unable to handle kernel paging request with VT-x

[Michael Kauffmann]

Similar to many other reports, but different in that it occurs

• reproducably at the same place while booting,
• if and only if VT-x is enabled,
• with a 2.6.37 guest kernel.

It appeared first when I tried to update from 4.2.4 to 4.2.8. I postponed updating, but with 4.2.12 it's the same. While booting, i get

<6>[    4.479692] udev[86]: starting version 166
<7>[   12.410776] preloadtrace: systemtap: 1.4/0.149, base: f7f1c000, memory: 30data/39text/6ctx/13net/260alloc kb, probes: 34
<1>[   12.648094] BUG: unable to handle kernel paging request at 88bd0f41
<1>[   12.648426] IP: [<88bd0f41>] 0x88bd0f41
<4>[   12.648426] *pdpt = 0000000034472001 *pde = 0000000000000000 
<0>[   12.648426] Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP 
<0>[   12.648426] last sysfs file: /sys/module/thermal_sys/sections/__ksymtab_strings
<4>[   12.648426] Modules linked in: preloadtrace fan processor thermal thermal_sys ata_generic
<4>[   12.648426] 
<4>[   12.648426] Pid: 303, comm: preload Not tainted 2.6.37.6-24-desktop #1 innotek GmbH VirtualBox/VirtualBox
<4>[   12.648426] EIP: 0060:[<88bd0f41>] EFLAGS: 00010293 CPU: 0
<4>[   12.648426] EIP is at 0x88bd0f41
<4>[   12.648426] EAX: 00000003 EBX: 00000003 ECX: b7840000 EDX: 000000d8
<4>[   12.648426] ESI: 0804d008 EDI: 0000000d EBP: f6eca000 ESP: f6ecbfac
<4>[   12.648426]  DS: 007b ES: 007b FS: 00d8 GS: 0033 SS: 0068
<0>[   12.648426] Process preload (pid: 303, ti=f6eca000 task=f6d1a630 task.ti=f6eca000)
<0>[   12.648426] Stack:
<4>[   12.648426]  0804d008 c0202f0c 00000003 b7840000 00001000 0804d008 0000000d b7840ff3
<4>[   12.648426]  00000003 0000007b 0000007b 00000000 00000000 00000003 ffffe424 00000073
<4>[   12.648426]  00000246 bfed00f0 0000007b 00000000 00000000
<0>[   12.648426] Call Trace:
<0>[   12.648426] Inexact backtrace:
<0>[   12.648426] 
<4>[   12.648426]  [<c0202f0c>] ? sysenter_do_call+0x12/0x22
<0>[   12.648426] Code:  Bad EIP value.
<0>[   12.648426] EIP: [<88bd0f41>] 0x88bd0f41 SS:ESP 0068:f6ecbfac
<0>[   12.648426] CR2: 0000000088bd0f41
<4>[   12.785051] ---[ end trace 0cc9509bf9f087f1 ]---

and this repeated, until it stops with kernel panic, or comes to a login prompt, which isn't usable.

• If VT-x is disabled, it works fine.
• Downgrading to 4.2.4 helps too, the guest works again.
• Updating to 4.2.8 or 4.2.12 with VT-x breaks it.
• Updating the guest additions doesn't help.
• Various chipset selections and options don't help.
• Nested paging isn't available, PAE is required by the guest.

[Michael Kauffmann]

guest log

[Michael Kauffmann]

VM log

[Frank Mehnert]

Could you also try with VBox 4.2.6?

[Michael Kauffmann]

Sorry, I've mobile internet here and can't donwload it now. Will get it as soon as possible.

[Michael Kauffmann]

Now I downloaded 4.2.6. In addition I downloaded the default kernel for my guest. (It had the "desktop" kernel.) With default kernel 4.2.12 works.

[Michael Kauffmann]

To exclude other influences, I tested again with the desktop kernel and older versions. 4.2.4 still runs the desktop (PAE) kernel, 4.2.6 breaks it.

[Frank Mehnert]

Actually there is a chance that this problem was fixed with VBox 4.2.14. Could you try? Thank you!

[Michael Kauffmann]

Sorry, no change.

[Frank Mehnert]

Thanks for testing. Could you attach another host kernel log together with the corresponding VBox.log file? Thank you!

[Frank Mehnert]

No response, closing. Please reopen if still relevant with VBox 4.2.18.