

WFV · 05-28-2016, 05:52 PM

Thanks again

I understand the guest-additions ISO and how it works, necessary for certain interactions between host & guest. I removed the guest-modules (and both guest and host dkms as the custom kernel from the AUR performs dkms during the update/build). Updated custom kernel, headers, and host-modules, rebooted, restarted all guests, and all is well. I appreciate your help!