The message “QEMU exited from an error: GL_ARB_clear_texture” signals an issue with OpenGL extensions or GPU acceleration in a QEMU virtual machine. Let’s breakdown the issue in detail in this latest blog. Bobcares, as a part of our Server Management Service offers solutions to every query that comes our way.

Overview

1. Fixing “QEMU exited from an error: GL_ARB_clear_texture” Error
2. What does the Error Mean?
3. What are the Impacts of the Error?
4. Causes & Fixes of the Error
5. How to Prevent the Error?
6. Important Considerations
7. Conclusion

Fixing “QEMU exited from an error: GL_ARB_clear_texture” Error

What does the Error Mean?

The message “QEMU exited from an error: GL_ARB_clear_texture” shows an issue with OpenGL extensions and GPU acceleration inside a QEMU virtual machine. GL_ARB_clear_texture is an OpenGL plugin that lets us clean textures. The error indicates that QEMU encountered an issue while attempting to use this extension, resulting in the virtual machine terminating unexpectedly.

The error syntax is as follows:

It means that QEMU found an error while using the GL_ARB_clear_texture OpenGL extension.

What are the Impacts of the Error?

The main effect is that the virtual machine crashes or fails to start, making it difficult to use the VM until the problem is rectified. In some circumstances, disabling GPU acceleration may be required as a solution, which can severely reduce the performance of the VM.

Causes & Fixes of the Error

1. Incompatible GPU Settings

Cause: Some GPU settings, like virtio-gpu-gl-pci, can cause problems with certain display managers.

Fix: Change Display Settings

i. To edit QEMU Configuration, locate the VM’s QEMU configuration file. Then, open it with a text editor.

ii. Change from virtio-gpu-gl-pci to virtio-gpu-pci to temporarily disable 3D acceleration.

From:

-device virtio-gpu-gl-pci

To:

-device virtio-gpu-pci

iii. Save changes and restart the VM.

Example command:

bash
qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -m 4096 -vnc :0 -device virtio-gpu-pci -cdrom /path/to/iso -boot d

2. Display Manager Issues

Cause: Some display managers, like gdm, may conflict with GPU acceleration.

Fix: Switch Display Manager

i. Install a New Display Manager such as lightdm or lxdm.

Example for Debian-based systems:

sql
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install lightdm

ii. Set the New Display Manager:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm

iii. Remove the Old Display Manager (optional):

arduino
sudo apt-get remove gdm3

iv. Apply the changes by rebooting the VM.

3. Mesa Driver Issues

Cause: Buggy Mesa driver updates can interfere with GPU acceleration.

Fix: Update or Roll Back Drivers

i. Check Current Mesa Version:

perl
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"

ii. Roll Back to a Stable Version (Debian-based systems):

php
sudo apt-get install mesa--dev mesa--dri

iii. If rollback doesn’t work, follow Mesa updates for a permanent fix.

iv. Restart the VM after applying changes.

4. Package Updates

Cause: Graphics driver or library updates can cause issues.

Fix:

i. Before updating in production, test in a safe environment.

ii. Prevent updates using apt-mark.

css
sudo apt-mark hold mesa

5. Disable GPU Acceleration

Cause: This is the last attempt to fix the issue.

Fix: Disable GPU Acceleration

i. Open the QEMU configuration file in a text editor.

ii. Remove any GPU-related options.

From:

-enable-kvm -device virtio-gpu-gl-pci

To:

-enable-kvm

iii. Save and reboot.

How to Prevent the Error?

1. We should monitor driver updates: Regularly check for updates to graphics drivers and related libraries, as they can sometimes cause compatibility issues.

2. We should test configurations: Before applying updates, we should test the VM configurations to ensure they don’t introduce compatibility problems.

3. We should use stable versions: It’s best to use stable versions of software and drivers, rather than beta or development releases, to minimize the risk of errors.

Important Considerations

1. Assess the necessity for stability against the potential performance loss from turning off GPU acceleration in virtual machines.

2. Make sure the system is compatible with the new display manager and that it is configured correctly.

3. Upgrades often could help prevent these kinds of problems, but make sure to test driver upgrades in a staging environment first.

4. Update the system frequently, and keep an eye out for improvements to the GPU and OpenGL support in the QEMU release notes.

5. Test all significant configuration upgrades or modifications in a staging or non-production environment before implementing them. In production contexts, this reduces the chance of downtime or performance degradation.

6. Although it provides stability, turning off GPU acceleration in the QEMU configuration can drastically affect virtual machine performance.

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Conclusion

To sum up, the message “QEMU exited from an error: GL_ARB_clear_texture” indicates an issue with OpenGL extensions and GPU acceleration in a QEMU virtual machine, which can result in crashes or loss of GPU performance. This problem can occur due to incompatible GPU settings, display manager issues, Mesa driver flaws, or recent package changes. Modifying QEMU’s display settings, switching display managers, rolling back drivers, and disabling GPU acceleration are all possible solutions offered by our Experts. To avoid future problems, it is critical to monitor driver updates, test setups before applying updates, and use stable software releases.