id	summary	reporter	owner	description	type	status	component	version	resolution	keywords	cc	guest	host
7844	"/etc/default/virtualbox usage gives ""Wrong owner of /tmp/.vbox-*-ipc"""	Charles		"Hello :)

After creating /etc/default/virtualbox to shut down any VMs still running during host shutdown, these error messages appear during shutdown if a VM has been started and shutdown before shutting down the host:
{{{
Sending ACPI power button event to remaining VMsWrong owner (1000) of '/tmp/.vbox-c-ipc'.
Wrong owner (1000) of '/tmp/.vbox-c-ipc'.
ERROR: failed to create the VirtualBox object!
ERROR: code NS_ERROR_FACTORY_NOT_REGISTERED (0x80040154) - Class not registered (extended info not available)
Most likely, the VirtualBox COM server is not running or failed to start.
Wrong owner (1000) of '/tmp/.vbox-c-ipc'.
[Repeated from ""Wrong owner ..."" ~40 times]
 ...done.
Waiting for 30 seconds for VM shutdown ...done
}}}

This use of /etc/default/virtualbox is not documented in the 3.2.12 User Manual which only mentions using the file during automated installations. The source of information was the comment before the shudown_vms function in /etc/rc.d/rc.virtualbox shown below.  The full function is shown because of its possibly relevant comment, {{{# don't create the ipcd directory with wrong permissions!}}}
{{{
    # enter the following variables in /etc/default/virtualbox:
    #   SHUTDOWN_USERS=""foo bar"" 
    #     check for running VMs of user foo and user bar
    #   SHUTDOWN=poweroff
    #   SHUTDOWN=acpibutton
    #   SHUTDOWN=savestate
    #     select one of these shutdown methods for running VMs
    stop_vms()
    {
        wait=0
        for i in $SHUTDOWN_USERS; do
            # don't create the ipcd directory with wrong permissions!
            if [ -d /tmp/.vbox-$i-ipc ]; then
                export VBOX_IPC_SOCKETID=""$i""
                VMS=`$VBOXMANAGE --nologo list runningvms | sed -e 's/^"".*"".*{\(.*\)}/\1/' 2>/dev/null`
                if [ -n ""$VMS"" ]; then
                    if [ ""$SHUTDOWN"" = ""poweroff"" ]; then
                        begin_msg ""Powering off remaining VMs""
                        for v in $VMS; do
                            $VBOXMANAGE --nologo controlvm $v poweroff
                        done
                        succ_msg
                    elif [ ""$SHUTDOWN"" = ""acpibutton"" ]; then
                        begin_msg ""Sending ACPI power button event to remaining VMs""
                        for v in $VMS; do
                            $VBOXMANAGE --nologo controlvm $v acpipowerbutton
                            wait=30
                        done
                        succ_msg
                    elif [ ""$SHUTDOWN"" = ""savestate"" ]; then
                        begin_msg ""Saving state of remaining VMs""
                        for v in $VMS; do
                            $VBOXMANAGE --nologo controlvm $v savestate
                        done
                        succ_msg
                    fi
                fi
            fi
        done
        # wait for some seconds when doing ACPI shutdown
        if [ ""$wait"" -ne 0 ]; then
            begin_msg ""Waiting for $wait seconds for VM shutdown""
            sleep $wait
            succ_msg
        fi
}}}
My /etc/default/virtualbox looks like this
{{{
    # /etc/default/virtualbox

    # Configuration file for /etc/rc.d/rc.vboxdrv

    # 5dec10 Charles
    #    * Created, based on comment in /etc/default/virtualbox:

    # Check for running VMs of user c
    SHUTDOWN_USERS=""c"" 

    # Shutdown method to use on any running VMs
    SHUTDOWN=acpibutton
}}}

Searching for ""wrong owner of"" finds only 6 pages, none of which are about !VirtualBox.

Versions: the host is Slackware64 13.1 running !VirtualBox PUEL 3.2.12 (first encountered running 3.2.8), used by user c. The guest is Windows XP.

This problem was reported at [http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36772&p=164873#p164873 here] which did not get any replies.  The same problem is discussed (Debian? Ubuntu?) [http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-virtualization-90/virtualbox-howto-start-a-new-machine-on-boot-and-then-stop-it-on-halt-849449/ here].

Best

Charles"	defect	closed	VM control	VirtualBox 3.2.12	worksforme	/etc/default/virtualbox, rc.vboxdrv, shutdown		Windows	Linux