VirtualBox on OSX Host: Signal 6 Error, can only run headless

I am unable to start any of my VMs interactively. They work when run headless however (--type vrdp)

If I try to run normally I get:

$ VBoxManage startvm Kubuntu
Waiting for the VM to power on...
VBoxManage: error: The virtual machine 'Kubuntu' has terminated unexpectedly during startup because of signal 6
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005), component Machine, interface IMachine, callee

My host machine is an Intel iMac running 10.6.7, and I'm using VirtualBox 4.0.6 with the Oracle extensions installed.

Any ideas?

Further info: The virtual machines start up just fine interactively if I use sudo. That seems to imply there is some sort of bad permission or locked file or something somewhere, but I have already checked all the files in Library/VirtualBox.

Eggplant Jeff

Posted 2011-05-07T12:20:35.230

Reputation: 201

What were the hosts? Were they all Kubuntu? The first error line is indicating that the host has shut down (Kubuntu called abort, thus sending SIGABRT to VBox). This makes it look like the host is the problem, but you implied that there are multiple failing hosts. Did you fix it? If so, how? – Synetech – 2012-11-26T03:25:56.990

Answers

I had this exact problem with all my VMs running on Mac OS X 10.7.5 host. A reboot solved the problem, since none of the .vbox files seemed to have any problems.

Kekoa

Posted 2011-05-07T12:20:35.230

Reputation: 301

Rebooting the host seems to solve it effectively – knokio – 2016-01-19T18:54:55.040

sama problem on el-capitan 10.11, works also – ismailsunni – 2016-05-10T10:07:44.663

This worked for me on MacOS Catalina with Vbox 6.0.14 as well. – enderland – 2019-11-16T13:41:58.177

Rebooted what, the host or the guest? – Synetech – 2012-11-25T22:07:11.340

4The host. No VMs were able to run, so that was the only thing that could be rebooted :) – Kekoa – 2012-11-26T02:56:46.747

Jeff indicated that he can boot and reboot his guests. If they are all being affected then rebooting the host may indeed help. – Synetech – 2012-11-26T03:21:14.033

Firstly, backup your VM (including the disk image and everything that goes with it).

Then, go into the folder in which your VM is held. In there, you should see a file called "VirtualBox.xml", and HOPEFULLY, a file called "VirtualBox.xml-prev". Rename the "VirtualBox.xml" file to "VirtualBox.xml.old", and then rename "VirtualBox.xml-prev" to "VirtualBox.xml". Try starting your VM again - the error should be gone.

If you don;'t have a VirtualBox.xml-prev file, then try creating a new VM, and use your old disk image. That process will re-create the VirtualBox.xml file for you.

Remember to back up!

Joseph Redfern

Posted 2011-05-07T12:20:35.230

Reputation: 538

If you're referring to a single VM, then this is not the problem. I've even gone so far as to clone the disk image and create a brand new machine. This is something more systemic, NONE of my half-dozen VMs will start normally, but they'll all start headless. If you're referring to the global config file for all VMs, I haven't tried messing with that yet so I'll take a look at it. – Eggplant Jeff – 2011-05-09T14:15:43.710