Parallel Tools FP Exception

I run a variety of linux OSs and I can't install the new parallels tools from build 5582. When ever I try, under any version of linux (I've tried 3, one debian based and two versions of Mandriva), I get a floating point exception from (IIRC) plutild. It's from line 83 of the installation script (ironically I can remember the line number better than the name of the process).

Is there anyway around this? Currently I'm running with the older version of parallels tools but I occasionally lose mouse tracking or keyboard input - hopefully because of the version mismatch.

 

Hello TimW,

Could you let us know the commands you run and the output you get?
There should be no problems with Parallels Tools installation on 5582.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

I just follow the instructions which pop-up when you select the "Install parallel tools" option. sh parallel-tools-install.sh IIRC.
I've also tried running the plutilsd command directly by adding the --keep option to the install script and get the same floating point exception.
Sorry, I can't look-up the name of the thing giving the exception unless I try and install the tools again and I don't have time to do the back-up/restore to do it ATM.

 

TimW, we need to know what output you get for the command
sudo sh parallel-tools-install.sh
to analyze the issue. Could you please provide us with such information?

Best regards,
Xenos

 

It's kind of tricky to get you the exact output since my Mac doesn't connect to the internet but sudo sh parallel-tools-install.sh seems to run to completion except one of the lines gets an error message tacked onto the end something like:
prluserd:Floating point exception, line 83.
If you keep the unpacked files the line 83 actually applies to the script.
It all works perfectly in a clean install but on an upgrade, or on an uninstall followed by a reinstall I get this error.
I managed to do a successful re-install be deleting all my xorg.conf files before running sudo sh parallel-tools-install.sh but then I end up with a very badly configured X server. When I get the chance, I'll try and copy the xorg.conf file sideways and then re-install it afterward. Currently though, it looks like the installation process doesn't like the xorg.conf files created by the previous installation process.
This isn't causing me a big problem ATM since the main linux install I use has just been upgraded so I can use the clean install option, but I think it would be nice to get to the bottom of this before the next upgrade to Parallels just in case the problem is more widespread then.

 

TimW, Parallels binary file seems to be not compatible with your distributive libraries. Could you please provide us with full information on the distributives you are using?

Best regards,
Xenos

 

I don't think that can be correct since I can install the utility in a fresh install, and if I delete my xorg.conf . Anyway, I'm running Mandriva 2007, Free Edition, and the 4.2.4 and 4.3.0 SDKs from http://www.qtopia.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=4 after importing using Parallels Transporter (and copying some of the contents of the drives around since Parallels can't handle as many drives as VMWare can - you won't have to do that since it won't matter that you can't build anything with the SDK). It was in the 4.3.0 version that I found that a fresh install would work, but an upgrade wouldn't, and it is in 4.2.4 that I found that deleting xorg.conf would allow the install to complete, even though it ended up not usable since the install didn't create a new xorg.conf.

Actually, you may be right, sort of. I got a chance to do a more controlled test of installing with xorg.cong deleted. It appears that deleting xorg.conf means that prlusersd doesn't get installed at all. Perhaps, if you do an upgrade of the tools (even after removal) the version checking code guesses the wrong version and installs an incorrect prluserd so that it does end up with an incompatible version?

 

same problem on RHEL4 guest OS

I am getting the same error on RHEL4 guest OS, its showing a floating point exception when running or install prluserd.

Parallels build is 5582

Here is a list of some diagnostic output of the problem:

the attached file has the output of the following commands:

rpm -qi kernel
ldconfig -p
rpm -qi xorg-x11
./xserver-config.py
/etc/init.d/prluserd start
strace /etc/init.d/prluserd start

 

Hello,

TimW, thank you very much for undertaking the investigation and proposing the workaround. I have delivered all the information provided by you to QA team and developers. The issue is reproduced and the fixing process is in progress. The only possible workaround is currently the one you described.

Dfannin, thank you for the data you have given. It is very helpful. Please try the workaround proposed by TimW.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

One month further; I have the same problem; any updates ?

I just bought version 3.0 of parallels (MAC) to run Debian 4.0 r2 and when I try to install the parallel tools I get a floating point exception. Rebooting after that there is no X server..

Not a good experience.

Has this problem been addressed since it's a month further now ? I hope so ! Can you please provide a status update. I need those tools to work.

