Kernel Panic: Help understanding logs

[ubuntuuser3629]

Ubuntu Version:
24.04 LTS

Problem Description:
Hello,

I hope someone can help me with the following:

If I start my PC I get a ‘Kernel Panic’ error message. The default Kernel is ‘6.17.0-14-generic’. When I change it in GRUB to ‘6.14.0-1017-oem’ I can start my PC without any problems.

I tried looking for solutions. One came up with sudo dpkg --configure -a. Then I get this error message:

dpkg --configure error message

Setting up linux-image-6.17.0-14-generic (6.17.0-14.14~24.04.1) ...
Setting up linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic (6.17.0-14.14~24.04.1) ...
/etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms:
 * dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 6.17.0-14-generic
Sign command: /usr/bin/kmodsign
Binary update-secureboot-policy not found, modules won't be signed

Building module:
Cleaning build area...
make -j4 KERNELRELEASE=6.17.0-14-generic -C /lib/modules/6.17.0-14-generic/build M=/var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build...(bad exit status: 2)
ERROR: Cannot create report: [Errno 17] File exists: '/var/crash/virtualbox-dkms.0.crash'
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.17.0-14-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build/make.log for more information.
dkms autoinstall on 6.17.0-14-generic/x86_64 failed for virtualbox(10)
Error! One or more modules failed to install during autoinstall.
Refer to previous errors for more information.
 * dkms: autoinstall for kernel 6.17.0-14-generic
   ...fail!
run-parts: /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 11
dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic (--configure):
 installed linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 11
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04:
 linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 depends on linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic; however:
  Package linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-generic-hwe-24.04:
 linux-generic-hwe-24.04 depends on linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 (= 6.17.0-14.14~24.04.1); however:
  Package linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package linux-generic-hwe-24.04 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for linux-image-6.17.0-14-generic (6.17.0-14.14~24.04.1) ...
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms:
 * dkms: running auto installation service for kernel 6.17.0-14-generic
Sign command: /usr/bin/kmodsign
Binary update-secureboot-policy not found, modules won't be signed

Building module:
Cleaning build area...
make -j4 KERNELRELEASE=6.17.0-14-generic -C /lib/modules/6.17.0-14-generic/build M=/var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build...(bad exit status: 2)
ERROR: Cannot create report: [Errno 17] File exists: '/var/crash/virtualbox-dkms.0.crash'
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.17.0-14-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build/make.log for more information.
dkms autoinstall on 6.17.0-14-generic/x86_64 failed for virtualbox(10)
Error! One or more modules failed to install during autoinstall.
Refer to previous errors for more information.
 * dkms: autoinstall for kernel 6.17.0-14-generic
   ...fail!
run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 11
dpkg: error processing package linux-image-6.17.0-14-generic (--configure):
 installed linux-image-6.17.0-14-generic package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 11
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic
 linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04
 linux-generic-hwe-24.04
 linux-image-6.17.0-14-generic

I see the

Consult /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build/make.log for more information.

so I look in this file:

dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build/make.log

DKMS make.log for virtualbox-7.0.16 for kernel 6.17.0-14-generic (x86_64)
Sun Feb 15 08:50:03 PM CET 2026
make: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic'
make[1]: Entering directory '/var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build'
warning: the compiler differs from the one used to build the kernel
  The kernel was built by: x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-13 (Ubuntu 13.3.0-6ubuntu2~24.04) 13.3.0
  You are using:           gcc-13 (Ubuntu 13.3.0-6ubuntu2~24.04) 13.3.0
  CC [M]  vboxdrv/linux/SUPDrv-linux.o
  CC [M]  vboxdrv/SUPDrv.o
  CC [M]  vboxdrv/SUPDrvGip.o
  CC [M]  vboxdrv/SUPDrvSem.o
In file included from vboxdrv/linux/SUPDrv-linux.c:42:
vboxdrv/linux/../SUPDrvInternal.h:47:10: fatal error: VBox/cdefs.h: No such file or directory
   47 | #include <VBox/cdefs.h>
      |          ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
compilation terminated.
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: vboxdrv/linux/SUPDrv-linux.o] Error 1
make[4]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
In file included from vboxdrv/SUPDrv.c:43:
vboxdrv/SUPDrvInternal.h:47:10: fatal error: VBox/cdefs.h: No such file or directory
   47 | #include <VBox/cdefs.h>
      |          ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
compilation terminated.
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: vboxdrv/SUPDrv.o] Error 1
In file included from vboxdrv/SUPDrvSem.c:43:
vboxdrv/SUPDrvInternal.h:47:10: fatal error: VBox/cdefs.h: No such file or directory
   47 | #include <VBox/cdefs.h>
      |          ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
compilation terminated.
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: vboxdrv/SUPDrvSem.o] Error 1
In file included from vboxdrv/SUPDrvGip.c:43:
vboxdrv/SUPDrvInternal.h:47:10: fatal error: VBox/cdefs.h: No such file or directory
   47 | #include <VBox/cdefs.h>
      |          ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
compilation terminated.
make[4]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:287: vboxdrv/SUPDrvGip.o] Error 1
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic/scripts/Makefile.build:556: vboxdrv] Error 2
make[2]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic/Makefile:2016: .] Error 2
make[1]: *** [/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic/Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/var/lib/dkms/virtualbox/7.0.16/build'
make: *** [Makefile:248: __sub-make] Error 2
make: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-6.17.0-14-generic'

But honestly, I have no clue what I am looking at. So from the mentioning of virtualbox, I assume there is some problem. However, I don’t know what kind of problem and how to solve it.

Does someone of you have an idea or even a solution?

[Norm24]

Take a look here, it’s a long read but:

SOLVED Kernel 6.17.0-14 Kernel Panic

Ubuntu Unity 24.04 Hi. I was running fine with Kernel 6.14. I did an OS update, and it brought me up to Kernel 6.17.0-14. When I boot, I get a Kernel Panic. Back on October 7, 2025, I had a kernel Panic as well. This forum had me do a: sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources and I had to change Suites to: Suites: noble noble-updates noble-backports And that resolved my problem. I have checked Suites on my system and it is fine. I restored my system, but as of now, I cannot do an…

[ubuntuuser3629]

Thank you! I missed that one. I will give it a try.

[juergh]

You have a virtualbox DKMS installed, which is an out-of-tree kernel module that needs to be compiled for every new kernel that you install. The log shows that that compilation fails for kernel 6.17.0-14-generic.

Bug #2136499 “virtualbox-dkms FTBFS in Noble with the linux-6.17...” : Bugs :...