Ubuntu 8.10 Guest bugs

[Someone4746]

Well i am encountering some bugs with the latest version of ubuntu running as guest:

1. #2545: The mouse integration dosent work after installing guest additions.
   Workaround: Click
2. #2546: Seamless windows under windows host has no taskbar and sometimes glitches and goes full screen. (Might also occur under all hosts)

[Midiweb]

Hi, I installed VB to virtualize Ubuntu 8.10 but i cannot switsch into Full Screen. VB runs on Mac Os Leopard.
Any ideas to display full screen.

[Someone4746]

Hi, I installed VB to virtualize Ubuntu 8.10 but i cannot switsch into Full Screen. VB runs on Mac Os Leopard.
Any ideas to display full screen.

A bit of a wrong topic but did you try installing the guest additions?
Check the virtual box manual.

[rwaldo]

Well i am encountering some bugs with the latest version of ubuntu running as guest:

1. #2545: The mouse integration dosent work after installing guest additions.
   Workaround: Click
2. #2546: Seamless windows under windows host has no taskbar and sometimes glitches and goes full screen. (Might also occur under all hosts)

I have also seen this with 8.10 Ubuntu. Now, I am STUCK in the fullscreen mode and Host + A, Host + G, or Host + F have no visible effect.

Does anyone know how I can get back to standard windowed mode?

--- update (I spent 2 hours getting it back to -almost- normal windowed mode.)

I was able to execute the "Machine" menu (at the top left of the screen) and force the system to go back to windowed mode. As it continued with (WinXP) login, I kept hitting the Machine menu and finally, it logged on and remained in the windowed mode. I had done the exact same thing a dozen times before and it did NOT go into windowed mode. I don't know why it did this time.
The problem now is that each time it comes up, it presents a dialog that it will be switching to seamless mode. However, if I hit cancel, it stays in a window (what I want).

Is there a simple command that I can give it to force it into the Windowed mode every time? It will not remember the selection on the Machine menu. The Host + A & Host + G functions still have no effect. I refuse to TRY the Host + F since it may get stuck again.

Ray

[Sasquatch]

Rwaldo, if you open the xml file that belongs to your VM, you can change the line where it mentiontions fullscreen. You have to edit the file when the VM is turned OFF. Check for a line like this:

Code: Select all

<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/Fullscreen" value="off"/>

You probably have "on" where I have "off".

[rwaldo]

Rwaldo, if you open the xml file that belongs to your VM, you can change the line where it mentiontions fullscreen. You have to edit the file when the VM is turned OFF. Check for a line like this:

Code: Select all

<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/Fullscreen" value="off"/>

You probably have "on" where I have "off".

Thanks Sasquach!

I checked the file:///home/ray/.VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml but it did NOT have a line for the fullscreen. That may be because it is no longer stuck in the fullscreen mode.

I had gotten rid of the fullscreen (see my original post - updated). I don't know how but I managed to catch it during boot and change the "machine" options.

It was still trying to go into seamless mode but gave me a confirm box first. I finally READ <grin> the box and it said use the Host + L to switch. I did this, it seems to be working properly now. Your post has taught me something about the unseen config files.

Thanks again,
Ray

[rwaldo]

I just realized that the original post was concerning VB running Ubuntu as guest on a Windows host. I am running the opposite: WinXP as guest on Ubuntu host. I hope that did not cause anyone a problem. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

Ray

[rwaldo]

Well i am encountering some bugs with the latest version of ubuntu running as guest:

1. #2545: The mouse integration dosent work after installing guest additions.
   Workaround: Click
2. #2546: Seamless windows under windows host has no taskbar and sometimes glitches and goes full screen. (Might also occur under all hosts)

I am running Ubuntu 8.10 as host with a WinXP guest. I also get the glitch with seamless mode switching to fullscreen and both modes being very unstable (video switches in and out and the shortcuts work sometimes and other time not. I really wanted to use the seamless mode but it was so frustrating that I finally gave up. Once, it actually locked up my Ubuntu host (the ONLY time that I have had U8.10 to lock up).

I am content to use the windowed mode. I have not had any problems in that mode.

What amount of memory are others devoting to the VM & to the video card? I gave it 1036/96 MB. That works well for windowed mode. WinXP seems to operate at about the same speed as when it was the only OS on the laptop (slow compared to U8.10).

The mouse integration works flawlessly on my system.

Now, I need to tackle the LAN network issue <grin> but that goes to another forum.

Ray

[Sasquatch]

I give my VMs 512 RAM and the default 8 MB VRAM, works just fine with all modes. The max resolution I run is 1280 x 1024 on my desktop, my laptop has 800 as height.

[rwaldo]

I give my VMs 512 RAM and the default 8 MB VRAM, works just fine with all modes. The max resolution I run is 1280 x 1024 on my desktop, my laptop has 800 as height.

After I get the LAN function configured, I will try to reduce the memory on my setup. I just figured that since Windows is such a memory hog, it would not run very well with the defaults so I upped them.

From the windowed mode, I cannot detect a difference in performance of my Guest WinXP from when I had XP as the exclusive OS on my Dell Inspiron E1505 laptop. But I have not run any diagnostics to prove/disprove that.

[Someone4746]

Both problems still occur in virtualbox 2.0.6.

Its probably because of changes in how xorg.conf works (If its even used anymore...)

I am not sure if it loads the video driver correctly so that may cause the seamless mode bug.
And it probably doesn't detect the driver for mouse integration like it used to before.

This is annoying and i wish it will be fixed already.
Since seamless mode is one of the cooler features in virtualbox.

[isimaster]

My Setup.
Ubuntu 8.10 Host
VirtualBox 2.12

Windows XP Pro Guest
Windows VistaUltimate Guest
Windows7 Guest

This is what happened to me. In Full Screen Separate window mode.
Vista guest works AOK, hold CTRL+F then CTRL gets me out of Vista back to Virtual box.

XP tried the above and couldn't get out.

I have a Microsoft Digital Media Pro keyboard. Has all the fancy bells and whistles.
I bought this because I needed a USB connected keyboard.
(I was testing MAC OSX for Intel, on a separate clean drive OSX didn't like my PS2 Connected keyboard)

Here is what I found.

My Fancy keyboard doesn't send the correct information for XP to toggle back and fourth. My fancy keyboard works fine with a Vista Guest.

How I found the answer: I plugged both keyboards into my system.
The Fancy keyboard works as decsribed above.

The No-Bells or Whistle keyboard, works just fine no matter which guest I am trying to control .

I'm not picking on MAC.
To further prove that keyboards can be a problem.
My Microsoft keyboard F8 key ( you need this to accept the license agreement when installing any Microsoft OS) doesn't work. You'd think a Microsoft keyboard would work when trying to install a Microsoft Product. Well that's M$ for ya.

I Hope this helps somebody, it drove me crazy for a couple of hours trying to figure it out!

[isimaster]

The Problem with the Jumpy Screens when running XP in Seamless, is XP's video drivers.

You can set the Base and Video memory to anything you want, you won't see any difference.

Vista's video drivers (note: I hate Vista) have been refined.

Install Vista as a Guest. Seamless works just like you want it to!!
Smooth as silk.

Windows7 also works AOK!!