5.1.x Scaling and Resolution

[smithimitron]

I have the latest VB 5.1 on my iMac. I am trying to run another Mac OS (long story), in my mac. The aspect ratio is stuck at 4:3, so I can only either have it so small that iTunes is mad at me, or so big that i have to use scrollbars. Is there a way to fix this by changing the aspect ratio to 16:9, my native resolution, or is there some way to do a 50% scale factor on the window?

[socratis]

The available resolutions are pretty much fixed and changeable only with VBoxManage in the Terminal. See ch. 3.13.1 Video modes in EFI. You didn't specify your iMac model, so I don't know its capabilities, but chances are that you might find a resolution that fits. The closest to a 16:9 ratio, are a couple of 16:10 resolutions (1440x900 and 1920x1200). Couple that with the scaling factor and you might get as close to a full screen as possible.

As for the scale factor, if you want it at 50%, you cannot do it from the GUI, you'll have to do it with VBoxManage in the Terminal:

• VBoxManage setextradata <Your_VM> GUI/ScaleFactor 0.5

You can set any decimal number you like and changes happen on the fly (while the VM is running). Just don't change the scale factor from the GUI again.