systemd SEGV freezing on install of virtualbox

[kinghat]

most of the information has been reported at VBox here: https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=90643

when installing VBox this happens:
_________________________________________________________________________
sudo ./VirtualBox-5.2.23-126798-Linux_amd64.run
[sudo] password for kinghat:
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing VirtualBox for Linux installation.............
VirtualBox Version 5.2.23 r126798 (2018-11-20T16:12:47Z) installer
Installing VirtualBox to /opt/VirtualBox
Python found: python, installing bindings...

Broadcast message from systemd-journald@kinghat-kubuntu (Thu 2018-12-06 16:33:50 CST):

systemd[1]: Caught <SEGV>, dumped core as pid 5201.

Broadcast message from systemd-journald@kinghat-kubuntu (Thu 2018-12-06 16:33:50 CST):

systemd[1]: Freezing execution.

Failed to enable unit: Failed to activate service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1': timed out (service_start_timeout=25000ms)
Failed to enable unit: Failed to activate service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1': timed out (service_start_timeout=25000ms)
Failed to enable unit: Failed to activate service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1': timed out (service_start_timeout=25000ms)
Failed to enable unit: Connection timed out
Failed to start vboxdrv.service: Failed to activate service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1': timed out (service_start_timeout=25000ms)
See system logs and 'systemctl status vboxdrv.service' for details.
Failed to start vboxballoonctrl-service.service: Connection timed out
See system logs and 'systemctl status vboxballoonctrl-service.service' for details.
Failed to start vboxautostart-service.service: Connection timed out
See system logs and 'systemctl status vboxautostart-service.service' for details.
Failed to start vboxweb-service.service: Connection timed out
See system logs and 'systemctl status vboxweb-service.service' for details.

VirtualBox has been installed successfully.

You will find useful information about using VirtualBox in the user manual
  /opt/VirtualBox/UserManual.pdf
and in the user FAQ
  http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/User_FAQ

We hope that you enjoy using VirtualBox.
_________________________________________________________________________

VB then starts fine. after reboot none of the VMs fail to launch. ive had weird install issues with VBox on 18.10 for many months.

Description: Ubuntu 18.10
Release: 18.10

VirtualBox-5.2.23-126798-Linux_amd64.run

http://paste.debian.net/hidden/ee22b12a/

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.10
Package: virtualbox (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-12.13-generic 4.18.17
Uname: Linux 4.18.0-12-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.10-0ubuntu13.1
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Thu Dec 6 17:21:15 2018
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-08-20 (108 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 18.04.1 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180725)
SourcePackage: virtualbox
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to cosmic on 2018-10-10 (57 days ago)

[Gordon Lack (gordon-lack)]

Happens to me to.

First seen when trying to install 5.2.22.
I abandoned that, cleared things up and re-installed 5.2.20 - which worked OK.

I've just tried installing 6.0.3-BETA3. That suffered this issue too.
I cleared things up (didn't wait for the install to "finish") and tried re-installing 5.2.20. This is also now suffering this issue.

[Gordon Lack (gordon-lack)]

FYI: The 6.0 final installs OK. See:
   https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=90239#p436126
(and it worked for me...).

However, there IS still a BUG in systemd (which is where this bug should be moved - it isn't a virtualbox bug) as it shouldn't be possible for a package installation to crash systemd!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Karl-Philipp Richter (krichter-deactivatedaccount)]

A backtrace on Ubuntu 18.10 on Linux 4.18.0-13-generic with 5.2.20 r125813:

```
(gdb) bt
#0 0x00007f08c4693357 in kill () at ../sysdeps/unix/syscall-template.S:78
#1 0x0000559d23710606 in crash (sig=11) at ../src/core/main.c:183
#2 <signal handler called>
#3 __strlen_avx2 () at ../sysdeps/x86_64/multiarch/strlen-avx2.S:62
#4 0x00007f08c449fef7 in message_append_basic (m=m@entry=0x559d24121590,
    type=<optimized out>, p=0x100000000, stored=stored@entry=0x0)
    at ../src/basic/string-util.h:36
#5 0x00007f08c44a04eb in sd_bus_message_append_basic (
    m=m@entry=0x559d24121590, type=<optimized out>, p=<optimized out>)
    at ../src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.c:1565
#6 0x00007f08c44a0959 in sd_bus_message_appendv (m=0x559d24121590,
    types=<optimized out>, ap=ap@entry=0x7fffedec2ef0)
    at ../src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.c:2358
#7 0x00007f08c44a0f39 in sd_bus_message_append (m=<optimized out>,
    types=<optimized out>) at ../src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.c:2473
#8 0x0000559d2368caff in send_removed_signal (bus=0x559d23fff380,
    userdata=0x559d240a0f20) at ../src/core/job.c:1565
#9 0x0000559d236fcf8f in bus_foreach_bus (m=0x559d23ee83f0, subscribed2=0x0,
    send_message=0x559d2368ca50 <send_removed_signal>, userdata=0x559d240a0f20)
    at ../src/core/dbus.c:1187
#10 0x0000559d2368ecd8 in bus_job_send_removed_signal (j=<optimized out>,
    j=<optimized out>) at ../src/core/dbus-job.c:225
#11 0x0000559d2370e1de in manager_flush_finished_jobs (m=<optimized out>)
--Type <RET> for more, q to quit, c to continue without paging--
    at ../src/core/manager.c:3359
#12 manager_reload (m=0x559d23ee83f0) at ../src/core/manager.c:3477
#13 invoke_main_loop (m=0x559d23ee83f0, ret_reexecute=0x7fffedec31ca,
    ret_retval=0x7fffedec31cc, ret_shutdown_verb=<optimized out>,
    ret_fds=0x7fffedec31d0, ret_switch_root_dir=0x7fffedec31f8,
    ret_switch_root_init=0x7fffedec31f0, ret_error_message=0x7fffedec31e0)
    at ../src/core/main.c:1661
#14 0x0000559d2366f610 in main (argc=<optimized out>, argv=0x7fffedec34a8)
    at ../src/core/main.c:2415
```

[Karl-Philipp Richter (krichter-deactivatedaccount)]

The `systemd` bug is reported and fixed upstream apparently (see bug-watch).

[Gianfranco Costamagna (costamagnagianfranco)]

should be fixed in the systemd in disco