VMSVGA adapter does not resize display

[jernst]

I'm running VirtualBox 6.1.6 r137129 on macOS 10.15.4, with an Arch Linux / KDE guest. This is a configuration I have been using successfully for a long time.

Recently, my display started flickering in the guest (not the host) to the point of it being annoying, and I discovered that my traditional virtual graphics adapter is flagged as "Invalid settings detected". So I changed it to VMSVG (the only setting that does not report "Invalid settings detected").

It works fine, however, only in the initial (800x600) configuration. As soon as I attempt to make it larger by selecting a different screen resolution in the KDE settings, it switches back, within a second or so, to the 800x600 resolution. The automatic display size adjustment does not work at all. (It does work with the previous "invalid" adapter that flickers).

Any advice?

[mpack]

Not an "OS X Hosts" question - topic moved to "Linux Guests". Please base your forum choices on your question, not your bio.

When is the last time you updated the GAs?

[multiOS]

Having checked that Linux Guest Additions have been updated correctly as hinted at by mpack, if the problem still persists I would recommend you consult the Arch Linux Wiki Section on Virtualisation, particularly the rhe reference to a KDE bug:

"Cannot change screen resolution when running in a virtual machine

When running Plasma in a VMware, VirtualBox or QEMU virtual machine, kscreen may not allow changing the guest's screen resolution to a resolution higher than 800×600.

The workaround is to set the PreferredMode option in xorg.conf.d(5). Alternatively try using a different graphics adapter in the VM, e.g. VBoxSVGA instead of VMSVGA for VirtualBox and Virtio instead of QXL for QEMU. See KDE Bug 407058 for details."

Reference Page: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Vi ... to_800×600

[smithlar]

This problem with Linux guests video was fixed with VirtualBox 6.1.8
Please upgrade your host, then upgrade the Guest Additions in your guest.
VMSVGA is the correct adapter for Linux guests.
VBoxSVGA is for Windows guests.

[multiOS]

@smithiar,

You are correct about which is the correct and recommended VirtualBox video adapter for Linux setups, but IME the Arch Linux Wiki is correct in that the VBoxSVGA (Windows) adapter does/did work more reliably with some Arch; and Arch derivatives, such as Manjaro, but only if they are running the KDE desktop. Of course, Arch is a rolling release and such things can obviously change at any point.

[fth0]

[...] the Arch Linux Wiki is correct in that the VBoxSVGA (Windows) adapter does/did work more reliably [...]

Note that the VirtualBox Manager 6.1.8 now will try to prevent anybody from setting this.

[smithlar]

@multiOS

As I stated, the problems with VMSVGA were resolved in VirtualBox 6.1.8.

VMSVGA is for use with Linux guests.
VBoxSVGA is for use with Windows guests.

Regardless of any advice to the contrary from sources other than Oracle.

[jernst]

Thanks for the many responses. I have upgraded to 6.1.8 r137981 (somehow Check for New Updates had not told me there was a new version yesterday), and updated Arch which gave me virtualbox-guest-utils in version 6.1.8-2

If I understand @smithlar correctly, that should have fixed the 800x600 issue, but it has not for me: if I use the KDE systems settings to set a different resolution, it briefly expands the window, but immediately shrinks it back.

VBoxSVGA does not have that problem, but it flickers so much as to be unusable.

qdbus org.kde.kded5 /kded unloadModule kscreen (from https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=407058#c26) lets me resize the display through System Settings. I don't get auto-resize. And my native external display resolution (1920 x 1080) isn't listed, so I either get scrollbars or only a subset of my screen.

Will try @mutiOS' suggestion next about xorg.conf: Tried, no luck. No change in behavior that I can see.

[jernst]

Does the VMSVGA adapter not have a 1080i resolution? I'm looking for something that's x1080 and can't find any.

[mpack]

That has nothing to do with the graphics chipset. Display sizes are set by your virtual monitor (resolutions are set by your physical monitor).

Once the GAs are installed, select a display size in the running VM using View|Virtual screen 1|Resize to www x hhh. If you pick one with a widescreen aspect ratio then that should cause the guest to be convinced that you have a widescreen display.

p.s. "1080i" doesn't make sense - no LCD PC monitor has an interlaced display. You can just say "1080".

