Running shell script on guest cause <defunct> process

[pbartfai]

When run shell script on the guest Linux using the following command will cause the shell process to crash into <defunct> state:

VBoxManage.exe guestcontrol Debian exec --username root --password xxx --verbose --wait-stdout --image "/bin/sh" -- -c "export"

Problem is experienced with both Guest Addition 4.1.10 & 4.1.12. Downgrading Guest Addition to 4.1.8 will fix the issue.

Running VBoxService manually will generate the following logs:

root@Debian:~#VBoxService -f -v
VBoxService 4.1.12 r77245 (verbosity: 1) linux.x86 (Apr  3 2012 14:40:20) release log
00:00:00.001 main     Log opened 2012-04-13T20:29:59.509047000Z
00:00:00.002 main     OS Product: Linux
00:00:00.002 main     OS Release: 2.6.32-5-686
00:00:00.002 main     OS Version: #1 SMP Mon Jan 16 16:04:25 UTC 2012
00:00:00.002 main     OS Service Pack: #1 SMP Mon Jan 16 16:04:25 UTC 2012
00:00:00.002 main     Executable: /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-4.1.12/sbin/VBoxService
00:00:00.002 main     Process ID: 8537
00:00:00.002 main     Package type: LINUX_32BITS_GENERIC
00:00:00.014 main     4.1.12 r77245 started. Verbose level = 1
00:00:00.025 timesync VBoxServiceTimeSyncAdjust: adjtime by 551 305 000 ns
00:00:00.040 main     All services started.
00:00:07.628 gctl1    Error: IPC request is invalid

Process list:

UID        PID  PPID  C STIME TTY          TIME CMD
root      8554  2060  0 16:31 pts/0    00:00:00 VBoxService -f -v
root      8565  8554  0 16:31 pts/0    00:00:00 [sh] <defunct>

[pbartfai]

Running the VBoxService with more verbose option will generate the following messages:

00:00:16.580 control  Message requires 11 parameters, but only 2 supplied -- retrying request (no error!)...
00:00:16.580 control  Msg=100 (11 parms) retrieved
00:00:16.582 control  Request to start process szCmd=/bin/sh, uFlags=0x10, szArgs=-c export, szEnv=<None>, szUser=root, uTimeout=4294967295
00:00:16.582 control  Reaping threads returned with rc=VINF_SUCCESS
00:00:16.582 control  Maximum served guest processes set to 25, running=0
00:00:16.582 control  Waiting for thread to initialize ...
00:00:16.582 gctl1    Thread of process pThread=0x081630b0 = "/bin/sh" started
00:00:16.582 gctl1    Setting thread (PID 0) to list 2
00:00:16.583 gctl1    Guest process "/bin/sh" got client ID=65, flags=0x10
00:00:16.584 gctl1    Looked up executable: /bin/sh -> /bin/sh
00:00:16.584 gctl1    Starting process "/bin/sh" ...
00:00:16.638 gctl1    Starting process "/bin/sh" returned rc=VINF_SUCCESS
00:00:16.641 control  Waiting for host msg ...
00:00:16.642 gctl1    [PID 8627]: Process "/bin/sh" started, CID=10351, User=root
00:00:16.642 control  Message requires 4 parameters, but only 2 supplied -- retrying request (no error!)...
00:00:16.643 control  Msg=102 (4 parms) retrieved
00:00:16.643 control  [PID 8627]: Waiting for response on enmType=50, pvData=0x081760f8, cbData=65536
00:00:16.647 gctl1    [PID 8627]: Handled req=50, CID=10352, rc=VINF_TRY_AGAIN, cbData=0
00:00:16.647 control  Performed request with rc=VINF_TRY_AGAIN, cbData=0
00:00:16.647 control  [PID 8627]: Performed enmType=50, uCID=10352, pvData=0x081760f8, cbData=0, rc=VINF_TRY_AGAIN
00:00:16.647 control  Freeing request=0x0816c098 (event=0816c098)
00:00:16.647 control  [PID 8627]: Got output, rc=VINF_TRY_AGAIN, CID=10352, cbRead=0, uHandle=1, uFlags=0
00:00:16.648 control  Waiting for host msg ...
00:00:16.648 control  Message requires 4 parameters, but only 2 supplied -- retrying request (no error!)...
00:00:16.648 control  Msg=102 (4 parms) retrieved
00:00:16.648 control  [PID 8627]: Waiting for response on enmType=50, pvData=0x081760f8, cbData=65536
00:00:16.648 gctl1    Error: IPC request is invalid

[pbartfai]

Problem experienced on the following guests: Centos 5.8, 6.2, Debian 6.0.4, Ubuntu 11.10, Fedora 14,15.

[aeichner]

Please reopen if still relevant with a recent VirtualBox release.