Ubuntu Server "Auto-resize Guest Display" is disabled?

[Mannilie]

So I am running Ubuntu Server 14.04.3 LTS on Virtual Box 5.0.10 and I have run into an issue with scale.

My laptop which I am running it on has a very high resolution, meaning small windows. I don't want to scale the
Ubuntu Server window because it looks stretched and terrible. Which is why it would be nice to have the
'Auto-resize Guest Display" feature working.

I have tried fully installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions, the dkms, the utils as well at the VirtualBox
extensions package, but still no luck.

Anyone have any idea how to get it working? Or if it's even possible to do. Even if I have to downgrade versions,
I don't mind.

[Perryg]

Auto-resize requires Xorg on the guest to function. I assume you have not installed a desktop because you wanted a server so the only way to adjust the resolution is by setting the framebuffers.

Your distro should be able to tell you how to do this since it is outside the scope of this forum.

[Mannilie]

Yeah I apologize if I posted this under the wrong forum. It's my first time writing to this forum.

So when you say modify the framebuffer, isn't that under grub? so like, GRUB_GFXMODE=(Resolution) ?

I tried that before but it never actually changed anything. I presume I'm doing it wrong.

[Perryg]

Yes, you did it wrong. Like I said the distro you use will be able to tell you how.

[Mannilie]

Okay. So I got the resolution changing but I have to manually set it using grub.
Which brings me to my initial question, is there a way to enable the Auto-resize Guest Display?

[Perryg]

Please read my original post. I said exactly why it will not work unless you make changes to the server to perform like a desktop.

[Mannilie]

I'm afraid I don't entirely understand what you meant in the original post.
You mentioned to install Xorg and then I followed my distribution but
I'm unsure where to go from there...

[Perryg]

Servers do not have a desktop since they are not typically used as a desktop. For auto-resize to work you need to use packages and add them to the server to make it work like a desktop. Xorg is one of these packages and then you need to install some kind of desktop for the image to be adjustable.

If auto-resize is that important I would suggest that you simply install a desktop version of the OS and install the guest additions. In essence that is what you would have if you added all the packages you need to get auto-resize to work.

Alternatively you change the framebuffers to increase the screen resolution to what ever you want it to be when using a server with no desktop. (note) there are a lot of different sizes you can use so if the command line is what you want then use the right vga=* of grub to set it. One last thing. GFX does not do anything for TTY which is what you are really using with a server.

[Mannilie]

Aha! That makes perfect sense. Sorry for my confusion in the first post.
Yeah it's not a big deal for me, I much rather use Ubuntu Server for what I need done.
It especially makes sense that because it's not a desktop version of the OS, I would need
to change the framebuffer size myself. Thanks for the quick responses and for your time.