LHC@home

Hello, seeing the number of tasks that are returned from many users with an "error", the majority of them are due to not installing
["Virtualbox number x.x "and "Virtualbox extension pack x.x," same version if it is virtualbox 0.14 the extension pack is 0.14 not 0.18
without the Virtualbox extension pack the task is automatically "error".

---

... without the Virtualbox extension pack the task is automatically "error".

This is wrong.
Tasks run fine without the extension pack being installed.

It's ok to install the ExtensionPack from the Virtualbox-Version in Windows!
Guest's of Virtualbox running better and can change Data between Guest and Host.

Guests do not run 'better' if the extension pack is installed.

Data exchange between host and guest is done via a shared folder.
This requires guest additions to be installed in the guest VM but it does not require the extension pack on the host.
Guest additions are available on all VMs from LHC@home.

BTW:
The original claim was that tasks fail if the extension pack is not installed.

If WSL running well with Hyper-V under Win11pro,
we don't need Virtualbox anymore for our Guest's.
https://boincsynergy.ca/download/Guida.en.pdf

This copy is of a user's Theory task, there are many more, all their tasks end the same (error), in all of them there is no extension pack and they continue receiving and sending error tasks day after day.

<core_client_version>8.0.2</core_client_version>
<![CDATA[
<message>
Unspecified error
(0x80004005) - exit code 2147500037 (0x80004005)</message>
<stderr_txt>
2024-06-10 16:36:21 (4644): vboxwrapper version 26207
2024-06-10 16:36:21 (4644): BOINC client version: 8.0.2
2024-06-10 16:36:23 (4644): Detected: VirtualBox VboxManage Interface (Version: 6.1.34)
2024-06-10 16:36:23 (4644): Detected: Heartbeat check (file: 'heartbeat' every 1200.000000 seconds)
2024-06-10 16:36:23 (4644): Successfully copied 'init_data.xml' to the shared directory.
2024-06-10 16:36:23 (4644): Successfully copied 'input' to the shared directory.
2024-06-10 16:36:23 (4644): Create VM. (boinc_a90b14600f290613, slot#5)
2024-06-10 16:36:24 (4644): Setting Memory Size for VM. (630MB)
2024-06-10 16:36:24 (4644): Setting CPU Count for VM. (1)
2024-06-10 16:36:24 (4644): Setting Chipset Options for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:24 (4644): Setting Graphics Controller Options for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:25 (4644): Setting Boot Options for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:25 (4644): Setting Network Configuration for NAT.
2024-06-10 16:36:25 (4644): Enabling VM Network Access.
2024-06-10 16:36:25 (4644): Disabling USB Support for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:26 (4644): Disabling COM Port Support for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:26 (4644): Disabling LPT Port Support for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:26 (4644): Disabling Audio Support for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:27 (4644): Disabling Clipboard Support for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:27 (4644): Disabling Drag and Drop Support for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:27 (4644): Adding storage controller(s) to VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:27 (4644): Adding virtual disk drive to VM. (Theory_2024_04_30_prod.vdi)
2024-06-10 16:36:28 (4644): Adding VirtualBox Guest Additions to VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:29 (4644): Adding network bandwidth throttle group to VM. (Defaulting to 1024GB)
2024-06-10 16:36:29 (4644): forwarding host port 57780 to guest port 80
2024-06-10 16:36:29 (4644): Enabling remote desktop for VM.
*****2024-06-10 16:36:30 (4644): Required extension pack not installed, remote desktop not enabled.*****
2024-06-10 16:36:30 (4644): Enabling shared directory for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:30 (4644): Starting VM using VBoxManage interface. (boinc_a90b14600f290613, slot#5)
2024-06-10 16:36:34 (4644): Error in start VM for VM: -2147467259

Are you sure it's not necessary?

---

This copy is of a user's Theory task, there are many more, all their tasks end the same (error), in all of them there is no extension pack and they continue receiving and sending error tasks day after day.

<snip>

2024-06-10 16:36:29 (4644): forwarding host port 57780 to guest port 80
2024-06-10 16:36:29 (4644): Enabling remote desktop for VM.
*****2024-06-10 16:36:30 (4644): Required extension pack not installed, remote desktop not enabled.*****

2024-06-10 16:36:30 (4644): Enabling shared directory for VM.
2024-06-10 16:36:30 (4644): Starting VM using VBoxManage interface. (boinc_a90b14600f290613, slot#5)
2024-06-10 16:36:34 (4644): Error in start VM for VM: -2147467259

Are you sure it's not necessary?

