[Solved] Mint / Cinnamon running in software rendering mode

[rickyoswaldiow]

Solution
Uninstall Guest Additions that are packaged with the guest

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get remove virtualbox-guest-utils

Reboot, then install the Guest Additions provided with VirtualBox by clicking Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD Image...
Navigate to the mounted image in a terminal and run VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Code: Select all

sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

At this point I received a warning that VBoxGuestAdditions was already installed, but was able to proceed regardless

You appear to have a version of the VBoxGuestAdditions software on your system which was installed from a different source or using a different type of installer
...
Do you wish to continue anyway? [yes or no]

_______________________________________________
Original problem

I've recently installed Linux Mint 18 (Sarah) 32bit with Cinnamon in VirtualBox 5.1.4 but it always runs in software rendering mode, displaying a warning when I log in.

I have enabled 3D acceleration in VirtualBox and assigned 128MB of graphics memory. I have also run apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade, and updated to 4.4.0-36-generic kernel. GuestAdditions were installed "out-of-the-box" with mint, and were updated with the dist-upgrade.

I've seen a similar post here (titled Linux Mint running in software rendering mode windows host), but it's over a year old and was unresolved. I've searched around and all the "solutions" I can find are to enable 3D acceleration and install GuestAdditions, which I already have. Another user (on Arch with Cinnamon) downgraded mesa to solve the issue, but that was back in 2014 using pacman, and I'm not sure how to do the same thing with apt-get.

Host is Windows 10 64bit running on an i5 6600k and a GeForce GTX 960.

Any ideas?

Code: Select all

ricky@host ~ $ glxinfo | grep render
direct rendering: Yes
    GLX_MESA_multithread_makecurrent, GLX_MESA_query_renderer, 
    GLX_MESA_multithread_makecurrent, GLX_MESA_query_renderer, 
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.8, 256 bits)
    GL_ARB_conditional_render_inverted, GL_ARB_conservative_depth, 
    GL_NV_conditional_render, GL_NV_depth_clamp, GL_NV_packed_depth_stencil, 
    GL_ARB_conditional_render_inverted, GL_ARB_conservative_depth, 
    GL_NV_blend_square, GL_NV_conditional_render, GL_NV_depth_clamp, 
    GL_OES_element_index_uint, GL_OES_fbo_render_mipmap, 
    
ricky@host ~ $ glxinfo | grep OpenGL
OpenGL vendor string: VMware, Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.8, 256 bits)
OpenGL core profile version string: 3.3 (Core Profile) Mesa 11.2.0
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 3.30
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 11.2.0
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.0 Mesa 11.2.0
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.00
OpenGL ES profile extensions:

ricky@host ~ $ uname -a
Linux host 4.4.0-36-generic #55-Ubuntu SMP Thu Aug 11 18:00:59 UTC 2016 i686 i686 i686 GNU/Linux

ricky@host ~ $ lsmod | grep v
vboxsf                 45056  0
joydev                 20480  0
snd_seq_midi_event     16384  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                57344  2 snd_seq_midi_event,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_device         16384  3 snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_midi
vboxvideo              45056  0
ttm                    90112  1 vboxvideo
snd                    69632  13 snd_ac97_codec,snd_intel8x0,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
drm_kms_helper        135168  1 vboxvideo
drm                   311296  3 ttm,drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo
syscopyarea            16384  2 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo
sysfillrect            16384  2 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo
sysimgblt              16384  2 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo
vboxguest             253952  7 vboxsf,vboxvideo
ppdev                  20480  0
parport                45056  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
video                  36864  0

[Perryg]

Remove the guest additions that came installed in the guest and install the ones that came with your VirtualBox install. ( device tab -> insert guest additions )

[rickyoswaldiow]

Remove the guest additions that came installed in the guest and install the ones that came with your VirtualBox install. ( device tab -> insert guest additions )

That was the solution proposed in "Linux Mint running in software rendering mode windows host" and was unsuccessful (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=66834 I cannot post links). I shall try anyway and see if it works.

[rickyoswaldiow]

Remove the guest additions that came installed in the guest and install the ones that came with your VirtualBox install. ( device tab -> insert guest additions )

That was the solution proposed in "Linux Mint running in software rendering mode windows host" and was unsuccessful (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=66834 I cannot post links). I shall try anyway and see if it works.

This worked perfectly, thank you!

[Perryg]

Usually does. You're welcome.

[hangerglide]

Should I open a new thread? This one is marked solved.
I'm trying mint 18.1 cinnamon on a windows 7 x64 os, 5.0.30 r112061. Same issue with software rendering mode; followed the guide here; additions uninstalled fine, restart, install from vbox fine. Reboot, same issue with software rendering mode.

[Perryg]

Should I open a new thread? This one is marked solved.

Yes and provide the proper information.
Minimal information needed to be able to help

[ptdropper]

I also have this problem. I did not yet see the new thread so once that exists I will re-post to that thread.

I installed Antergos with Cinnamon December 30 on my Dell Windows 10 Professional 64 bit with 32 BG RAM intel core i7 6700k 4 core CPU
Graphics card Nvidia GeForce GTX 960
Oracle Virtual Box Version 5.1.4 r110228 (Qt5.5.1)
Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack 5.1.4r110228

Antergos Linux arch 4.8.13-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Dec 9 07:24:34 CET 2016 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Cinnamon 3.2.7
4 GB RAM
One core
Graphics card reported by Antergos: InnoTek Systemberatung GmbH VirtualBox Graphics Adapter (prog-if 00 [VGA controller)]

[t2r2smh2]

Thank you all for taking time to post above.

This worked for me following the steps in the top of this post.

The only difference in steps was that after clicking "Devices" --> "Insert Guest Additions CD image...", the script ran automatically for me. Didn't have to launch from terminal.

[Makerick007]

I did not purge the virtualbox-guest-x11 and virtualbox-guest-utils configuration files. If I remove them, I get weird behavior after installing virtualbox guest additions from virtualbox.

[mpack]

The above topic is already marked by the OP as solved. Locking it.

If you have a similar problem (it can't be the same problem otherwise the above would solve it for you too), then open a new topic and provide minimum info as mentioned above.