Console display damaged

[Bsoft]

For whatever reason the display of the console (http://headlesslinuxserver:3392) has changed to a square of approx 200x200 px and is very non-responsive. It is not possible to login to that Windows 10 guest with it!

What is the vboxmanage command to reset to at least VGA sizes?

NB: Guest extensions are installed (5.1.xxxx) and login from the bridged NIC1 is OK but it’s a SQL server that must not be lost,( new IP’s are planned) !

TIA, Eric

[socratis]

Follow a "start the VM from cold-boot" / "observe error" / "shutdown the VM" cycle. With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log". Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response (see the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form).

I would also like to see the .vbox file for the VM. Right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show in <whatever>". ZIP the .vbox file and attach it to your response as well.

[Bsoft]

Here what I did
*****
VBoxManage controlvm "XXXX" poweroff
mv Logs/VBox.log orig.VBox.log
touch Logs/VBox.log && chown vbox:vboxusers Logs/VBox.log
VBoxHeadless --startvm XXXX &
Let W10 boot till logon
Connect to logon from the console, just to the screwed display, no action
VBoxManage controlvm "XXXX" poweroff
tar -cvzf logs4u.tar.gz Logs/VBox.log XXXX.vbox
*****
Last line of the log tells the size of the console display !
00:00:10.898340 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=0 pvVRAM=00007f6f54000000 w=200 h=200 bpp=32 cbLine=0x320 flags=0x1

[socratis]

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" value="1400x1050x16"/>

I don't know why you did this (looks like you did a straight copy/paste from the manual), but you need to undo it for the moment. Issue the following command from a terminal:

• $ VBoxManage setextradata sel64line CustomVideoMode1

VirtualBox VM 5.1.18 r114002 linux.amd64 (Mar 15 2017 16:51:58) release log

That's a quite old version of VirtualBox for the ever self-updating Win10. You need to keep up with the updates. If you want to use the latest version for your host/guests, you should also consider doing the same for VirtualBox. Download the latest VirtualBox. As of this writing, that would be version 5.2.6. If that doesn't work you should try the latest test builds, especially with all the Spectre/Meltdown patches coming in from all sides.

00:00:00.031056   Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack (Version: 5.1.2 r108956; VRDE Module: VBoxVRDP)

The Extension Pack (ExtPack) has to match the VirtualBox version. You need to install the matching ExtPack after you update VirtualBox.

00:00:06.660549 VMMDev: Guest Additions information report: Version 5.1.2 r108956 '5.1.2'

The Guest Additions (GAs) would be good to match the VirtualBox version. You need to update them as well after you update VirtualBox.

00:00:00.038974 VRDP: Failed to start VRDP-IN thread, rc = VERR_NET_ADDRESS_IN_USE

It seems that your port 3392 is in use by something else. Find out what and turn it off. Or change ports for the VRDP.

Other notes:

• You didn't have to rotate the log, it auto-rotates. And you didn't have to 'touch' it for sure.
• Why the XXXX? Is the VM name secret?
• Your log ends after 10 seconds. I'm not sure that what you described that you did, is what you actually did. In any event, I can't see what's going on after the 10" mark, which is rather unfortunate, but not catastrophic for the moment...

[Bsoft]

First of all, thank you very much for your very thorough answer.

I completely agree with every one of your remarks. I am commenting each one not to justify it, but to know if you have a better way at it, which I could learn.

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" value="1400x1050x16"/>
I don't know why you did this (looks like you did a straight copy/paste from the manual), but you need to undo it for the moment. Issue the following command from a terminal:

$ VBoxManage setextradata sel64line CustomVideoMode1

Was trying to fix the 200x200 display problem… ; did not help !
And yes some of us do “RTFM” before asking for help even if they misunderstand it

VirtualBox VM 5.1.18 r114002 linux.amd64 (Mar 15 2017 16:51:58) release log
That's a quite old version of VirtualBox for the ever self-updating Win10. You need to keep up with the updates. If you want to use the latest version for your host/guests, you should also consider doing the same for VirtualBox. Download the latest VirtualBox. As of this writing, that would be version 5.2.6. If that doesn't work you should try the latest test builds, especially with all the Spectre/Meltdown patches coming in from all sides.