Thanks

Ronald

 

Hi Xenos

I get the exact same error message, line 83 fp exception.

Parallels 5582

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS

Has this been fixed yet?

Cheers

dtw

 

Hello Ronald and Dtw,

Parallels developers are aware of the issue and I have given them your reports as well.
I am sorry I can not let you know when the fix will be released.
Parallels Team apologizes for this delay.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Any further word on this?

This was first reported months ago. It doesn't seem like it should take this long to fix an FPE in what appears to be an extremely small chunk of code.

 

Still having this issue with Debian net install...

...is there a version of Linux this currently works on?

Also, how does one get the mac mouse pointer to stay away? Click-capture does not appear to work properly in at least this version of Linux.

Thanks!!!

 

It's been nearly two months since your last reply. I've run across this bug for the first time today. If it will help the developers, here is some additional information for their consideration:

0. Mac OS X 10.5.2, Intel, MacBook "Late 2007", 2GB RAM

1. Parallels build 5584

2. Guest OS: RHEL 4.4, 512 MB RAM

3. `Xorg -version` output:

X Window System Version 6.8.2
Release Date: 9 February 2005
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0, Release 6.8.2
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.9-34.0.1.ELsmp i686 [ELF]
Current Operating System: Linux [...] 2.6.9-42.EL #1 Wed Jul 12 23:16:43 EDT 2006 i686
Build Date: 11 July 2006
Build Host: hs20-bc1-1.build.redhat.com
[snip]
Module Loader present
OS Kernel: Linux version 2.6.9-42.EL (bhcompile@hs20-bc1-1.build.redhat.com) (gcc version 3.4.6 20060404 (Red Hat 3.4.6-2)) #1 Wed Jul 12 23:16:43 EDT 2006

4. prluserd:

# ls -ld prluserd
-rwxrwxr-x 1 root root 8607 Dec 6 03:56 prluserd
# file prluserd
prluserd: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.6.9, dynamically linked (uses shared libs), not stripped
# ldd prluserd
/usr/bin/ldd: line 124: 3824 Floating point exceptionLD_TRACE_LOADED_OBJECTS=1 LD_WARN= LD_BIND_NOW= LD_LIBRARY_VERSION=$verify_out LD_VERBOSE= "$@"
# ./prluserd -h
Floating exception
# pwd
[snip]/parallels-tools-linuxrkrOji/xorg.6.8/usr/bin

It would be nice to get this fixed, one way or another, so Linux guest OSes can sync their time.

Thanks in advance!

 

You lost me as a customer now

No problem. You don't fix this and stay inresponsive so I have switched. I'm now a VMWare customer. I was happy running XP on the Mac with Parallels but your other guest OS support is lacking.

Good luck.

Ronald

 

Got prluserd working...

After some gruesome debugging, I figured out what's wrong with pluserd under these conditions when it throws "Floating point exception".

The problem is that the .dynamic ELF section has an opcode in it that isn't recognized by ld-linux.so and it crashes; you can see this with "readelf -d /usr/bin/prluserd" - tag 0x6ffffef5 is unknown. I edited the binary and changed the opcode to what I found as more common in that spot (0x00000004) and it started working. My guess is that it was cross-compiled incorrectly.

I've attached the binary to this post. YMMV - I wouldn't attempt anything with this except to try and get around a "Floating point exception" problem under build 5548.

 

Oh, and I forgot to indicate this is a binary patch to the prluserd that gets installed for xorg 6.8.2. If you end up with a different prluserd, you'll have to patch it yourself.

 

hi Xenos,
we hope Parallels Team could release soon new - working - Parallels Tools for Linux (and I hope also for FreeBSD and Solaris): we need them

Sure "speelurker"'s method should be the right way, IMHO

thanks in advance

Salvo

 

I have the very same issue on Debian Etch for months. today I installed Parallels Desktop 3.0 build 5600, and guess what, it still has the same error.

"Xenos, 12-17-2007: The issue is reproduced and the fixing process is in progress."

it sounds really redicoulus on 11-05-2008, and the situation is more redicoulus one month later than a USER has found the solution for the issue.

so today I finish using parallels desktop, I switch to VMware Fusion, and I offer this to everyone who needs a working OS virtualization software with usable support. I will also write an article about my experiences of how parallels desktop development works. it's just unacceptable.