VirtualBox 3.1.0 crashes my browsers

[Nicolae Crefelean]

After I upgraded to VirtualBox 3.1.0 (from 3.0.8, I guess), I have encountered a very annoying issue. Using Debian 5.0.3 inside a VirtualBox guest I tried to perform some regular updates and install some software inside the VM but at some point Mozilla Firefox crashed (suddenly closed) in my host operating system - Windows XP Pro SP3 32-bit.

This didn't happend with any other VM software or any previous VirtualBox version so it felt strange as I wasn't using any new software compared to what I used before the upgrade to v3.1.0. Then I opened Google Chrome, knowing that browser requires less resources, but when I got to a few open tabs Chrome also crashed/suddenly closed.

I have 2GB of RAM in my computer and the guest has 512MB of RAM allocated. This didn't happen today and I don't know exactly when it happened so I will attach all my logs - 4 files.

[Technologov]

hmmm. mystic.

Added myself as CC.

-Technologov

[Nicolae Crefelean]

If I made a confusion regarding the Guest/Host OS, please adjust this. The operating system installed on my physical machine is Windows XP Pro SP3. My virtual machine has Debian inside it. I just searched the Windows branch for this bug report and I didn't find it there. Sorry if I posted it in the wrong place.

The thing about how I use browsers is... I open a lot of tabs. Right now I have 30 tabs in Firefox and they take 621.408MB of RAM + 625.264 MB of Virtual Memory - as reported by Windows Task Manager. Of course, I wouldn't start a virtual machine without closing all the other applications so I have enough RAM available, but just as I did before I also did with v3.1.0, which is why I ended up in here, reporting this strange behaviour.

I hope the logs will help somehow.

[vasily Levchenko]

Does it happen if you change network to NAT?

[Nicolae Crefelean]

I hope I'll have the time to test this tomorrow. Anyway, this shouldn't have happened even with the default settings. I will add here more details about my hardware if you think it might help - mainboard model + others.

[vasily Levchenko]

Replying to kneekoo:

I hope I'll have the time to test this tomorrow. Anyway, this shouldn't have happened even with the default settings. I will add here more details about my hardware if you think it might help - mainboard model + others.

I've recommended NAT because of two reasons:

1. you probably need networking while bridged one is not working for you.:)
2. To give NAT good stress test :)

[Nicolae Crefelean]

But I do have networking/internet in my current configuration. As I said the the original bug report, I was working with my Debian, updating and installing software - all from the internet. I didn't have the chance to play with it today. I had a very busy day and probably the same tomorrow. I'll get back with news when I have them.

[Frank Mehnert]

Could you check if ​VBox 3.1.4 Beta 2 solves your issue?

[Nicolae Crefelean]

Thank you for getting back to me. I think it was my fault after all. I completely disabled virtual memory because I have 2 GB of RAM. However, I should take a better look with the latest Beta. Normally, the virtual machine should stop consuming more memory than allocated + a normal/certain overhead due to the VirtualBox itself.

I'll keep a close eye on RAM usage now that I remembered what I did with my settings. :) I guess you will now know one more thing to ask from people with strange issues. I'll be back.

[Nicolae Crefelean]

I still didn't make it with the test and this week also looks very busy. Sorry for being a bad reporter/tester. I just let you know (this time) what's going on.

[Frank Mehnert]

Just reopen this ticket if still relevant.