Step 1: The VM in VirtualBox Manager is configured for maximum video memory and 2 monitors.
Step 2: VirtualBox GuestAdditions are installed, version corresponding to the Virtual Box application.
Step 3: /etc/X11/xorg.conf is modified to support 2 devices, 2 screens and 2 monitors, all configured for the vboxvideo driver. The content is shown below:
Code: Select all
# Xorg configuration created by system-config-display
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Multihead layout"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "LCD Panel 1600x1200"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "LCD Panel 1600x1200"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "vboxvideo"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
Screen 0
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard1"
Driver "vboxvideo"
BusID "PCI:0:2:1"
Screen 1
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "Videocard1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection
I expect now that the system is set-up and ready to show two screens on my computer. Alas, it only shows Screen0.
Observations:
- /var/log/Xorg.0.log shows no errors, but a couple of warnings:
(WW) VBoxVideo(0): Failed to set up write-combining range (0xe0000000,0x8000000)
- In the same log file, only the instance VBoxVideo(0) is mentioned; there is no reference to VBoxVideo(1)
- lspci also shows only one instance of the VBox video driver:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: InnoTek Systemberatung GmbH VirtualBox Graphics Adapter
- In VB Manager -> View only Virtual Screen 0 is said to be enabled; the other screen is available, but an "enable" option is presented, that appears to do nothing when selected.
- Everything else I have seen seems to be consistent: the second screen is nowhere found on my RHEL VM.
- What is the importance of the warning on write-combining? Is this related to this problem?
- Is vboxvideo driver / pseudo card a dual head card or should I instantiate a second card? What are the correct magic numbers for the BusID of the second "Device"?
- Any other recommendation to get this configuration up-n-running?