Cannot Start Whonix Imported VMs - VERR_HGCM_SERVICE_NOT_FOUND

VirtualBox
1

I am using VirtualBox 7.2 on Fedora 42 This is a new system build.

I found this error in all VM logs after they fail startup: {The VBoxGuestPropSvc service call failed with the error VERR_HGCM_SERVICE_NOT_FOUND}

Per VirtualBox, this indicates Guest Services are not installed inside the VMs, prior to saving them. I believe this might be a version difference between what the VMs were built in (maybe VB 7.1?), whereas the newest version does not recognize it.

I have searched high and low and I cannot find a resolution. I believe these VMs needs to be updated and resaved on VirtualBox 7.2.

If anyone has solved this problem, please let me know as I really need to get this system up and running as soon as possible.

I would appreciate any help I can get!

2

See:

Note: Whonix is based on Kicksecure

3

Possibly relevant:

I would guess you probably have something else using hardware virtualization on your system that you need to turn off first.

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4

I have been working through the possible issues and I have found nothing that fixes it, yet.

No other software on the system. New system, new Fedora 42 install. I did Fedora Workstation, this time. KDE Plasma was last time, and I had more issues. I tried enabling Secure Boot on and then back off. Virtual Box did not like Secure Boot without rebuilding the kerne, again.

Everything is up to date. Expansion pack for Virtual Box installed.

I reinstalled the Virtual Box kernel, as it started complaining, after Secure Boot was enabled.

Next steps:

  1. Try to make a new VM and see if that works. That never worked on KDE system. If not, hope for a new error.
  2. Redownloading Whonix Virtual Box VMs and hope there was corruption, first time.
5

Hi, Patrick:

Should I just install KickSecure OS instead of Fedora? I am trying to build a laptop for Whonix use. Fedora looked good for it, but I keep turning into problems.

I have given up on Cubes OS. Never got it working correctly on KDE. It seems one person left working on it.

Thanks!

6

I did find Boxes (VM software) on the Fedora Workstation install. That was uninstalled this evening and reinstalled VirtualBox via dnf reinstall.

No change, same error still plaguing me.

7
8

VirtualBox 7.1.4 released - virtualbox.org mentions:

NOTE: In kernel 6.12, KVM initializes virtualization on module loading by default. This prevents VirtualBox VMs from starting. In order to avoid this, either add “kvm.enable_virt_at_load=0” parameter into kernel command line or unload corresponding kvm_XXX module

If you’re using a recent Fedora version, maybe try that.

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9

I put “kvm.enable_virt_at_load=0” command line into /etc/default/grub.cfg and it caused crashing at startup. I rebooted twice and this occurred. I removed it and that stopped the new crashing.

I believe this is the correct location for Fedora.I am running Linux kernel 6.15

10

It’s hard to say whether or not you added the option correctly without seeing exactly what you put into the file, but it is pretty likely you put it in the right spot.

Have you tried simply running sudo modprobe -r kvm_intel (or sudo modprobe -r kvm_amd if you’re using an AMD machine) before attempting to run the VM? I had to do that earlier today on Kubuntu 24.04 with a 6.14 kernel, and it worked.

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11

That worked!!

After all executing that in a Terminal, I fired up Virtual Box and the two Whonix VMs just started right up!

Thank you the big save and persistence!

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