Hello,
I’m setting up a computer for my parents that live 1,600 miles away.
I’ve installed SuSE 11.0, but will need a virtual instance of Windows XP for them do to taxes once a year.
I know that Virtualbox needs a kernel module. If I install it, and the kernel updates via the update repos, will the Virtualbox module update as well?
I had tried Ubuntu 8.04, but when the kernel updated in that distro, virtual box no longer worked, and the kernel module was different than the kernel installed.
Hmm,
If that’s the case, I guess I’ll have to rely on the old dual boot method for doing taxes. This machine needs to be as simple as possible, and running that command is not going to be something they can do. I will be setting up remote access, but still, this think needs to boot and run w/o interaction.
So… How does one go about making that happen? Just did a kernel upgrade and there does not yet seem to exist a Virtualbox module for the new kernel. So, of course, Virtualbox no longer works…
I don’t think that claim was correct, I don’t think Virtualbox will rebuild the kernel module automatically on failure to load. However you only have to issue the command
/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
and it will do the compile, assuming the prerequisites are there (kernel source, make, gcc, pam-devel). If you have installed kernel-source, then any update to the kernel will pull in the updated kernel-source too. This will cause a larger download by the way, for the unwary who are on slow links or byte limited accounts. But hopefully they will be delta RPMs.
I’m curious as to why they absolutely need windows for taxes. Gods know my taxes haven’t been neglected since I stopped using windows years ago. Companies that make tax software offer the same features on their website. If they are stuck to a particular windows app, have you tried running it in wine recently? PlayOnLinux + wine is amazing nowadays.
/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
Stopping VirtualBox kernel module done
Recompiling VirtualBox kernel module, NOT. It has been packaged. done
Starting VirtualBox kernel module failed
(Kernel module not found)
Doesn’t work. Been there tried that. The error seems to me to indicate that it is refusing to build because it was installed as a package through Yast2. Hopefully someone will wake up and figure out that they maybe ought to be building all the kernel module updates whenever they package a kernel update. A very basic QA/QC kind of thing.
Mine was a RPM too and I updated it the way I said after the kernel update. Looks like you are missing some build requisites. Look in /var/log/vbox-install.log for clues.
jason bourne schrieb:
> /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
> Stopping VirtualBox kernel module
> done
> Recompiling VirtualBox kernel module, NOT. It has been packaged.
That’s what you get if you foolishly use the openSUSE RPM instead of
the original one. Novell/SUSE in their infinite wisdom have decided
to rip out the recompilation mechanism and replace it by that message.
Ah, that explains the several threads with the same complaint. Really if the packager decides to include the kernel module in the VBox OSE RPM, they should come up with a new version as soon as practical when a new kernel RPM is released.
I was lucky I used the Sun RPM (10.3 RPM works fine in 11.0). But this way requires installing the kernel-source package, gcc and make.
I had been steadily upgrading from 10.3 to 11.0, including the KDE Beta 2. As time went by I found myself spending more time diddling with workarounds and b0rkedness more than actually getting any other work done. The KDE Beta 2 was worse then Beta 1, and especially when I noticed network throughput to/from Samba shares was horrible (xxxKB/s range) I decided I needed a box that “just works”. I even tried a fresh install of openSUSE 11.0 and it wasn’t a solution.
Went back to openSUSE 10.3 and after all the upgrading to get it current network speed is back to the (max) 24MB/s I had before, as well as not having to press the form feed button on the printer to print documents, and many other myriad annoyances.
All of the newer (SUN’s) Virtualbox releases won’t do anything over 800x600 resolution with a Windows XP guest. Way to go SUN! Buy out someone else’s software and promptly break stuff that has worked well for some time. What a shame…
So I’ve gone back to previous generation(s) of stuff that “just worked”. Now everything is fine again, so it’s back to work time. Too bad these software houses are managed by the clueless. If one were to distinguish themselves by only releasing superior quality products for use one could easily corner a market.