[smithlar]

As mpack stated...

If the Official Guest Additions have been installed in the Guest...

With the VM running:
Select "View" from the VM's top menu bar.
Select "Virtual Screen1" (for example) from the resulting drop down menu.
Pick one of the displayed resolutions to set the screen size seen by the OS running in the Guest.
The Guest window will resize to the selected resolution.

In VB 6.1.6 the Guest would resize to the selected resolution, then within a few seconds resize back to 800x600.

In VB 6.1.8 that issue has been resolved for Linux Guests. The Guest display will remain at the resolution selected.

For example, my "View/Virtual Screen1" menu shows 12 possible resolutions for my Guests.
I select and run all of my Guests at 1600x900

Depending on your monitor and video card, your "View/Virtual Screen 1" menu may show different resolutions than mine.
(Not 100% sure on this last item. Perhaps all machines display the same resolution options?)

[jernst]

Somewhere there's a disconnect here. I cannot pick a specific display resolution from the View menu, as all resolution entries are disabled and only the zoom entries are available:

Screen Shot 2020-05-26 at 10.09.36 .png (80.45 KiB) Viewed 16026 times

(I have created a new VM: Arch with Gnome this time. This is the behavior with Gnome.)

Kernel extensions are up and running:

Code: Select all

> sudo systemctl status vboxservice.service
● vboxservice.service - VirtualBox Guest Service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/vboxservice.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
     Active: active (running) since Tue 2020-05-26 17:07:01 UTC; 10min ago
   Main PID: 414 (VBoxService)
      Tasks: 9 (limit: 4705)
     Memory: 3.1M
     CGroup: /system.slice/vboxservice.service
             └─414 /usr/bin/VBoxService -f

Code: Select all

# /usr/lib/systemd/system/vboxservice.service
[Unit]
Description=VirtualBox Guest Service
ConditionVirtualization=oracle

[Service]
ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/modprobe vboxguest
ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/modprobe vboxvideo
ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/modprobe vboxsf
ExecStart=/usr/bin/VBoxService -f

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Re display resolutions, I'm just copying what my Mac calls it: 1080i (This is an external monitor on a MacBook Pro). The behavior is similar on the built-on display.

[smithlar]

Are the Official VirtualBox Guest Additions installed in the Guest?
The Guest Additions that came with VirtualBox 6.1.8.
If they ARE installed correctly the display resolution choices will NOT be grayed out.

If they are NOT installed, install them. First Remove any installed Guest Additions from other sources.

From the Guest's top menu bar:
Select ""Devices"
Select "Insert Guest Additions CD Image"
Navigate to the mounted CD image (best to use a terminal window, Konsole, etc)
Using elevated privileges, install the Linux Guest Additions:

Code: Select all

sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Note any error messages during the install.
The kernel headers for your running kernel have to be installed, as well as the C Compiler.
If these are not already installed, install them and try Installing Guest Additions again.

Edit:
Headers and compiler are required because some modules are compiled specifically for
your Linux kernel during the Guest Additions installation.

Edit 2:
Anytime the Guest kernel is updated, the Guest Additions should be reinstalled to ensure
kernel specific items are recompiled for the updated kernel.

[oceanjeremy]

Hey jernst, I've been wrestling with this issue myself for a week and a half and I just got it working — hope this will work for you too!

I was in the same spot, guest display wouldn't resize on VMSVGA, and screen would flicker too much to use on the other graphics controllers. For me, Host = OSX, Guest = Centos 8

First things first — looks like this is a known bug: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/19496 ... Guest Additions 6.1.8 hasn't been working for most Linux guests. They have a test build that corrects it, but it only works with Xorg (not Xwayland): https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/19590

So for me it was a two-step solution:

• Make sure the default session is Xorg (I assume you know how to do this on KDE, as I only know how on Centos? Seems like you maybe have already done this?)
• Download / install Guest Additions 6.1.9-138064 from here: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds

After this I've been running on VMSVGA with 3D Acceleration. It will run full-screen on my 23-inch external monitor, fast as lightning.

Hope this works for you — good luck!

[Whiskeyjack]

As of revision 138395 GA should be able resize virtual monitors on Wayland guests as well. That is when vmsvga graphics adapter is used. The new GAs are available in https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Testbuilds.