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Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 30. Jun 2021, 01:31
by mrzenwiz
I have an Xubuntu 20.04 host that is running an Xubuntu 20.04 guest VB VM. The host has a 2k (2560x1440) screen. I want the guest to have a more normalized HD screen, so I set it to 1920x1200 (1920x1080 is not one of the options available).

With a very few exceptions, the cause for which to me is unknown, whenever I reboot, or even log off, the screen size reverts to 800x600. When I log back in, the screen briefly resets to 1920x1200, then reverts again to 800x600. I have to intervene manually every time to go back to the 1920x1200 screen.

I always select the "Keep this setting" when it asks before I exit the Display settings app, but it never sticks.

I've tried using the VMSVGA driver and the VboxSVGA driver (which VB complains about), with and without 3D acceleration. No visible improvement in retaining the screen size.

What am I missing?

Thanks.

- Mark

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 30. Jun 2021, 16:41
by scottgus1
Start the VM from full power off, not save-state. Run until you see the problem happen, then shut down the VM from within the VM OS if possible. If not possible, close the Virtualbox window for the VM with the Power Off option set.

Please right-click the VM in the main Virtualbox window's VM list, choose Show Log. Save the far left tab's log, zip the log file, and post the zip file, using the forum's Upload Attachment tab.

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 1. Jul 2021, 00:43
by mrzenwiz
Here is the zipped log file from right after cold boot, login and shutdown.

The display briefly resized to 1920x1200 with four of the small screen images, then shrank back to 800x600.

Hope that helps.

Many thanks.

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 1. Jul 2021, 00:55
by scottgus1
Only things I see are:

Video RAM may be low, 32MB. Try raising to max allowed.

Also the Guest Additions that enable full screen-size support are at 6.1.16, and are the Ubuntu fork. If something got updated in the VM, they may be broken. Uninstall them then install using the ISO that was bundled with your Virtualbox 6.1.22. There are prerequisites for a Linux VM before installing Guest Additions, see https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch02. ... nux-prereq

VMSVGA is the recommended video card for Linux VMs.

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 1. Jul 2021, 08:55
by mrzenwiz
I'm a bit confused by the Qt and SDL requirements at the link you posted - what are these? There are gobs of packages with "qt" in them and likewise for SDL. Which specific ones are required?

As for the guest additions, I did install them from within the VM. I can uninstall them and reinstall if that helps - is that what you meant?

Thanks.

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 1. Jul 2021, 14:50
by scottgus1
I regret I don't know, as I'm more Windows-centric in my knowledge. Guest Additions in the Linux VM has these requirements, as does Virtualbox on the host. Most of the time it's the correct Linux headers that are needed.
mrzenwiz wrote:I did install them from within the VM.
Yes, that's what I saw, too:
scottgus1 wrote:the Guest Additions that enable full screen-size support are at 6.1.16, and are the Ubuntu fork.
At least that they are present.
mrzenwiz wrote:I can uninstall them and reinstall if that helps - is that what you meant?
I reckon that's an accurate assessment:
scottgus1 wrote:Uninstall them then install using the ISO that was bundled with your Virtualbox 6.1.22.
:wink:

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 30. Jul 2021, 23:29
by mrzenwiz
I've gone through all of these steps, ensured the VM hsa the latest guest additions, and I still get strange behavior. Mainly, when I start up the VM, I get the standard 800x600 display. (It is set to 1920x1200.)

After I log in, I get a larger window that is slightly bigger than 1920x1200 because I manually enlarged the screen with the mouse to 1927x1208. Here are two images:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TZpBb5 ... sp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuZ1Db ... sp=sharing

One is the virtual screen after boot before the login, the other is the virtual screen after login, with the display settings window (to show the resolution). They are quite clearly different.

I have two Linux Mint VMs, one with Cinnamon and one with XFCE, and both of them immediately recover the 1920x1200 size after login without me touching the virtual screen at all.

I also noticed that the Xubuntu VM has no 3D and the two Mint VMs both have 3D. I wouldn't think this had anything to do with it, but...? I did that because the Xubuntu VM was having trouble with the screen with 3D on (I don't recall what trouble, specifically, but if that's part of the solution, I'll work with it).

I hope that gives some clarity that might prompt a how-to-fix response.

Thanks.

Mark

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 2. Aug 2021, 01:42
by mingle
Hi,

I'm having the same issue with my fresh install of Linux Mint 20.2 (based on Ubunutu 20.04). My difference is I'm running on a Windows 10 Pro 64-bit host.

After a reboot, the system drops back to 800x600 - often after displaying the 'original' screen-res for a couple of seconds.

I'm running a native screen-resolution of 1920 x 1080 and I also don't see an option for that in the display-settings - I too can see 1920 x1200 though.

I tried setting the resolution to 1680 x 1050, since that fits within the bounds of the physical resolution, but after a reboot it reverts to 800 x 600.

On a couple of occasions, which I haven't been able to replicate, it set the screen res to 1920 x 1040 after a reboot, but sucessive reboots went back to 800x600...

I have the VMSVGA display driver with 128MB of video RAM - also tried it at 256MB, but made no difference.

Cheers,

Mike.

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 2. Aug 2021, 09:33
by fth0
With the VM shut down, execute the following command in a terminal (don't forget to replace the VM name):

Code: Select all

VBoxManage setextradata "VM name" "GUI/LastGuestSizeHint" "1920,1200"
If that doesn't solve the problem, please post a (zipped) VBox.log file from a VM run afterwards.

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 2. Aug 2021, 20:06
by mrzenwiz
Thank you - that appears to work perfectly.

I've saved it in a script should the need arise again.

Is there any way to do this in the GUI?

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 2. Aug 2021, 23:12
by fth0
mrzenwiz wrote:Is there any way to do this in the GUI?
Probably not in the way you mean it: After having rebooted your host to ensure that no VirtualBox component is running, you can edit the .vbox file with any GUI-based editor. ;)

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 19. Aug 2021, 04:41
by arQon
fth0 wrote:With the VM shut down, execute the following command in a terminal (don't forget to replace the VM name):

Code: Select all

VBoxManage setextradata "VM name" "GUI/LastGuestSizeHint" "1920,1200"
If that doesn't solve the problem, please post a (zipped) VBox.log file from a VM run afterwards.
@fth0 - I just tried that since 6.1.26 has made display sizing at startup even more broken, and unfortunately that doesn't work either. I'll keep trying to find a workaround for a while, but are you still interested in logs from a guest that exhibits the problem?

Re: Resized guest display lost on reboot

Posted: 19. Aug 2021, 10:08
by fth0
arQon wrote:@fth0 - I just tried that since 6.1.26 has made display sizing at startup even more broken, and unfortunately that doesn't work either. I'll keep trying to find a workaround for a while, but are you still interested in logs from a guest that exhibits the problem?
Yes, but please create your own topic with a detailed description of your issue.