MX Linux Forum

Used MX-Snapshot to create iso of working MX box.
When I then try to install it in VirtualBox or even on a different box, it hangs.- permanently as I've left it on overnight - the little white cursor top left corner never stops blinking, never proceeds.
Installing from downloaded iso flawless and fast.

What have I done wrong?

I'm a bit confused by "little white cursor top left corner never stops blinking" Do you manage to boot into the snapshot? Does it run fine but when you run the installer you get that, or when you try to run you cannot boot and you see that cursor?

In VBox, I create the machine the normal way, and select the MX_Snapshot iso; then I go into VBox settings and set everything up, and hit the start arrow.
It boots to a normal MX start screen, with the snapshot iso highlighted at the top. Press enter, and it starts up, runs a couple of pages of normal stuff, and then goes black, with that little white cursor "_" flashing merrily away...forever.
If I do the same thing with a downloaded iso - no problems.

OK, so the problem is not installing it, the problem is you cannot run it. It's most likely a video driver issue (my first guess). What video driver do you have on the machine you took the image from? Did you install a driver manually (like Nvidia driver) I won't probably be able to help you with this since I know virtually nothing about video drivers but hopefully somebody on the forum can give you some pointers.

did you make the snapshot from a real machine? I'm thinking maybe a xorg.conf in /etc/X11/ or perhaps an 20-intel.conf left over in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d ?

I made the snapshot of this machine, which works fine.
I'm trying to put it in VBox to isolate email from the main system.
I've compared what I can see of the loading (?) commands as they go past - I haven't been able to interrupt it to see exactly what's happening, but just before the screen blanks to the flashing cursor it looks like it quit and went to a green prompt...whatever that means.

so on your main system do you have a xorg.conf or any of the files I mentioned? and does the iso boot fine on the machine (not the VB)

I have
xorg.conf.in in /etc/X11
20-intel.conf in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
Should I not?

the snapshot system is supposed to exclude it the 20-intel.conf file. can you check the iso and see if its present on the iso?

Can't find it on the iso

The whole issue here started with Thunderbird problems. So I wanted to isolate Tbird in a VM. Can't get it done.
Also seems like my basic MX install on this box is messed up somehow, and this hole is getting deeper and deeper.
I think I'm just going to blow the whole works away and start from scratch. Too pissed off for words anymore.
Thanks all.

Adrian wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 3:51 pm OK, so the problem is not installing it, the problem is you cannot run it. It's most likely a video driver issue (my first guess). What video driver do you have on the machine you took the image from? Did you install a driver manually (like Nvidia driver) I won't probably be able to help you with this since I know virtually nothing about video drivers but hopefully somebody on the forum can give you some pointers.

That's exactly it. The physical computer uses whatever its video card is which are the drivers and Xorg files that were installed when the OS was installed, VirtualBox uses its own virtual video drivers and Xorg stuff. You'd probably encounter the same issue if you tried to install one computer's snapshot on another computer with different hardware.

JayM wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:07 pm

Adrian wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 3:51 pm OK, so the problem is not installing it, the problem is you cannot run it. It's most likely a video driver issue (my first guess). What video driver do you have on the machine you took the image from? Did you install a driver manually (like Nvidia driver) I won't probably be able to help you with this since I know virtually nothing about video drivers but hopefully somebody on the forum can give you some pointers.

That's exactly it. The physical computer uses whatever its video card is which are the drivers and Xorg files that were installed when the OS was installed, VirtualBox uses its own virtual video drivers and Xorg stuff. You'd probably encounter the same issue if you tried to install one computer's snapshot on another computer with different hardware.

Only that's not how is supposed to work, the X config files are excluded so they are not copied to the snapshot, also don't see this problem, I create the monthly snapshots and it can be used on any machine or otherwise many more people would complain...

Um...
from my earlier post, "I made the snapshot of this machine, which works fine."
This may be the heart of the issue - maybe my current install does NOT work fine.
I've been having issues with VPN connectivity and with Thunderbird (big-time) for a couple of weeks.

It all started... hyuk hyuk .. no seriously, I think I've got one of those frak-ups from messing with too many installs and un-installs. Mea culpa, probably all my bad.

So I just going to blow it away and rebuild. Then we'll see how much of the problem was my learning curve.
Back later I hope.

Adrian wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:11 pm

JayM wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:07 pm

Adrian wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 3:51 pm OK, so the problem is not installing it, the problem is you cannot run it. It's most likely a video driver issue (my first guess). What video driver do you have on the machine you took the image from? Did you install a driver manually (like Nvidia driver) I won't probably be able to help you with this since I know virtually nothing about video drivers but hopefully somebody on the forum can give you some pointers.

That's exactly it. The physical computer uses whatever its video card is which are the drivers and Xorg files that were installed when the OS was installed, VirtualBox uses its own virtual video drivers and Xorg stuff. You'd probably encounter the same issue if you tried to install one computer's snapshot on another computer with different hardware.

Only that's not how is supposed to work, the X config files are excluded so they are not copied to the snapshot, also don't see this problem, I create the monthly snapshots and it can be used on any machine or otherwise many more people would complain...

Oh, really? I didn't know that. That's with a Back in Time snapshot, right? That's pretty cool to know that I can clone my own system onto any other computer, and that it's portable like that, just in case this machine explodes or something.

Back in Time? I'm sure Adrian uses MX's snapshot tool to create the monthly snapshots.....

Back in Time calls its backups "snapshots" too, which confused me. Mind you, it doesn't take much to do that.