Alaveteli on Vagrant - start up issue

[kush]

Hi,

Having some issues starting the Vagrant VM session. When I run:

vagrant --no-color up

receive the following error:

"Waiting for machine to boot. This may take a few minutes...

The guest machine entered an invalid state while waiting for it

to boot. Valid states are 'starting, running'. The machine is in the

'poweroff' state. Please verify everything is configured

properly and try again.

If the provider you're using has a GUI that comes with it,

it is often helpful to open that and watch the machine, since the

GUI often has more helpful error messages than Vagrant can retrieve.

For example, if you're using VirtualBox, run `vagrant up` while the

VirtualBox GUI is open."

I then opened up the VirtualBox GUI, selected the alaveteli session, clicked 'start', then ran:

vagrant --no-color up

receive the same error, as above.

The alaveteli session in Virtualbox starts off promising with the boot screen message "press F12 to select boot devices", then it's stuck on a blank screen. see screenprint:

I'm also attaching the log file from VirtualBox and the full console (terminal) output.

Kush

[Louise Crow]

Hi Kush,

This looks like it might be a vagrant-specific rather than Alaveteli-specific problem - on an initial read, it doesn't seem like the vagrant script gets into the Alaveteli-specific bits - have you tried just starting a vagrant session not using the alaveteli script e.g. by following https://www.vagrantup.com/docs/getting-started/ ?

Sorry not to be more helpful,

Cheers

Louise

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[Gareth Rees]

Hi Kush,

I'm afraid I can't be much more helpful than what Louise has already said.

One thing it might be worth trying, if you haven't already, is installing the vagrant-vbguest plugin [1].

This keeps the "guest editions" installed in to the VM in sync with the VirtualBox version installed on your computer.

I think what can happen is that e.g. you have VirtualBox 1.2.3 installed say, but the VM was built with 1.1.0, so the image needs updating to work with your current version.

I don't know if it will solve your problem, but is the one plugin I always install and seems to eliminate a bunch of weird errors similar to this.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers,

Gareth

[1] https://github.com/dotless-de/vagrant-vbguest#vagrant--11

[kush]

Hi Louise/Gareth,

> have you tried just starting a vagrant session not using the alaveteli script

Yep, same blank screen (at least with the version of virtualbox and vagrant I had installed). I then installed the latest version of Vagrant and Virtualbox.

Vagrant = 1.9.1

Virtualbox = 5.1.12r112440

VirtualBox I downloaded from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

I Remember reading that it's best to download virtualbox from the above location (not to be confused with the test build's location - https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds)

I then did:

$ vagrant box add hashicorp/precise64

$ vagrant init hashicorp/precise64

However, this gave me the following error (on a plus, this error makes lot more sense than the previous blank screen):

Command: ["startvm", "77f6df57-a5f5-4fb8-aabc-f79247a7633b", "--type", "headless"]

Stderr: VBoxManage: error: VT-x is not available (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX)

VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005), component ConsoleWrap, interface IConsole

When attempting to start box through Virtualbox gui:

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine Vagrant_default_1483526694094_82146.

VT-x is not available (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX).

Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)

Component: ConsoleWrap

Interface: IConsole {872da645-4a9b-1727-bee2-5585105b9eed}

I was doing this testing on an old netbook. After doing a bit of searching, found that this error is to do with Virtualisation support on Processor. Had a look in the BIOS settings of the netbook. no sign of Virtualisation. In a terminal, I ran :

# grep --color vmx /proc/cpuinfo (see: https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-xen-vmware-kvm-intel-vt-amd-v-support/))

again, no sign of virtualisation.

So, went through the same alavetelli vagrant install on a notebook this time, and everything was fine. On the notebook, if I do:

# grep --color svm /proc/cpuinfo ('svm' as its an AMD processor)

I get confirmation that it does have virtualisation support.

Also, I noticed that within virtualbox, after selecting box 'alavetelli_default_xxxxxxxx' ---> settings ---> 'system' ---> 'acceleration' tab there is an option 'hardware virtualization' ---> 'enable VT-x/AMD-V' option which is enabled by default.

Here are some previous virtualbox forums posts on this:

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=62339

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17090

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=48065

One of the posts above says you can run a 32-bit o/s even if your machine (PC/netbook) doesn't support hardware virtualization, but seems for 64-bit, it's a must.

Gareth: 

>One thing it might be worth trying, if you haven't already, is installing the vagrant-vbguest plugin [1].

I was wondering if this plugin will resolve issues when using/testing a 'paravirtualization interface' option other than 'legacy', as suggested here:

http://superuser.com/a/945914

Kush

[kush]

Hi Gareth,

I've tested doing "Vagrant up" with the hashicorp/precise64 box under each of these virtualization settings: 

* default

* legacy

* KVM

* Hyper-V

* minimal

* none

It doesn't matter which option I select, the box boots up without any issues.

