Ubuntu 1710 screen flicker

[zphelj]

I'm experiencing a screen flicker in both window and full screen mode on HighSierra with VB 5.2.0 r118431 with a fresh install of Ubuntu 1710 64bit desktop. This occurs even if I start the VM, leave it at the login screen, and then shutdown without logging in. I.e. I do nothing, just leave the machine idle. Otherwise operation is as expected. I've tried tweaking various settings however the result is the same, a very annoying random flicker.

In the VM log I'm seeing resize events over and over:

00:00:33.685795 VBVA: InfoScreen: [0] @0,0 2560x1600, line 0x2800, BPP 32, flags 0x1
00:00:33.685873 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=0 pvVRAM=000000011c4b5000 w=2560 h=1600 bpp=32 cbLine=0x2800 flags=0x1
00:00:33.685920 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::NotifyChange: Screen=0, Origin=0x0, Size=2560x1600, Sending to async-handler
00:00:33.700914 GUI: UIMachineView::sltHandleNotifyChange: Screen=0, Size=2560x1600
00:00:33.701014 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::handleNotifyChange: Size=2560x1600
00:00:33.701050 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::performResize: Size=2560x1600, Directly using source bitmap content
00:00:33.712050 VBVA: InfoScreen: [0] @0,0 2560x1600, line 0x2800, BPP 32, flags 0x1
00:00:33.712128 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=0 pvVRAM=000000011c4b5000 w=2560 h=1600 bpp=32 cbLine=0x2800 flags=0x1
00:00:33.718723 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::NotifyChange: Screen=0, Origin=0x0, Size=2560x1600, Sending to async-handler
00:00:33.741201 GUI: UIMachineView::sltHandleNotifyChange: Screen=0, Size=2560x1600
00:00:33.741239 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::handleNotifyChange: Size=2560x1600
00:00:33.741259 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::performResize: Size=2560x1600, Directly using source bitmap content
00:00:33.859351 VBVA: InfoScreen: [0] @0,0 2560x1600, line 0x2800, BPP 32, flags 0x1
00:00:33.859415 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=0 pvVRAM=000000011c4b5000 w=2560 h=1600 bpp=32 cbLine=0x2800 flags=0x1
00:00:33.859461 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::NotifyChange: Screen=0, Origin=0x0, Size=2560x1600, Sending to async-handler
00:00:33.868411 GUI: UIMachineView::sltHandleNotifyChange: Screen=0, Size=2560x1600
00:00:33.868478 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::handleNotifyChange: Size=2560x1600
00:00:33.868515 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::performResize: Size=2560x1600, Directly using source bitmap content
00:00:45.274291 GUI: UIDesktopWidgetWatchdog::sltHandleHostScreenWorkAreaResized: Screen 0 work area is formally resized to: 0x23 x 1280x723
00:00:48.261357 VBVA: InfoScreen: [0] @0,0 2560x1600, line 0x2800, BPP 32, flags 0x1
00:00:48.261416 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=0 pvVRAM=000000011c4b5000 w=2560 h=1600 bpp=32 cbLine=0x2800 flags=0x1
00:00:48.261458 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::NotifyChange: Screen=0, Origin=0x0, Size=2560x1600, Sending to async-handler
00:00:48.261528 GUI: UIMachineView::sltHandleNotifyChange: Screen=0, Size=2560x1600
00:00:48.261542 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::handleNotifyChange: Size=2560x1600
00:00:48.261558 GUI: UIFrameBufferPrivate::performResize: Size=2560x1600, Directly using source bitmap content
00:01:21.954062 GUI: UIDesktopWidgetWatchdog::sltHandleHostScreenWorkAreaResized: Screen 0 work area is formally resized to: 0x0 x 1280x746
00:01:22.623470 VBVA: InfoScreen: [0] @0,0 2560x1600, line 0x2800, BPP 32, flags 0x1

Looking for troubleshooting pointers or suggestions. Thanks!

[socratis]

If you have access to the OSX developer builds, try the latest 10.13.1 beta. They have been fixing bugs like crazy, including many that were affecting VirtualBox. If you don't have access to the OSX developer builds, you'll have to wait until 10.13.x is a little bit more stable.

Can you try an older Ubuntu client, like 16.04 the LTS one? See if you get the screen flicker there too.

Ubuntu 17.10 just came out. So did OSX 10.13. So did VirtualBox 5.2.0. All of them shiny new! You can't possibly expect to have a bug free ride, do you?

PS. Could you ZIP and post the whole VBox.log, after you've completely shut down the VM?

[zphelj]

Can you try an older Ubuntu client, like 16.04 the LTS one? See if you get the screen flicker there too.
...
PS. Could you ZIP and post the whole VBox.log, after you've completely shut down the VM?

Thanks for the suggestions and no, not surprised there's an issue Zip file of log added to original post, and I tried a new installation of 16.04.3 LTS and it's not exhibiting the issue so far.

[socratis]

I tried a new installation of 16.04.3 LTS and it's not exhibiting the issue so far.

