That warning can be safely ignored. It only occurs if you have one or more of the various memtest86 packages installed (usually memtest86+ or memtest86+-efi). I’ve seen it after every update since I bought my mini-PC 2 years ago:
Output of update-grub showing memtest86+-efi unknown nvme device type warning
sudo update-grub
[sudo] password for scotty:
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found theme: /usr/share/grub/themes/manjaro/theme.txt
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-6.17-x86_64
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-6.17-x86_64.img
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-6.16-x86_64
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-6.16-x86_64.img
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-6.15-x86_64
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-6.15-x86_64.img
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-6.12-x86_64
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-6.12-x86_64.img
Warning: os-prober will not be executed to detect other bootable partitions.
Systems on them will not be added to the GRUB boot configuration.
Check GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER documentation entry.
Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings ...
Found memtest86+ EFI image: /boot/memtest86+/memtest.efi
/usr/bin/grub-probe: warning: unknown device type nvme0n1.
done
The memtest86+ packages are not required by the system, and can be safely removed if you don’t want to see the warning message.
in preferences input virtual-machine auto-capture keyboard off.
Make sure you have also the headers for the kernel you use.
I also use the LTS kernel with according headers.
What you probably meant to suggest is to keep the VirtualBox directory (the directory where VMs are stored by default) on a separate partition.
There is no obvious benefit from having a different file system on that partition. Indeed, a partition formatted with a native Linux file system; such as EXT4; would be preferable.
What i meant is to have a different filesystem for the vm’s and put them in a directory of own choice. Advantage is that when you make a fresh installation the vm’s stay on your system … that’s all
Yes, I understood what was meant; but, please, call it a partition (not a filesystem) to avoid any possible confusion. We don’t want inexperienced users thinking they should format their system volumes any differently.
I’ll add that a separate partition is also handy for those who wish to use the same VMs in Linux and Windows (when multi-booting).
In that case a separate partition formatted with an NTFS or EXFAT file system (for example) might be convenient; albeit not a generally recommended scenario.
In the meantime, I have tried to discuss the problem in the Oracle VirtualBox Forum, but I have not got a solution there. But they advised me to open an issue in the VBox Github here: https://github.com/VirtualBox/virtualbox/issues/168
We will see, whether there will be a solution.
It is a pity, that I will not be able to write about the result in this thread because it will be closed until then, I assume.
If there would be a solution, I will report about in a new thread here and referencing to these old threads.
I have tried something new:
As described above, I have my VMs stored on an additional ext4 partition in order to circumvent a possible problem with COW of btrfs.
Now I have additionally put the home folder of VBox also on this ext4 partition by using a symlink. The idea behind is, that by this all places, where VBox will write something, will now exist on a nonCOW filesystem.
Further I have used strictly the name convention which is used by VBox by default, so that any conflict from this is also prevented.
At the end, all the error behaviour is still the same as at the beginning, when I had my complete installation on a nvme btrfs drive.
It is very strange, that I have two laptops, one with Manjaro latest and VBox installed on btrfs and it works with the existing VMs. But I cannot add any new VMs. The other laptop runs on ext4 completely. This is the one, which actually saves my ass, because only on this machine I can do my tax declaration now. The program for this is only available on Windows.
I have started VirtualBox in the terminal by typing: LC_ALL=C.utf-8 VirtualBox
Vbox Manager (GUI) opened and I could create new machines and add already existing VMs. Everything seems to run “like in the best times” with VBox.
It seems, it is really a bug in VBox. I suppose, that this is not the final solution and they will soon tell us more.
I added an explanation, which I found by KI:
It seems, that GTK3 will interpret UTF-8 in a special way and this could lead to problems. It is generally a problem with GTK libs, which handle the character coding for internationalization.
I have inserted this explanation in the Github discussion.
But this is a technical region far above my technical understanding!
I am sorry, but I cannot link to the KI answer. I have got it by Leo KI which is integrated in Brave browser.
I have posted the most meaningful part of the KI answer in Github here: https://github.com/VirtualBox/virtualbox/issues/168 and I admit, that even this is more than I can understand. But it is enough for me to estimate the consequences.
Meanwhile I am feeling bored, to start VBox each time by using the Terminal. A friend created a small script for me, which I could assign as a starter in the bottom of my screen:
As can be seen in my post #16 here: https://forum.manjaro.org/t/virtualbox-cannot-create-new-vms-nor-add-existing-vms/180835/16 I have installed VirtualBox, using virtualbox-host-dkms instead of linux612-virtualbox-host-modules 7.1.12.6
But at first, this did not work and I had to install additionally kernel headers by pacman using: sudo pacman -Syu linux612-headers
This is the status, in which my VBox is now running, if I start it by LC_ALL=C.utf-8 VirtualBox or by the small script.
Actually there is an update available for VBox to 7.2.0-1. As this comes at the same time with about 200 other updates, I would like to run these updates.
But as I am not familiar with dkms and kernel header, I fear, that I could break something at my VBox – just as it now works! So my question here is:
Will I be really on a risk, when I update now?
Will the dkms and kernel header update just by pamac running or will I have to perform / execute some additional steps?
And did I install something, which will bring some difficulties in my system?
And if so, how can I return to regular linux612-virtualbox-host-modules 7.1.12.6 without using kernel headers and dkms?
I want to inform you, that the team of VBox has created a bugfix, which will be integrated in the next minor update of VirtualBox = rel 7.2.0-2
May I remember, that I had put some questions in my posting above, and I hope, that someone will answer?
I am feeling unsafe concerning the use of dkms because it seems to enlarge the complexity of my system and makes it more prone to future instabilities. The tutorial about using dkms here https://forum.manjaro.org/t/root-tip-how-to-kernel-headers-dkms/93840 showing me, that my “feeling of being unsafe” is not fictious.
The best would be, if I could return to regular linux612-virtualbox-host-modules 7.1.12.6 without using kernel headers and dkms but I should be safe, while deinstalling it and installing via pamac. Even tihis could be a risk for my actual well working system.
@soundofthunder
No, I meant my questions two posts above. But meanwhile I would reduce the questions to the following ones:
Because of the warnings in the tutorial about dkms and therefor also the use of virtualbox-host-dkms (which is in the official repo), I would like to reduce complexity and would like to return to linux612-virtualbox-host-modules 7.2.0-2 which will be available soon.
But as dkms is directly connected to the kernel, I fear, that I could ruin my system, when I would try to simply remove virtualbox-host-dkms by Pamac and then install linux612-virtualbox-host-modules 7.2.***.
What do you think: Is my fear for ruining my system realistic or can I trust, that changing the kernel component of VBox away from dkms wiil not cause harm to my system?
BTW: I would never use AUR components on critical parts like VBox.