On a sidenote, I was seeing the following errors/warnings while booting the VM: 

"==> default: Checking for guest additions in VM...

    default: The guest additions on this VM do not match the installed version of

    default: VirtualBox! In most cases this is fine, but in rare cases it can

    default: prevent things such as shared folders from working properly. If you see

    default: shared folder errors, please make sure the guest additions within the

    default: virtual machine match the version of VirtualBox you have installed on

    default: your host and reload your VM.

    default: 

    default: Guest Additions Version: 4.2.0

    default: VirtualBox Version: 5.1

==> default: Mounting shared folders...

    default: /vagrant => /home/kn/vagrant"

After installing the vagrant-vbguest plugin, no such errors/warnings.

Actually, the first-time I booted the box (after installing the plugin) there was some updating. Rebooted, then there were no errors/warnings. (see output attached)

Regards,

Kush

[Gareth Rees]

After doing a bit of searching, found that this error is to do with Virtualisation support on Processor. Had a look in the BIOS settings of the netbook. no sign of Virtualisation.

Ah!

 

Actually, the first-time I booted the box (after installing the plugin) there was some updating. Rebooted, then there were no errors/warnings. (see output attached)

Yeah I think these persist unless you destroy the box which is pretty handy :)

Am I right in thinking you've got the Alaveteli box building successfully now?

Cheers,

Gareth

[kush]

> Am I right in thinking you've got the Alaveteli box building successfully now?

Did have it running through 'Vagrant Up', at least I was able to view the basic alaveteli site using http://127.0.0.1:3000 (not http://alaveteli.10.10.10.30.xip.io) on a browser.

However, I wasn't able to create a user by signing-up, due to not being able to verify the capcha code. It was showing an error where the capcha usually appears.

Closed the Virtualbox session by saving machine state. couple of days later tried to access the same 127.0.0.1:3000 URL, but the browser was coming up with an error.

Tried starting the alavateli service with 'sudo service alaveteli start':

$ sudo service alaveteli start

alaveteli: unrecognized service 

checked the /var directory, and /var/www has disappeared. 

Good news is I can ping 'alaveteli.10.10.10.30.xip.io'.

How do I get back to what I was doing before?, creating the admin account (resolving the captcha error).

regards,

Kush

[Gareth Rees]

Hi Kush,

You just need to create some reCAPTCHA keys for your dev install [1].

You can put them in config/general.yml [2].

Cheers.

p.s. we have an alaveteli-dev list which is better technical questions [3].

[1] https://www.google.com/recaptcha/admin

[2] http://alaveteli.org/docs/customising/config/#recaptcha_public_key

[3] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/alaveteli-dev

[kush]

Gareth,

> You can put them in config/general.yml [2].

Do you have a step-by-step procedure on how to do this. I did have a go at creating the keys, making a backup of general.yml, then adding them to general.yml. However, the alaveteli service would not start after doing this. So, I restored backed-up version of general.yml and the service did start. 

> You just need to create some reCAPTCHA keys for your dev install [1].

When creating the keys, what domain names do we register if we use the standard/test dev domain name of http://alaveteli.10.10.10.30.xip.io

I used 'alaveteli.10.10.10.30.xip.io'. (without the quotes of course) Is this incorrect?

Actually, do you have a step-by-step procedure on how to do all of the above. Even a step-by-step plan for getting a dev server up and running up to a point where we can send a 'test' request to say, the Ministry of silly walks. 

Am I a dreamer. :)

>p.s. we have an alaveteli-dev list which is better technical questions [3].

Sorry, I figured alaveteli-dev was for discussing code. Anything technical I'll post there from now.

Regards,

Kush

[kush]

Okay, just realised the alaveteli documentation I was following is step-by-step. 

Perhaps, just need to mention something about creating the reCAPTCHA keys as one of the steps and have a link to the reCAPTCHA key section.

[claude archer]

Dear Alavetelli Community,

1) Next 28 th of september, we have the opportunity to host a "Right to know day" in Brussels, in front of the  European Parliament event

Who is in and able to come ? we could have some partial funding for travel fees, the 27th and 29th of september could also be possible

The goal is to build a lobby network to enforce information commission decisions in our national state

2) Which country (world not only europe) has information access decisions that are enforcable, (even executable by a court bailiff)

Or even, wich country has information access decision that have a legal vakue (not just an advice) like it is the case in environnemental documents (Aarhus convention)

Hope to see you in Brussels for a pan-european rigth to know day !!

Claude

Anticor Belgium