Sure , BUT... That Win10 (and some others) is used as server-side for an ERP . So , No user logon and No Internet connection; when it’s stable and no ERP update is needed I leave it be.
It also helps with backuping. I have a poweroff full copy of the machine ready on another server and even if it’s months old I just need to fire it up and restore the SQL backups of the failing machine which are never older than 6 hours. So backup is cost-free, downtime minimal, and 6 hours is ok in this case.

00:00:00.031056 Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack (Version: 5.1.2 r108956; VRDE Module: VBoxVRDP)
The Extension Pack (ExtPack) has to match the VirtualBox version. You need to install the matching ExtPack after you update VirtualBox.

Usually do, no explanation other than I missed a problem when doing the remove-cleanup-install sequence: VBoxManage extpack remove-cleanup-install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.x.x-yyyyy.vbox-extpack.
Or maybe I thought that 5.1.18 was newer than 5.1.2 ( well I’m still thinking it should !)

Anyway, it was the trigger of that topic; I want to get everything on 5.2 and change the LAN IPs as well. But not before I have control over the console
BTW, on that guest (and the others as well) I have now 2 IPs on the single NIC 1; one for the actual LAN segment and one for the new (future) Lan segment

00:00:06.660549 VMMDev: Guest Additions information report: Version 5.1.2 r108956 '5.1.2'
The Guest Additions (GAs) would be good to match the VirtualBox version. You need to update them as well after you update VirtualBox.

Another reason to skip update on “not exposed”, well performing, machines… risky and time-consuming.

00:00:00.038974 VRDP: Failed to start VRDP-IN thread, rc = VERR_NET_ADDRESS_IN_USE
It seems that your port 3392 is in use by something else. Find out what and turn it off. Or change ports for the VRDP.

lsof -i:3392 -n
COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
VBoxHeadl 1004 vbox 19u IPv4 7109532 0t0 TCP *:3392 (LISTEN)
VBoxHeadl 1004 vbox 20u IPv6 7109533 0t0 TCP *:3392 (LISTEN)

agrees with me that no other process on that machine is using 3392 but I’m going to change it on next reboot “just in case”. Also going to kill port 3392 on every other baremetal host on that LAN just in case.

Other notes:
You didn't have to rotate the log, it auto-rotates. And you didn't have to 'touch' it for sure.

Now I known ; was’t sure if it rotates because of size or on startup

Why the XXXX? Is the VM name secret?

Secret not but discreet yes; needed at least to download and open the log to know… but that was before, was it not!

Your log ends after 10 seconds. I'm not sure that what you described that you did, is what you actually did. In any event, I can't see what's going on after the 10" mark, which is rather unfortunate, but not catastrophic for the moment…

I did nothing more than what I described and was surprised too to see it it ending there without reason !
I’m now sure it is another symptom of what cause the display to be 200x200

Again than you ery much. I m going to do all that to night and report back here afterward
Eric

[socratis]

Or maybe I thought that 5.1.18 was newer than 5.1.2 ( well I’m still thinking it should !)

It's not 5.1.2.0 and 5.1.1.8, it's 5.1.2 and 5.1.18; 2 is smaller than 18. In any event, it should be the same version. Newer or older doesn't help. Identical does.

Another reason to skip update on “not exposed”, well performing, machines… risky and time-consuming.

I'm too of the motto "Don't fix it if it ain't broken". But there are some rules regarding the versions...

no other process on that machine is using 3392 but I’m going to change it on next reboot “just in case”.

The question is, if that VM can't open the port because it's in use, who's using it? Do you have another VM that has RDP enabled?

was surprised too to see it it ending there without reason

Did you give the VM enough time to shut down? Did you see the process terminate? Have you setup your Win10 VM to react to the ACPI poweroff signal?

[andyp73]

The question is, if that VM can't open the port because it's in use, who's using it? Do you have another VM that has RDP enabled?

sudo lsof -i -P -n | grep 3392

Should tell you who, if anyone, currently has the port locked.

-Andy.

[socratis]

Andy, I think you missed that part from the answer of "Bsoft":

lsof -i:3392 -n
COMMAND    PID USER   FD   TYPE  DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
VBoxHeadl 1004 vbox   19u  IPv4 7109532      0t0  TCP *:3392 (LISTEN)
VBoxHeadl 1004 vbox   20u  IPv6 7109533      0t0  TCP *:3392 (LISTEN)

I don't know if that was done while the VM in question was running or not, I believe it was.