Linux Guest Additions + Xorg config on Mac doesn't install

[Perryg]

I don't know. It may be so hosed up now it would just be better to start over.

Install the Ubuntu 9.10 (desktop version) Then follow this guide to install the guest additions.

step-by-step.

• Start the Ubuntu guest. (I am assuming that you have the desktop version).
  Open a terminal. (not a tty window)
  Type sudo -i <press enter> (enter your password) <press enter>
  type apt-get update <press enter>
  type apt-get upgrade <press enter>
  after this reboot
  Open the terminal again.
  Type sudo -i <press enter> (enter your password) <press enter>
  Type apt-get install linux-headers-generic <press enter>
  Type apt-get install build-essential <press enter>
  Now look up at the top left of the VBox window and click devices then click install guest additions.
  If they do not show on the desktop then click devices and unmount CD, then click install guest additions again.
  At this point they should be on your desktop. Dbl click to open the CD.
  Look for the Linux Guess Additions that fits your install. More than likely the VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run (select the right one) x86 is 32 bit
  Position the terminal windows and the opened file system to where you can see them both.
  Click and drag the right additions file and drop it on the terminal window.
  Click on the terminal window to get focus and hit enter.
  Watch for any errors that show and when they are complete reboot.
  Let me know if you encounter any errors. If all is well you use the click drag to make the window bigger or use the host+F toggle to go in and out of full screen

[GARoss]

Sorry, it's the same old, same old. There isn't a xorg.conf file in /etc/x11/ as there should be. It did create one in 8.04. I've attached the VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run install log. What is hal system & Windows service?
Any other suggestions?

[Perryg]

hal=hardware abstract layer. That is what Ubuntu is moving away from.
Keep in mind depending on the release of your version you might not have an xorg.conf.
Since you are at this point does the host+g toggle and host+F toggle work now at all?
Oh and it is /etc/X11 (notice the cap X)

[GARoss]

I can make the screen bigger now & move in & out. I could do this before this re-install, too. It's just that the graphics are horrible, audio hesitates, typing is sluggish - it's weird. And, yes it is /etc/X11. I got lazy & used a x11 instead of X11.

[Perryg]

OK so is this the 64 bit version?
Post the log file (as an attachment)

[GARoss]

OK so is this the 64 bit version?
Post the log file (as an attachment)

No. I downloaded the 32bit version to see if it made a difference. I didn't; both 32 & 64bit have the same issue.

I'll post the log file soon but I'd expect it to be the same as before. If it's not writing xorg.conf file it needs something else as it's detecting too much RAM, graphics & audio + who knows what else? So, what might that be?

Ubuntu 9.10 was released in late September - nearly 5 months ago. I must be an odd one to WANT Ubuntu as a Guest OS but it would seem others may have tried this & resulted with the same issues. Judging by my Googles; no one!

[Perryg]

Well I can tell you that Ubuntu as a guest if fantastic. I have several of them running 24/7.
I do not however have a MAC, but I can not fathom anyway that would be an issue.
I also have it as host and it is by far the best (once you change the kernel in 9.10 x86_64)
Anyway post the log file so I can take a look.

[GARoss]

Sasquatch hints at what you said earlier; http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15679

Note, more recent versions of Xserver might not need this kind of configuration and everything is done automatically. The developers (from Xserver-Xorg) are planning to stop using xorg.conf for configuration and let HAL take over. A part of that is already working, but only with the open source drivers shipped with your xserver-xorg version. The VB video driver is not a default driver, just like the fglrx for ATi cards and nVidia-glx for nVidia cards. An explicit configuration to use the non-standard driver is needed for these kinds of drivers.

"An explicit configuration to use the non-standard driver is needed for these kinds of drivers." Maybe something here? I think my iMac uses nVidia. Anyway, Terminal is a Mac log, Ubuntu is VB.
Thanks

[Perryg]

Code: Select all

00:00:00.832 Host RAM: 4096MB RAM, available: 776MB
00:00:01.021   RamSize         <integer> = 0x0000000020000000 (536870912)
00:00:01.021   VRamSize         <integer> = 0x0000000008000000 (134217728)

You really need to get the amount of available RAM up or drop the amount of RAM in the guest.
Also any more then 32 MB of vRam is a waste and can cause performance problems especially when the amount of available RAM is so low. The vRam is actually coming from the system RAM and adds on to that value as part of the memory that is going to be used.

Prove this all to your self. Set the RAM to 384MB and the vRam to say 20MB and see if it does not work better.

