Small Screen with Ubuntu

[duaine]

I keep being told to go somewhere else for an answer -- Hope you can help.

Virtual Box is full screen but ubuntu is small even when in full screen

VirtualBox - Information
The virtual machine window is optimized to work in 32 bit color
Mode but the virtual display is currently set to 16 bit.

Please open the display properties dialog of gust os and select
A 32 bit color mode, if it available, for best possible performance
Of the virtual video subsystem.

Note, some operating systems, like os/2, may actually work in
32 bit mode but report it as 24 bit (16 million colors). You may try to
Select a different color mode to see if this message disappears or
You can simply disable the message now if you sure the required
Color mode (32 bit) is not available in the guest os.


The Display Properties of windows xp is

Display:
1. Plug and Play Monitor on ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics

Screen resolition
1680 by 1050 pixels

Color quality
Highest (32 bit)


I have a small screen for Ubuntu and can’t make it bigger

[Sasquatch]

Read User Manual, VirtualBox FAQ and Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions + Xorg config.

[duaine]

>>PMs asking for help will be ignored. Create a topic instead.<<

I thought I was posting a Topic???

What do I need to do to get help??

Every where I go to ask a question I get pushed on to some where else..

Is Virtual Box a viable program or is it all only for techs??

[Sasquatch]

That part of my signature means that people who send me a Private Message through the PM button will be ignored. This is a topic, so I help you with your issue.

Have you read the links I posted? That has the information to solve the problem.

[prachueb]

Me too!
I had been used Ubuntu in full screen mode of Virtualbox with real full screen after install the AdditionGuest for Linux. After my update the Ubuntu to meet the current version autoupdate, the Ubuntu screen was shrink to small with no more resizable in Windows mode and cannot expand to full screen mode, evenif I reinstall the AdditionGuest for Linux again. I thinks that it should be some bugs against the current Ubuntu version.
Hope that new virtualbox AdditionGuest update would already fix this.

Regards,

[Sasquatch]

Which Ubuntu version are you talking about Prachueb? If it's 10.10, then that is normal because they use a new Xorg version and the Guest Additions are not build for that yet. There is a test version available in the bug tracker, but I recommend waiting a bit for the new VB version which will include the new GA module for Xorg 1.9.

If you're talking about 10.04 or older, then make sure you have all the needed packages. It sounds like the Guest Additions did not build properly upon reinstall. This can happen when you do not have the linux-headers meta package installed, which will always depend on the latest version available. And there comes another possible issue: the kernel itself was added to the repo, but the headers weren't available yet.

Please, give some more information.

[stefan.becker]

In Ubuntu 10.10 rc1 there are prebuilt guest additions via synaptics available.

[duaine]

I have the latest ubuntu they have for download --

I posted for help with ubuntu boards and they keep sending me to virtual box -- telling me its an issue with them not ubuntu.

The way it is with the small screen -- it's not usable..

[Sasquatch]

How is the window painted when the VM starts? Maximized, or windowed? If it's maximized, restore the window to windowed mode and check if the resolution changes with it. Of course, you need to resize the window a few times to make sure it can resize the resolution.
In addition, you need to verify that dynamic resizing is enabled in the Machine menu. Click on the Machine menu and if you see the text "enable automatic resize" or similar, and it's not greyed out, it should be working. If it's greyed out, or says 'disable automatic resize', then it's not good and you need to fix that.

[duaine]

I played with all the settings long before I ever went online to ask for help.

It's in the program..

The assumption that it's something I'm doing wrong isn't helping.

I'm looking for some kind of fix so I use the program.

I want this work.

[Perryg]

I played with all the settings long before I ever went online to ask for help.
It's in the program..
The assumption that it's something I'm doing wrong isn't helping.
I'm looking for some kind of fix so I use the program.
I want this work.

@duaine,
What version of Ubuntu are you really using. Is it 10.04 or 10.10 This really makes a difference.
Also assuming that you installed the guest additions in the guest did you install dkms first?
did you also install build-essential and the linux-headers?
Do you see a file called /etc/X11/xorg.conf in the Ubuntu guest? If so post that here as well. If not state it does not exist.

Playing with settings is not going to help you my friend. The first thing to remember is in the virtual machine all graphics will be controlled by VirtualBox and not the settings of the guest.