VBox: Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)

[johnkaranjaM]

Just install the latest version of VirtualBox (4.2.6) from this link,
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

[lads]

Just install the latest version of VirtualBox (4.2.6) from this link,
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

Hi John, that way you get two versions of VBox installed, and without getting updates for the one you suggest.

[Wobbo]

Thanks, "Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)" is solved!

[CharlesA]

Hi John, that way you get two versions of VBox installed, and without getting updates for the one you suggest.

Not exactly. You cannot have both versions of VirtualBox installed at the same time as they conflict with each other and have different dependencies. If you are going to use the one from virtualbox.org, you need to purge the OSE edition that was installed from the Ubuntu repos.

After it is purged, I recommend adding the VirtualBox repo to your sources.list instead of just installing the deb, that way your version of VirtualBox is kept up-to-date.

[dibuntux]

Same problem here: I checked with
ttdave@ttbunt:~$ dkms status
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-36-generic, x86_64: installed
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-37-generic, x86_64: installed

so...no virtualbox marked installed in dkms

then I found this on the net:

I have been having this same problem and I think I fixed it today. Turns out that the virtualbox update never deleted the old directory from /var/lib/dkms/vboxhost. In my case the old version was 4.1.4. I'm currently running 4.1.8 but I swear I was running 4.1.4, then 4.1.6, and now 4.1.8. So I think the problem actually began between the 4.1.4 and 4.1.6 releases.

To resolve this simply delete the old directory and then run the setup again:

Code: Select all Expand view
$ cd /var/lib/dkms/vboxhost
$ sudo rm -rf 4.1.4
$ sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

So I moved all the stuff I had from /var/lib/dkms/vboxhost in another place (just in case...) and then did the usual dance:

sudo apt-get remove virtualbox-dkms
sudo apt-get install virtualbox-dkms

checked fi virtualbox was working, and it was so I checked again dkms:
ttdave@ttbunt:~$ dkms status
fglrx, 8.960, 2.6.32-44-generic, x86_64: installed
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-32-generic, x86_64: installed
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-33-generic, x86_64: installed
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-34-generic, x86_64: installed
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-35-generic, x86_64: installed
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-36-generic, x86_64: installed
fglrx, 8.960, 3.2.0-37-generic, x86_64: installed
virtualbox, 4.1.12, 3.2.0-37-generic, x86_64: installed

Now virtualbox is listed as installed in dkms! Hopefully at next kernel release it will compile automatically as it should (and was in 10.04 lts)

[P05TMAN]

OK, problem solved. With 12.10 I had to:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-3.5.0-17-generic
sudo apt-get remove virtualbox-dkms
sudo apt-get install virtualbox-dkms

And then, in VBox, go to Settings, System, Acceleration, and disable the option "Enable VT-x/AMD-V" - This might be a specific problem of my setup though.

Thanks!

Yeah, this solved my issue too. Excellent! Thank you!

[lads]

After 6 months without trouble this issue is back on 12.04. Good thing the old solution still does it.

This thread has now over 50 k visits, which is about 2.5 times what the Ubuntu Phone thread has, pretty impressive.

[lads]

Back again after only 5 days running... and this time the old solution doesn't seem to work.

Can anyone help?

[lads]

Back again after only 5 days running... and this time the

After a reboot and a second try it worked. VBox getting the MS syndrome?

[CharlesA]

After a reboot and a second try it worked. VBox getting the MS syndrome?

Only the OSE edition in the Ubuntu repos, apparently.

I've only had problems with the version from virtualbox.org when I decided to migrate my VMs to another user and screwed up the permissions.