Remote hosts have been enabled on this computer, and apparently that requires the extension pack to be installed. Check the cc_config.xml file to see if

<allow_remote_gui_rpc>0|1</allow_remote_gui_rpc>

has been set to 1.
If you do not need to connect from any other computer, set this value to 0 and read the configuration files (Advanced view in the GUI Boinc manager, Options/Read config files). If you do need to make such connections, just install the correct extension pack. In that case, it may be necessary to restart Boinc.

... Are you sure it's not necessary?

Yes.
Definitely.

See this example (beside many others) from a valid task that ran without extension pack:
https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/result.php?resultid=411965291

2024-06-24 16:41:03 (4076): Required extension pack not installed, remote desktop not enabled.
2024-06-24 16:41:03 (4076): Enabling shared directory for VM.
.
.
.
2024-06-24 16:41:04 (4076): Starting VM using VBoxManage interface. (boinc_00df6c9b647151d4, slot#7)
2024-06-24 16:41:08 (4076): Successfully started VM. (PID = '8860')
.
.
.
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: VBoxService 5.2.32 r132073 (verbosity: 0) linux.amd64 (Jul 12 2019 10:32:28) release log
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000147 main     Log opened 2024-06-24T16:41:24.277067000Z
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000226 main     OS Product: Linux
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000246 main     OS Release: 3.10.0-957.27.2.el7.x86_64
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000261 main     OS Version: #1 SMP Mon Jul 29 17:46:05 UTC 2019
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000276 main     Executable: /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-5.2.32/sbin/VBoxService
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000277 main     Process ID: 1367
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000277 main     Package type: LINUX_64BITS_GENERIC
2024-06-24 16:41:25 (4076): Guest Log: 00:00:00.000879 main     5.2.32 r132073 started. Verbose level = 0
.
.
.
2024-06-24 18:47:32 (4076): Guest Log: HITS file was successfully produced
.
.
.
2024-06-24 18:47:34 (4076): Guest Log:  *** Success! Shutting down the machine. ***
2024-06-24 18:47:34 (4076): VM Completion File Detected.
2024-06-24 18:47:34 (4076): Powering off VM.
2024-06-24 18:47:35 (4076): Successfully stopped VM.
2024-06-24 18:47:35 (4076): Deregistering VM. (boinc_00df6c9b647151d4, slot#7)
2024-06-24 18:47:35 (4076): Removing network bandwidth throttle group from VM.
2024-06-24 18:47:35 (4076): Removing VM from VirtualBox.
18:47:40 (4076): called boinc_finish(0)

The header is W I N D O W S!

<allow_remote_gui_rpc>

This is a BOINC client option.
It has nothing to do with vboxwrapper or any VM controlled by vboxwrapper.
Hence, it is not relevant for the success of a VM.

Not relevant.
Windows/Linux/Apple are all running the very same VM image.

Emmanuel,
Install the ExtensionPack,
when Virtualbox-Installation ask you in WINDOWS.

I've sat around watching the debate about the need or otherwise for the extension pack under windows.

The short answer is yes or no, depending on you wanting to spend time watching tasks run or not. Simply put, if you want to keep a close eye on tasks as they run then you do need the extension pack, but if you don't want to watch tasks running then you don't need the extension pack.
Evidence?
These few lines from a recent successful task (https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/result.php?resultid=411995370)

2024-06-25 08:06:37 (36756): Enabling remote desktop for VM.
2024-06-25 08:06:38 (36756): Required extension pack not installed, remote desktop not enabled.

The next couple of lines show that communication to the shared disk space is OK:

2024-06-25 08:06:38 (36756): Enabling shared directory for VM.
2024-06-25 08:06:38 (36756): Starting VM using VBoxManage interface. (boinc_01210e331ce40d44, slot#0)
2024-06-25 08:06:44 (36756): Successfully started VM. (PID = '21560')
2024-06-25 08:06:44 (36756): Reporting VM Process ID to BOINC.
2024-06-25 08:06:44 (36756): Guest Log: BIOS: VirtualBox 7.0.14

The short answer is yes or no,

Rob, you are fully right.

Extension Pack not needed at all to run LHC VBox-tasks.

If you want to use the Remote Desktop (localhost/other host to a LHC Guest VM) also known as 'Console' to watch VM-job's progress, you have to install VirtualBox Extention Pack.

Discussion closed.