[GARoss]

Code: Select all

00:00:00.832 Host RAM: 4096MB RAM, available: 776MB
00:00:01.021   RamSize         <integer> = 0x0000000020000000 (536870912)
00:00:01.021   VRamSize         <integer> = 0x0000000008000000 (134217728)

You really need to get the amount of available RAM up or drop the amount of RAM in the guest.
Also any more then 32 MB of vRam is a waste and can cause performance problems especially when the amount of available RAM is so low. The vRam is actually coming from the system RAM and adds on to that value as part of the memory that is going to be used.

Prove this all to your self. Set the RAM to 384MB and the vRam to say 20MB and see if it does not work better.

Somehow VB has turned into a rough! I had VB Setting for 9.10 32bit set @ 512Mb when I did the log, but it's using 3.3Gb? I can set it to 384Mb so maybe it will drop to 3.1Gb. I don't have a clue how to change vRam. Need help on that one.

[Perryg]

Go to the guest settings under display.
The guest needs to be shut down for that.

So you are telling me that you are not running anything on the host but VirtualBox and that it is using over 3Gig of RAM?
That can't be right. I believe you but there must be something else causing this. You should not see more then 60 or 70 MB being used by VBoxsvc.exe

[GARoss]

Perhaps I'm not good @ reading logs. I'm interpreting 00:00:00.832 Host RAM: 4096MB RAM, available: 776MB to mean my iMac has 4096MB RAM & 776MB available = 3.3 GB is being used, somewhere. Nothing on VB or Mac is running.
Ubuntu 8.04 32bit works perfectly & it reads 00:00:00.788 Host RAM: 4096MB RAM, available: 2546MB. Video memory is maxed out at 128MB & 512GB of RAM. I have attached the 8.04 log.

So, I have 3 Guests using the same VB 3.1.4 on the same iMac which has 4GB RAM & a 2.66 2-core intel CPU. All guest OS have the same video memory setting, the same RAM allocation & the same # of cores being used (1). Two of the 3 guest OS work flawlessly. I even rendered a 1 minute long HD (1080P) .mp4 video on XP yesterday with VB RAM set @ 2GB to see if it would work & it did. No problem. I was impressed! And, 8.04-32 bit works perfectly, too. Installed Xara LX & crunched some graphics (VB RAM set @ 1.024GB) with that, too, without an issue and that was before you suggested to dial down the RAM to 512MB or lower. But, 9.10 has VB preference setting issues? It does sound right. Too, many other things work with those same setting. If it makes ant sense, I installed Ubuntu 9.04 64bit & have similar issues as with 9.10.

Here's what I think. As you put it, Ubuntu has been changing it's installation & apparently eliminated some of the key components that allows Guest Additions to install properly. I can see how it has evolved from 8.04; no problems, 9.04; some problems, to 9.10; lots of problems. VirtualBox hasn't written new software to adapt to these changes & I don't believe it will work until it is re-written. Or, perhaps a work-a-round would do. Additional software in Ubuntu - something.

This is all okay as 8.04 does work & it will do what I need it to do until a fix is made. Let me know if you'd like me to try something else.
Thanks for trying.

[GARoss]

Did some changes in VB 9.10 setting & had some success. Toggled off 3D acceleration & left 2D off as well. Now I no longer have the poor video & image ghosting as before & typing is no longer sluggish.

Now on to some new issues that were not noticed before. For some reason each time I boot, the audio slider is @ 0% & I must reconnect to the internet (eth0?) in order to get it working. After rebooting it resets the audio slider back to 0% & the internet is disconnected again. I tried different audio setting prior to booting (VB 9.10 settings) but no difference.

Also, how to connect to USB & shared folder. Both are setup to work in VB setting for 9.10. This is a issue with 8.04, too.
Thanks

[Perryg]

Now on to some new issues that were not noticed before. For some reason each time I boot, the audio slider is @ 0% & I must reconnect to the internet (eth0?) in order to get it working. After rebooting it resets the audio slider back to 0% & the internet is disconnected again. I tried different audio setting prior to booting (VB 9.10 settings) but no difference.

Well this is a Ubuntu problem. I see you have an account on the Ubuntu forums and you should take this part there.

Also, how to connect to USB & shared folder. Both are setup to work in VB setting for 9.10. This is a issue with 8.04, too.
Thanks

For USB problems: http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic. ... 669#p33944
For shared folders: http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15868

[GARoss]

Odd. I reinstall Ubuntu 9.10 64bit & everything works except the audio is choppy no matter what combination of VB settings are used. Ubuntu 9.10 32bit still has the same issues I mentioned before, so, it's deleted out now.

I always use forums where I think the issue is. VB controls hardware like audio, doesn't it?