Virtualbox errors when opening or creating VM

Open a terminal and run this command

~$ sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Do you have a custom kernel ?

Give the results of this command

~$ lsb_release -rcd ; uname -r

Thanks

Thanks for the quick response. Here are the outputs of those two commands.

sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
[sudo] password for XXXX:
sudo: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv: command not found
XXXX@alitalinux2:~$ lsb_release -rcd ; uname -r
Description: Ubuntu 12.10
Release: 12.10
Codename: quantal
3.5.0-18-generic
allen@alitalinux2:~$

Do you have VB installed when you ran the command ?

OK , lets take this from scratch.

Purge VB completely .

~$ sudo apt-get remove --purge virtualbox-*

Then download and install VB . Here is the link: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads
Version 4.2.4 is the newest. Download the appropriate architecture (32bit or 64bit)click to save the file.

When download finish , open a terminal and do (I assume that downloaded files saved to "Downloads" folder)

~$ cd Downloads
~$ sudo dpkg -i <blahblahblah.deb>
~$ sudo apt-get install -f

Where <blahblahbalh.deb> is the name of the downloaded file . Use [Tab] key to auto-fill.

If you have a problem again , then run the command
~$ sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

OR

install linux-source and linux-headers-generic and try again

~$ sudo apt-get install linux-source
~$ sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic
~$ sudo dpkg -i Downloads/<blahblahblah.deb>

Again: Where <blahblahblah.deb> is the name of virtualbox downloaded .deb file . Use [TAB] key to auto-fill

Thanks

Ok I used your link and downloaded the Virtualbox for my environment (64 bit). When I run the second command (DPKG) I get this output.

allen@alitalinux2:~/Downloads$ sudo dpkg -i virtualbox-4.2_4.2.4-81684~Ubuntu~quantal_amd64.deb
Selecting previously unselected package virtualbox-4.2.
(Reading database ... 173938 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking virtualbox-4.2 (from virtualbox-4.2_4.2.4-81684~Ubuntu~quantal_amd64.deb) ...
Setting up virtualbox-4.2 (4.2.4-81684~Ubuntu~quantal) ...
Adding group `vboxusers' (GID 125) ...
Done.
 * Stopping VirtualBox kernel modules [ OK ]
 * Recompiling VirtualBox kernel modules
 * Look at /var/log/vbox-install.log to find out what went wrong
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Processing triggers for shared-mime-info ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for python-central ...
allen@alitalinux2:~/Downloads$ ^C
allen@alitalinux2:~/Downloads$

Here is the output of the log file:

allen@alitalinux2:/var/log$ cat vbox-install.log
Uninstalling modules from DKMS
  removing old DKMS module vboxhost version 4.2.4

------------------------------
Deleting module version: 4.2.4
completely from the DKMS tree.
------------------------------
Done.
Attempting to install using DKMS

Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/vboxhost/4.2.4/source ->
                 /usr/src/vboxhost-4.2.4

DKMS: add completed.
Failed to install using DKMS, attempting to install without
Makefile:181: *** Error: unable to find the sources of your current Linux kernel. Specify KERN_DIR=<directory> and run Make again. Stop.
Makefile:181: *** Error: unable to find the sources of your current Linux kernel. Specify KERN_DIR=<directory> and run Make again. Stop.
allen@alitalinux2:/var/log$

I am not sure I should go further. I will wait for your input.

Hello,

I ran the last set of commands you suggested in your last update. All Seems to be running as designed. I do have a question, one I am hoping you can answer. I am fairly careful about installations and configurations of my machines as a rule. Is there an explanation why this happened or why I would have to reload the kernel and headers? Anyway, thank you for all of your time and assistance.

Thanks NikTh, that solved my question.

This is not a problem with VB(probably but not for sure)
This probably was a problem due to DKMS or the building modules system in Ubuntu (without DKMS).

I had this problem too , with VB. Asked me for Linux headers when the Linux headers was already installed.

Linux-source installs the "dependencies" for DKMS or Ubuntu's modules building system , and there the problem solved.

Thanks

Would this have anything to do with the errors I am getting installing VMware Workstation 8.0.4? Thanks again for all of your help!

Hmmm , I don't know about VMware. I never used it and don't know its behavior.

IMHO it is a know problem...

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dkms/+bug/600517

Thank you for the post. Although my issue is resolved and I only had to rebuild the kernel one time. After that I was on the road to happiness. Yet another reason I continue to use Linux over any other O/S, the community is utterly fantastic!