virtualbox.org

Hello,

I have set up a linux guest (Ubuntu 14.04) in order to run some software that can only be run on linux (i.e. not Windows compatible). My host OS is Windows 10.

I have installed the linux software on the guest VM. Unfortunately when I try to open the geometry viewer for the software, the following happens:

The geometry (i.e. viewer GUI) opens, but the window that opens has a transparent background (should be black) and the geometry in the viewer is translucent, rather than opaque.

This problem makes the viewer very difficult to use - text from terminal windows behind the viewer appears superimposed on the geometry that I am trying to view.

Is anyone able to advise how I might be able to resolve this problem?

I have installed the guest additions.

If I run 'glxgears' a window opens with a black background, and generally looks as I would expect it to look. The transparent background only seems to affect the software that I am trying to run.

Is this something that I might be able to fix using compiz-config settings? I'm far from an expert at this kind of thing, so am concerned that I might make my desktop unusable.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Other things to note:

- i don't believe that this is caused by a conflict between the guest additions and any nvidia drivers (which seems to be the most common suggestion from Google searches etc). I say this because I don't seem to have any nvidia drivers installed (dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia does not return anything, nor does lsmod | grep -i nvidia).

- sudo lshw -c display returns:
*-display UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: VuirtualBox Graphics Adapter
vendor: InnoTek Systemberatung GmbH
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 00
width : 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: vga_controller bus_master
configuration: latency=0
resources: memory:e0000000-e7ffffff

- There is a Ubuntu forum that suggested a solution. However, the 'TrailFocus' option that it refers to isn't shown in the Effects section when I open compizconfig. Unfortunately I can't post the address to the web page.

- I have tried running the below command, re-installing the guest additions and restarting the VM, but this doesn't seem to make any difference:
sudo apt-get install dkms build-essential

- I also get an error message when opening the viewer that I am trying to use: "freeglut: OpenGL GLX extension not supported by display ':0'". However, I don't believe that this is related to the problem because I get the same problem (i.e. transparent window), but not the error message, when I run the software using a differnet command for viewing geometry over VNC. I have also had similar error messages when running the software successfully on other machines (specifically earlier versions of Ubuntu which are no longer supported).

I've pretty much exhausted what I can find from Google searches - any ideas?

Screenshot of the problem attached

I wish there was a "merge posts" functionality. You had a six-pack

Did you install the Guest Additions in your guest? Did you enable 3D acceleration in the VM recipe? In order for us to know, please read the following: Minimum information needed for assistance.

Specifically for the VM log file ("VBox.log.zip"), here's what you do:

1. Start the VM. Not from a saved or paused state. Clean start.
2. Take the steps required to generate/observe the error.
3. Shut down the VM. Not saved, not paused. Complete shut down.
4. Right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager. Select "Show Log..."
5. Save it (just the first log), ZIP it and attach it in your response (see the "Upload attachment" at the bottom of the form).

Hi Socratis,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I did have the guest additions installed and did have 3D acceleration enabled.

I have actually just managed to fix this, by doing the following:
1. Go into System Settings -> Appearance
2. Change the 'theme' from "Ambiance (default)" to "Radiance"
3. Restart the VM
4. Run "sudo apt-get install dkms build-essential"
5. Eject the VBOX additions (right click on the icon on the taskbar)
6. Re-install VBOX additions using the Devices menu
7. Restart the VM

Not quite sure why this has worked - it seems that it is necessary to both change the theme and run the 'install dkms build-essential' command, since doing either/or hadn't worked previously.

Thanks for your help - sorry if it feels that I have wasted your time.

Thanks also for the tip on the log file - I'll be sure to take a look at that if I have any more problems in future.

RobE wrote:Not quite sure why this has worked

Because now you actually installed the GAs. You might have tried to install them, but it may have failed. We'll never know... . For the record, I don't think that the theme had anything to do with it. You can try it out by changing it back to its original.

RobE wrote:sorry if it feels that I have wasted your time.

Not at all. Glad you figured it out...