But that’s a rant for another day. Thanks to all who replied.
jason bourne wrote:
> I had been steadily upgrading from 10.3 to 11.0, including the KDE Beta
> 2. As time went by I found myself spending more time diddling with
> workarounds and b0rkedness more than actually getting any other work
> done. The KDE Beta 2 was worse then Beta 1, and especially when I
> noticed network throughput to/from Samba shares was horrible (xxxKB/s
> range) I decided I needed a box that “just works”. I even tried a fresh
> install of openSUSE 11.0 and it wasn’t a solution.
>
> Went back to openSUSE 10.3 and after all the upgrading to get it
> current network speed is back to the (max) 24MB/s I had before, as well
> as not having to press the form feed button on the printer to print
> documents, and many other myriad annoyances.
>
> All of the newer (SUN’s) Virtualbox releases won’t do anything over
> 800x600 resolution with a Windows XP guest. Way to go SUN! Buy out
> someone else’s software and promptly break stuff that has worked well
> for some time. What a shame…
>
> So I’ve gone back to previous generation(s) of stuff that “just
> worked”. Now everything is fine again, so it’s back to work time. Too
> bad these software houses are managed by the clueless. If one were to
> distinguish themselves by only releasing superior quality products for
> use one could easily corner a market.
>
> But that’s a rant for another day. Thanks to all who replied.
>
Cannot comment on other things, but XP guest in VB 1.6.2 auto switches
to 1360x768 from 800x600 when I select full screen (using 11.0/KDE3) and
that’s with a VIA chipset
–
PeeGee
Asus M2NPV-VM, AMD 64X2 3800+, openSuSE 10.3 x86-64/XP Home dual boot
Asus M2V-MX SE, AMD LE1640, openSuSE 11.0 x86-64/XP Home dual boot
jason bourne schrieb:
> All of the newer (SUN’s) Virtualbox releases won’t do anything over
> 800x600 resolution with a Windows XP guest.
Works fine here. Currently running XP in a 1024x768 window on a
1280x1024 screen (Matrox G550 card), Maximized it just for fun
and the XP guest automagically switched to 1272x922. Switched
it to fullscreen mode and the guest went to 1280x1024 as it
should.
garyg the first schrieb:
> ken_yap;1837642 Wrote:
>> I was lucky I used the Sun RPM (10.3 RPM works fine in 11.0). But this
>> way requires installing the kernel-source package, gcc and make.
>
> My kernel:
> Code:
> --------------------
> Abitbox:/home/gary # uname -a
> Linux Abitbox 2.6.25.9-0.2-pae #1 SMP 2008-06-28 00:00:07 +0200 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
> --------------------
>
>
> When I run: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
>
> I get: > Makefile:154: *** Error: unable to find the include directory for your
>> current Linux kernel. Specify KERN_INCL=<directory> and run Make again.
>> Stop.
>
> I am assuming that “Specify KERN_INCL=<directory>” means
> to run: “KERN_INCL=<my-kernel-directory>” from a command prompt
No, that is a message from inside the vboxdrv script which doesn’t
apply to your situation. You’d actually have to modify the script
in order to specify that, but it wouldn’t help either.
> My problem is I have not been successful in finding where the include
> library is located. :o
Most probably nowhere. The standard cause for that message is that
you haven’t installed the kernel sources. The include directory
the script is asking for is part of these. Installing the
kernel-source package will probably fix your problem. I recommend
to run an online update afterwards to make sure the package is
updated to the latest release if necessary.
Companies that make tax software offer the same features on their website
Thats fine, if you feel comfortable putting your personal information out on the internet.
have you tried running it in wine recently?
The vast majority of the things I’ve tried to run using wine, have failed - it would take a software genius to get some of that sruff working using wine - including the tax software.
wine is amazing nowadays
Yes, wine has come a long-long ways in the last couple of years, but it still leaves a lot to be desired, if one is not an expert software person.
