Unable to start VM's start command failed - timeout

[Natclanwy]

I took one of my VM's offline today to increase the RAM and processor count and was unable to start it back up. I had done a snapshot before I started in case things went wrong but the rollback task hung and never completed. I was going to rebuild the VM from scratch and restore from backups but I am unable to start any new VM's either and get the same error.

Edit: Forgot to include the software versions:

proxmox-ve: 6.1-2 (running kernel: 5.0.15-1-pve)
pve-manager: 6.1-5 (running version: 6.1-5/9bf06119)
pve-kernel-5.3: 6.1-1
pve-kernel-helper: 6.1-1
pve-kernel-5.0: 6.0-11
pve-kernel-5.3.13-1-pve: 5.3.13-1
pve-kernel-5.3.10-1-pve: 5.3.10-1
pve-kernel-5.0.21-5-pve: 5.0.21-10
pve-kernel-5.0.15-1-pve: 5.0.15-1
ceph-fuse: 12.2.11+dfsg1-2.1+b1
corosync: 3.0.2-pve4
criu: 3.11-3
glusterfs-client: 5.5-3
ifupdown: 0.8.35+pve1
ksm-control-daemon: 1.3-1
libjs-extjs: 6.0.1-10
libknet1: 1.13-pve1
libpve-access-control: 6.0-5
libpve-apiclient-perl: 3.0-2
libpve-common-perl: 6.0-9
libpve-guest-common-perl: 3.0-3
libpve-http-server-perl: 3.0-3
libpve-storage-perl: 6.1-3
libqb0: 1.0.5-1
libspice-server1: 0.14.2-4~pve6+1
lvm2: 2.03.02-pve3
lxc-pve: 3.2.1-1
lxcfs: 3.0.3-pve60
novnc-pve: 1.1.0-1
proxmox-mini-journalreader: 1.1-1
proxmox-widget-toolkit: 2.1-2
pve-cluster: 6.1-2
pve-container: 3.0-16
pve-docs: 6.1-3
pve-edk2-firmware: 2.20191127-1
pve-firewall: 4.0-9
pve-firmware: 3.0-4
pve-ha-manager: 3.0-8
pve-i18n: 2.0-3
pve-qemu-kvm: 4.1.1-2
pve-xtermjs: 3.13.2-1
qemu-server: 6.1-4
smartmontools: 7.0-pve2
spiceterm: 3.1-1
vncterm: 1.6-1
zfsutils-linux: 0.8.2-pve2

start failed: command '/usr/bin/kvm -id 100 -name Ark.server -chardev 'socket,id=qmp,path=/var/run/qemu-server/100.qmp,server,nowait' -mon 'chardev=qmp,mode=control' -chardev 'socket,id=qmp-event,path=/var/run/qmeventd.sock,reconnect=5' -mon 'chardev=qmp-event,mode=control' -pidfile /var/run/qemu-server/100.pid -daemonize -smbios 'type=1,uuid=41b66726-94c8-40f2-8216-e8229764773e' -smp '8,sockets=2,cores=4,maxcpus=8' -nodefaults -boot 'menu=on,strict=on,reboot-timeout=1000,splash=/usr/share/qemu-server/bootsplash.jpg' -vnc unix:/var/run/qemu-server/100.vnc,password -no-hpet -cpu 'kvm64,+lahf_lm,+sep,+kvm_pv_unhalt,+kvm_pv_eoi,hv_spinlocks=0x1fff,hv_vapic,hv_time,hv_reset,hv_vpindex,hv_runtime,hv_relaxed,hv_synic,hv_stimer,hv_ipi,enforce' -m 49152 -device 'pci-bridge,id=pci.1,chassis_nr=1,bus=pci.0,addr=0x1e' -device 'pci-bridge,id=pci.2,chassis_nr=2,bus=pci.0,addr=0x1f' -device 'vmgenid,guid=e971eaf8-72e8-42d2-9469-abf02fa14b16' -device 'piix3-usb-uhci,id=uhci,bus=pci.0,addr=0x1.0x2' -readconfig /usr/share/qemu-server/pve-usb.cfg -device 'usb-tablet,id=tablet,bus=uhci.0,port=1' -device 'usb-host,hostbus=1,hostport=1.2.1,id=usb0' -device 'virtio-vga,id=vga,bus=pci.0,addr=0x2' -device 'virtio-balloon-pci,id=balloon0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x3' -iscsi 'initiator-name=iqn.1993-08.org.debian:01:19c165b3db8d' -drive 'file=/var/lib/vz/template/iso/virtio-win-0.1.173.iso,if=none,id=drive-ide0,media=cdrom,aio=threads' -device 'ide-cd,bus=ide.0,unit=0,drive=drive-ide0,id=ide0,bootindex=200' -drive 'file=/var/lib/vz/template/iso/Windows.iso,if=none,id=drive-ide2,media=cdrom,aio=threads' -device 'ide-cd,bus=ide.1,unit=0,drive=drive-ide2,id=ide2,bootindex=201' -drive 'file=/dev/pve/vm-100-disk-0,if=none,id=drive-virtio0,cache=writeback,format=raw,aio=threads,detect-zeroes=on' -device 'virtio-blk-pci,drive=drive-virtio0,id=virtio0,bus=pci.0,addr=0xa,bootindex=100' -netdev 'type=tap,id=net0,ifname=tap100i0,script=/var/lib/qemu-server/pve-bridge,downscript=/var/lib/qemu-server/pve-bridgedown,vhost=on' -device 'virtio-net-pci,mac=CE:E4:49:FA:00:65,netdev=net0,bus=pci.0,addr=0x12,id=net0,bootindex=300' -rtc 'driftfix=slew,base=localtime' -machine 'type=pc+pve1' -global 'kvm-pit.lost_tick_policy=discard'' failed: got timeout

 

[wolfgang]

Hi,

please update to the current version and try again.

 

[Natclanwy]

Update what to the current version? Proxmox? I thought that 6.1 was the most current version.

 

[wolfgang]

Yes but your running kernel is 5.0 and not 5.3.

 

[Natclanwy]

I apologize for my inexperience with Proxmox or Linux for that matter, how do I go about updating the kernel to 5.3? I see both versions listed so I assume it has already been installed but I’m still running on the older version. Is it as simple as rebooting the host so it loads the newer version? I have been hesitant to reboot the host because if it doesn’t come back online or the VMs don’t start I don’t have a way to access the machine currently since the server it’s running on is in my home lab 300 miles away. But I have been able to start and stop a couple Linux VM’s with no issues so my confidence is building that I’ll have a way back in.

 

[wolfgang]

Is it as simple as rebooting the host so it loads the newer version?

Yes, this should do the update.

You can go back and use the old kernel if needed.
at the boot, you can choose which one you like to use.

 

[Natclanwy]

I will try this but I don't have access to the physical machine and have things working at the moment so I am going to wait until I get back to my apartment on Monday to attempt a reboot that way if things go south I still have access. Is there a known issue with this kernel causing my problem?

 

[wolfgang]

Is there a known issue with this kernel causing my problem?

There is no known bug in this kernel.
The main thing is that we can not test and support all potential combinations of packages.
Proxmox VE is a rolling release, an if in the current version is something wrong, and we will take care.

 

[Natclanwy]

Thank you again for your help! I rebooted Proxmox and had to run the unlock command on the VM I rolled back but so far everything appears to be working correctly although I have to undo the damage I did while troubleshooting primarily the rollback and deletion of the current version of the server. That isn't a big deal I have backups of the software configs and save files stored offsite so just need to update the VM to the current versions. Then I will attempt to increase my processor cores again and see if I run into any issues.