Learn how to proceed when vhost_vsock Kernel Module is not loaded. Our KVM Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

vhost_vsock Kernel Module Not Loaded | Solution

Did you know the `vhost_vsock` kernel module plays a key role in the vhost virtualization framework?

It enables fast and efficient communication between virtual machines and their hosts through the Virtio sockets interface.

When this module is not loaded, it can disrupt VM-to-host communication, especially in virtualization technologies like QEMU/KVM.

Today, we will examine the common causes of the “ vhost_vsock Kernel Module Not Loaded” error and how to fix them.

Causes of vhost_vsock Kernel Module Issues

1. The `vhost_vsock` module may not be installed or enabled in the current kernel build.
2. Older kernel versions may lack support for `vhost_vsock`, as it was introduced in recent kernel updates.
3. If the kernel was manually compiled or customized, the `vhost_vsock` option might not have been enabled during the build process.
4. Conflicts with other kernel modules or system misconfigurations could prevent the module from loading correctly.

Solutions to Fix vhost_vsock Kernel Module Errors

1. First, install the needed packages:

   sudo apt-get install dkms build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)

   If the above command does not work, maybe the kernel version is greater than 4.4.0-20. in this case, unsigned kernel modules are not to be allowed to run with Secure Boot enabled in BIOS.

   Then, we have to disable secure boot in your BIOS settings or sign the VirtualBox modules as seen in the upcoming steps.
2. Now, reinstall VirtualBox

   sudo apt install -f
sudo apt-get install --reinstall virtualbox

3. Next, reconfigure VirtualBox Kernel modules:

   sudo apt-get install dkms build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r)
sudo /sbin/vboxconfig
sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

4. Sometimes, we may come across the following error at this point:

   The VirtualBox VM was created with a user that doesn’t match the current user running Vagrant.

   In this case, run Vagrant with root privileges:

   sudo vagrant up
5. Now, ensure KVM and Virtualization are enabled:

   sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm
grep vmx /proc/cpuinfo # Ensure virtualization is enabled in BIOS


   For Ubuntu 20.04:

   sudo apt install qemu-kvm
6. Then, it is time to fix Kernel upgrade issues.
   1. Verify Current Kernel Version:

      uname -r
   2. Then, check for Linux Header Files:

      apt search linux-headers-$(uname -r)
ls -l /usr/src/linux-headers-$(uname -r)

   3. After that, install the missing headers:

      sudo apt update && sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
   4. Also, reinstall the VirtualBox DKMS Module:

      sudo apt remove virtualbox-dkms
sudo apt install virtualbox-dkms


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Conclusion

After completing these steps, we can resolve issues related to the `vhost_vsock` kernel module and restore proper VM-to-host communication.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated what to do if we run into the “vhost_vsock Kernel Module is not loaded” error.