VBox Linux Additions wont compile on Red Hat 7.5 -> fixed in 5.2.12

[Brunno]

I have a red hat Linux 7.4 guest and I upgraded it to 7.5 release version, but, when I reinstall de Virtual Box Guest Additions it get some compiling erros. I will attach them to this ticket.

[Brunno]

ScreenShoot from executing VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

[Brunno]

VBox install log

[Brunno]

Vbox guest install "setup" log

[D. Michael Paxton]

We have the exact same problem on a fresh install of RHEL 7.5 (kernel 3.10.0-862), with the VirtualBox Extension Pack 5.2.8r121009 installed. However, it worked on Oracle Enterprise Linux 7.4 (kernel 4.1.12-112).

Replying to Brunno:

I have a red hat Linux 7.4 guest and I upgraded it to 7.5 release version, but, when I reinstall de Virtual Box Guest Additions it get some compiling erros. I will attach them to this ticket.

[heitkergm]

Still a problem, even after release of Virtualbox 5.2.10

[Socratis]

Can you try the latest test builds from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds as they seem to have addressed several "latest and greatest" distros?

[tgleason]

Replying to socratis:

Can you try the latest test builds from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds as they seem to have addressed several "latest and greatest" distros?

No dice. Installed 5.2-5.2.11_122181 from the TestBuilds page and the result is the same. Builds the vboxguest and vboxsf modules, but not the vboxvideo.

There are not even and errors in the vboxadd-setup.log. Simply 'BUilding the graphics driver module', then "make: Nothing to be done for 'install'".

[Michael Thayer]

The Guest Additions build from the test builds page for VirtualBox 5.2, revision 122202 or higher, should contain a fix. Please confirm. The build should appear an hour or so from now.

wiki:Testbuilds

[tgleason]

Replying to michael:

The Guest Additions build from the test builds page for VirtualBox 5.2, revision 122202 or higher, should contain a fix. Please confirm. The build should appear an hour or so from now.

wiki:Testbuilds

Grabbed VirtualBox-5.2-5.2.11_122202_el6-1.x86_64.rpm, installed onto RHEL 6.5 Host. Ran up RHEL 7.5 Guest, Inserted Guest Additions CD, manually mounted /dev/sr0. Ran VBoxLinuxAdditions.run from the command line (No X currently). Same result as 122181 pkg.(see newly attached vboxadd-setup.log)

[tgleason]

setup file from 122202 test build

[heitkergm]

I have 5.2.10 installed on Mac OSX. This problem started with 5.2.8. I have thus tried vbox guest additions iso images 121806, 122125, 122088 (5.2.10) and 122202. With the exception of the 5.2.10 iso, I manually downloaded these guest addition iso files from the test build page.

with 122202, I finally got the guest additions to build for RHEL 7.5, and they seem to work (window resizes, seamless keyboard focus in/out, shared folders).

Looks good to me!

[Socratis]

Replying to tgleason:

Same result as 122181 pkg.(see newly attached vboxadd-setup.log)

From your log, near the end, I see the following:

Can't read private key
  /bin/sh ./scripts/depmod.sh /sbin/depmod 3.10.0-862.el7.EE.x86_64 ""

Are you using secureboot?

[tgleason]

Replying to socratis: I thought Secure boot required an UEFI BIOS? Does VB even have that for the guest OS?

Replying to tgleason:

Same result as 122181 pkg.(see newly attached vboxadd-setup.log)

From your log, near the end, I see the following:

Can't read private key
  /bin/sh ./scripts/depmod.sh /sbin/depmod 3.10.0-862.el7.EE.x86_64 ""

Are you using secureboot?

[tgleason]

Replying to heitkergm:

Could you post your successful vboxadd-setup.log? Still trying to figure out why mine will not even attempt to build the vboxvideo module.

Did a run where I '--keep' and got the tar files out. Tried building the vboxvideo directly from that src and still got "Nothing to be done for 'all'." in the vboxvideo Makefile. Wondering if it is because X will not run properly so I am doing the build from the console.

[tgleason]

OK, I believe I found the issue I was having with 122202. I had a custom kernel installed, which had another string in the version between the .el7 and the .x86_64 strings.

Not 100% sure why older kernels are being excluded from using the Guest Addtions. but the vboxvideo Makefile seems to exclude them all below 3.11 and those with the string '.el7.x86_64' in them.

Anyway, moving back from our custom kernel allowed all the modules to build.

[Michael Thayer]

Actually the make file logic is designed to exclude all kernels below 3.11 unless they contain the string '.el7.x86_64'. The reason for this is that we rely on functionality which was added in upstream 3.11 kernels, but which was back-ported to older el7 kernels.

If you are interested in finding out what went wrong, you could reboot into the custom kernel, run /sbin/rcvboxadd setup (as root) and look at/attach the log files.

[tgleason]

Replying to michael:

Actually the make file logic is designed to exclude all kernels below 3.11 unless they contain the string '.el7.x86_64'.

If this is actually true, why/how are Red Hat Linux 7 through RHEL 6 still supported? Do you not get the use of Guest Additions if you are using one of these older operating systems?

[Michael Thayer]

This only concerns the in-kernel graphics driver. It does not concern the older user-space graphics drivers or other drivers. I was not even aware that Red Hat 7 (as in the old Red Hat) even works with the Guest Additions. Officially we support (RH)EL 3 to (RH)EL 7.