EXT4-fs (sda1): Unaligned AIO/DIO by virtualbox usage

[Sasa Paporovic]

I am testing virtualbox 4.1.8 on Ubuntu11.10 64bit.

There is a bug that I have observed for long in previous versions of VirtualBox, but not reported until now; loged in kern.log:

Feb 4 14:34:14 userhost kernel: [ 2817.885409] EXT4-fs (sda1): Unaligned AIO/DIO on inode 393311 by VirtualBox; performance will be poor.

VirtualBox makes some trouble for ext4.

I attach additional the syslog.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-generic 3.0.0.16.19
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-16.28-generic 3.0.17
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-16-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: user 3174 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'SB'/'HDA ATI SB at 0xfe7f4000 irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC889'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0889,14627596,00100004'
   Controls : 37
   Simple ctrls : 22
Date: Sat Feb 4 17:45:50 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=1a0e5597-b775-4972-b739-0afa0924f554
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
MachineType: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD MS-7596
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no User Name)
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-16-generic root=UUID=c87b7465-5d05-4eaf-9487-c612c4aff2e9 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-16-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-16-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60.1
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/03/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: V1.8
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 760GM -E51 (MS-7596)
dmi.board.vendor: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrV1.8:bd09/03/2010:svnMICRO-STARINTERNATIONALCO.,LTD:pnMS-7596:pvr1.0:rvnMICRO-STARINTERNATIONALCO.,LTD:rn760GM-E51(MS-7596):rvr1.0:cvnMICRO-STARINTERNATIONALCO.,LTD:ct3:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: MS-7596
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.3 kernel[1] (Not a kernel in the daily directory). Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag(Only that one tag, please leave the other tags). This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text.

If this bug is fixed by the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream-KERNEL-VERSION'. For example, if kernel version 3.3-rc2 fixed the issue, the tag would be: 'kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.3-rc2'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[1] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.3-rc3-precise/

[Sasa Paporovic (melchiaros)]

No,

the times I tested rc of kernel are gone. To energy anymore for that. So I set this to kernel-unable-to-test-upstream.

Additional is to say, that not only 3.0.x is affected. This could also be observed on 3.2.x.

[rooijan (rrossouw)]

Joseph I have an user affected by this very annoying bug. Several lockups a day.

I am willing to test any kernel. Are you saying that the latest v3.3 kernel address this specifically or you just want to try in case something addressed this already?

For now I changed the Windows 7 VM to an IDE controller in case that helps.

-Riaan

[Richard Hansen (rhansen)]

According to <http://askubuntu.com/questions/118140/unaligned-aio-dio> this is a bug in VirtualBox, not the Linux kernel.

[rduke15 (rduke15)]

Listed here: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/9466
According to a Virtualbox developer, it is harmless.