OK, then it's either an interaction between OSX 10.13 and Ubuntu 17.10, or between OSX 10.13 and VirtualBox 5.2.0, or between Ubuntu 17.10 and VirtualBox 5.2.0. That's what you get when you're trying/modifying 3 (n) parameters of a multi-parameter problem at the same time; you get "n×(n-1)/2" combinations

I downloaded "ubuntu-17.10-desktop-amd64.iso" just to try it out. Booted into live/test mode with VirtualBox 5.2.0 and I saw no flickering whatsoever. I then installed it on its virtual hard drive, just to test the Guest Additions (GAs). And then the ... flickering hit the fan!

I installed VirtualBox 5.1.26. Same flickering.
I installed VirtualBox 5.1.28. Same flickering.
I installed VirtualBox 5.1.30. Same flickering.
I installed VirtualBox 5.2.0. Same flickering.

Conclusion: Ubuntu 17.10 does *not* want to be installed, it prefers the Live mode.


PS. On an almost related note, I really liked 17.10, I'm seriously considering upgrading my 16.04 LTS VM. If and when it stops flickering...

[gjenkinslb]

I found this to be a bug with the new Ubuntu 17.10 in Sierra and VBox 5.2.0 and fixed it by selecting Xorg instead of default Wheland window system. You will find this option in the Ubuntu login dialog under the gear.

[socratis]

Thanks 'gjenkinslb', I completely forgot to update the thread. I found the exact same workaround as you, but I forgot to post it...

The parameter that I seem to have left from my previous post, is that I'm on 10.11.6, so it's not a Sierra issue alone. I have an old Win host, I will try later to see what happens there too.

And maybe we'll need to move the thread from the "OSX Hosts" to the "Linux Guests", since I have the feeling that this is an Ubuntu 17.10 issue, not an OSX issue. News later tonight, at 11pm...

[vicnowo]

I solved this problem by selecting Xorg. Thank you for your post.

[Ekevoo]

Auto login users might want to uncomment the following line in /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

Code: Select all

#WaylandEnable=false

Here's a helpful one-liner:

Code: Select all

sudo perl -e '$^I=".backup";while(<>){s/#(WaylandEnable=false)/$1/;print;}' /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

[bentito]

^^^ Fixed the flicker from my Ubuntu 17.10 and Mac OS 10.12.6. Thanks!

[ChipMcK]

This may be of interest
Ubuntu 17.10: return of the GNOME

[csd]

I just upgraded a VM from 1704 to 1710 and hit the flicker issue. A quick googly search pointed me to this thread and the turn-wayland-off solution. I then got greedy and tried to turn on 3D acceleration on the VM configuration. Didn't work. Oh well, guess you can't win them all...
Thanks for posting the solution here!
Christian.

[andyp73]

As you haven't said, if you are using the 5.2.6 version of VirtualBox then you will need the 5.2.7 version of Guest Additions as there was an issue found that prevented Linux guests booting correctly with 3D Acceleration enabled.

See the important section on the main VirtualBox download page.

-Andy.

[Airgamboy]

Está solucionado con Xorg.

Thanks !!!!!

[sw15]

As you haven't said, if you are using the 5.2.6 version of VirtualBox then you will need the 5.2.7 version of Guest Additions as there was an issue found that prevented Linux guests booting correctly with 3D Acceleration enabled.

See the important section on the main VirtualBox download page.

-Andy.

Andy, this post saved me. I updated the version of virtual box to the newest 5.2.6 with guest add-ons and it crashed my ubuntu linux machine (ubuntu 64 16.04 LTS and 17.10). I had 3D acceleration turned on, and there is some bug that won’t allow the machine to reboot that requires 5.2.7 add-on patch to fix. This was not as simple as one might think. Posting it here in case someone else runs into it (as well as the screen flicker problem)

So to bring it back to life, I essentially had to:
* Boot into ‘recovery mode’ in ubuntu
* Hold left shift key, which boots loads GRUB
* Choose first (recovery mode) kernel
* Choose option to enter Root Session and drop into the command line
* Mount the file system as r/w
* Mount -o rw,remount /
* Remove the crap driver
* Change into /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-<version_number> folder
cd /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-<version_number>
* In there run:
sudo ./uninstall.sh
* Download patched ‘Guest Addtions’ iso (labeled 5.2.6 but says 5.2.7 when downloaded)
* Mount cd iso in the virtual machine the usual way.
* Then, mount cd iso from the command line and install the new driver
* mount /dev/cdrom /mnt # or any other mountpoint
* cd /mnt
* ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run
* reboot

Also there is this weird screen flicker that happens with 17.10 on Mac OS. To fix, need to take it out of Wheland and use Xorg instead:
sudo perl -e '$^I=".backup";while(<>){s/#(WaylandEnable=false)/$1/;print;}' /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

[thorstenhirsch]

As you haven't said, if you are using the 5.2.6 version of VirtualBox then you will need the 5.2.7 version of Guest Additions as there was an issue found that prevented Linux guests booting correctly with 3D Acceleration enabled.

See the important section on the main VirtualBox download page.

-Andy.

Oh my... it would've been easier to find if they had just made a new release.
Anyway, thank you!