[Pkg-virtualbox-devel] Bug#767250: I can confirm this problem

[Hermann Vosseler]

I recently upgraded my system -- more precisely, I did a fresh install of
Jessie with XFCE Desktop and then step by step re-integrated my exisiting
setup and application configuration.

I am now unable to use any of my various VirtualBox clients, which I need
for packaging and building software. Symptoms as described here:
Shortly after using any desktop features in the Client, the Graphical
environment on the host slows down and freezes soon thereafter.
It happens so fast, that in most cases I am just able to switch to
a VT before total lockdown of the host PC.

On the VT, an endless trace of repeating nouveau error messages is
printed, very similar to what is published in this bug report.

In one case I even managed to log in as root and type
"service lightdm stop"
After two minutes, the trace stopped and my desktop on VT-7 was
gone. I could restart lightdm, and log in and get to the new
session, but then the desktop froze again and I had to reboot.


The problem is present both with VirtualBox 4.3.30
and the new VirtualBox 5.0

I used the Deb-Packages provided by Oracle for Debian/Jessie

The client VMs include fresh default installs from the following:
- Jessie 32bit and 64bit
- Ubuntu Trusty (14.04 LTS), both 32bit and 64bit
- Mint Quiana

These Clients have the 4.3 guest additions installed.
When testing the VirtualBox 5, I managed even to upgrade the
Jessie VM to the 5.0 guest additions and shut it down.
But this didn't help either.

I switched off the 3D acceleration in one client, but then
the client desktop was so slow that it is impossible to work with.
For me the key point is to us an absolute default install
of the respective OS for testing and packaging.

My Graphics card is a Asus nVidia GeForce GT640 2GB-DDR3


In the end, I just switched back to the proprietary 'nvidia'
driver, and the problem was resolved. Unfortunately, this
pretty much kills 'Nouveau' as an option for me, since
both setups deal with monitor gamma correction slightly
differently, especially for video playback, and thus I have
to stick to one solution for the next months at least.