Custom VESA modes not present in guest!!??

[il-2]

Hi!!!
I use VirtualBox 5.0.0 on Windows 7x64 host, Windows 98SE guest with insalled Display Doctor SVGA Driver. My desktop have 1366x768 resolution, and guest - 1024x768.
I add custom VESA mode for VM, but this mode not present in guest:
VBoxManage.exe setextradata "Windows 98 SE" "CustomVideoMode1" "1366x768x32"
check:
VBoxManage.exe getextradata "Windows 98 SE" "CustomVideoMode1"
Value: 1366x768x32

In guest i load MS-DOS prompt and use VESALIST utility:

vesalist.exe

VESATEST -> Utility to display supported VESA modes (Version 2.0)

The loaded VESA BIOS EXTENSION supports these modes on your card and monitor:

640 x 400 256 Colors (Graphics Mode 100h)
640 x 480 256 Colors (Graphics Mode 101h)
800 x 600 16 Colors (Graphics Mode 102h or 6Ah)
800 x 600 256 Colors (Graphics Mode 103h)
1024 x 768 16 Colors (Graphics Mode 104h)
1024 x 768 256 Colors (Graphics Mode 105h)
1280 x 1024 16 Colors (Graphics Mode 106h)
1280 x 1024 256 Colors (Graphics Mode 107h)
320 x 200 32K Colors (5:5:5) (Graphics Mode 10Dh)
320 x 200 64K Colors (5:6:5) (Graphics Mode 10Eh)
320 x 200 16.8M Colors (8:8:8) (Graphics Mode 10Fh)
640 x 480 32K Colors (5:5:5) (Graphics Mode 110h)
640 x 480 64K Colors (5:6:5) (Graphics Mode 111h)
640 x 480 16.8M Colors (8:8:8) (Graphics Mode 112h)
800 x 600 32K Colors (5:5:5) (Graphics Mode 113h)
800 x 600 64K Colors (5:6:5) (Graphics Mode 114h)
800 x 600 16.8M Colors (8:8:8) (Graphics Mode 115h)
1024 x 768 32K Colors (5:5:5) (Graphics Mode 116h)
1024 x 768 64K Colors (5:6:5) (Graphics Mode 117h)
1024 x 768 16.8M Colors (8:8:8) (Graphics Mode 118h)
1280 x 1024 32K Colors (5:5:5) (Graphics Mode 119h)
1280 x 1024 64K Colors (5:6:5) (Graphics Mode 11Ah)
1280 x 1024 16.8M Colors (8:8:8) (Graphics Mode 11Bh)
Custom VESA mode 160h not present here!!!
I use other utilites (vbeinfo, vesamodi) with same result.
Display memory = 64Mb. My destination task - get 1366x768 resolution for Windows 98SE guest desktop.
Any ideas ???

[mpack]

Change your VBox graphics preferences to allow any display size, since it seems to be showing you only those with 4:3 ratios.

[il-2]

Change your VBox graphics preferences to allow any display size, since it seems to be showing you only those with 4:3 ratios.

how? what to do for this?

[loukingjr]

Using a command such as "VBoxManage.exe setextradata "Windows 98 SE" "CustomVideoMode1" "1366x768x32" requires guest additions support

[mpack]

Using a command such as "VBoxManage.exe setextradata "Windows 98 SE" "CustomVideoMode1" "1366x768x32" only works if the guest additions are installed. As far as I know Windows 98 has none.

Actually, I don't believe that's true. AFAIK this sets mode hints for the VESA graphics hardware, which is available to all guests. In fact VESA is only typically used by guests which don't have GAs.

@Il2: global (to all VMs) preferences are set in the GUI preferences dialog: File|Preferences.

[loukingjr]

I may be misinterpreting this section of the manual…
9.8.1 Custom VESA resolutions

[mpack]

Well, I'm not sure what you mean. The word VESA tells you that it can't involve the GAs (which don't use VESA graphics). Plus the section you quote clearly mentions that it doesn't apply if GAs are installed (which they obviously can't be a in Win98 VM).

VESA was a hardware API that started back in DOS days, and didn't survive much past the start of the Win98 era, which is when custom graphics drivers started to be provided to a Microsoft standard, as opposed to generic drivers to the VESA standard. Obviously it was still possible to get VESA drivers for Win98, hence the DisplayDoctor stuff.

[loukingjr]

I was thinking about how you change the resolution of OSX guests since there are no GAs. http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch03.html#efividmode

It's early here.

[loukingjr]

Just one other thought while the coffee starts working, in Windows, for a VBoxManage command to work don't you have to use the entire path or cd to C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox?

[mpack]

No, not if VBoxManage.exe is on the search path. Myself I put a VBoxManage batch file on the path, and I cd to the folder containing the VDI (or whatever).

[il-2]

@Il2: global (to all VMs) preferences are set in the GUI preferences dialog: File|Preferences.

I check "File\Preferences\Display" property page and found Maximum resolution: Any setting. IMHO no need to change this.

[il-2]

Just one other thought while the coffee starts working, in Windows, for a VBoxManage command to work don't you have to use the entire path or cd to C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox?

I run VBoxManage.exe from its directory (cd to VirtualBox install directory). This wrong? What is then the right way(directory)?

[il-2]

Additional information: i check "Windows 98 SE.vbox" configuration file and found my CustomVideoMode1 value in ExtraData section.
Problem not solved, and i no ideas for solve it.

[loukingjr]

@Il2: global (to all VMs) preferences are set in the GUI preferences dialog: File|Preferences.

I didn't say this, mpack did.

[loukingjr]

No, not if VBoxManage.exe is on the search path. Myself I put a VBoxManage batch file on the path, and I cd to the folder containing the VDI (or whatever).

I think this is why I'm confused…

Note if the host is Windows you need to be in the directory that has VBoxManage.exe for the command to work.

I've seen this mentioned multiple times and I thought that is what I was saying.