virtualbox.org

Hello,

I have win 10 64bit guest OS and things work ok, except apps, program windows and start menu often flicker as if they are redrawing themselves. Additionally keyboard input is quite laggy and doesnt keep up anywhere close to my typing. The flickering is driving me crazy. Is there any fix to this? Does anyone else have this same issue?

System details:

• Windows 10 64 bit Version 1607 14393.576
• Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
• NVIDIA Quadro GK107GL (Quadero K600)
• NVIDIA 367.57 binary driver installed on host
• Virtual Box 5.024_Ubuntu r108355
• Virtual Box Guest Additions 5.024 installed in guest

Thanks!

stephenbarrett wrote:Virtual Box 5.024_Ubuntu r108355

This is the Ubuntu fork of VirtualBox. Uninstall that one and install the official one from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
And since you're at it, download the latest and greatest, 5.1.12 as of this writing...

Ah good catch thank you.

• uninstalled virtualbox and dkms
• added the deb repository
• installed 5.1.12 and dkms
• rebooted host
• fired up the VM and it would hang my entire machine when I logged into windows
• hard reset my host
• disabled VM 3d and 2d acceleration and tried again and it no longer hung. I also noticed there was no keyboard lag or flickering
• installed the 5.1.12 guest to the VM, rebooted VM, shut down VM
• enabled VM 2d/3d acceleration
• booted VM and logged in, then my entire machine hung again
• hard reset my host
• enabled VM 2d accleration
• booted VM and logged in with no hang. No flickering, no keyboard lag.

So it appears changing virtualbox version made things worse (complete hang with 3d acceleration on), but at least I can run with that disabled to get rid of the flickering. Thoughts?

With the VM shut down, right-click on the VM in VirtualBox Manager, Show Log, zip it and attach it. See the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form.

I set 3d acceleration back on and then booted up. This time my machine hung when I clicked the start screen to begin the login process. Log attached. The end shows:
00:00:49.193715 VMMDev: Guest Log: VBoxMP::DxgkDdiQueryCurrentFenceNew: WARNING! :=>DxgkDdiQueryCurrentFenceNew

Followed by a ton of:
00:00:49.193822 VMMDev: Guest Log: VBoxMP::DxgkDdiQueryCurrentFenceNew: WARNING! :uncompleted fences, u32FenceSubmitted(1387), u32FenceCompleted(1385) u32FenceProcessed(1385)

I'm not a Linux guru, but I think that even your host doesn't have 3D acceleration enabled. At the beginning of the log, there's this:

00:00:00.977126 OpenGL Info: Render SPU: Opening display :0
00:00:00.989719 OpenGL Info: Render SPU: Opening display :0
00:00:01.003717 OpenGL Info: Render SPU: GL_VENDOR:   nouveau
00:00:01.003729 OpenGL Info: Render SPU: GL_RENDERER: Gallium 0.4 on NVE7
00:00:01.003733 OpenGL Info: Render SPU: GL_VERSION:  3.0 Mesa 11.2.0

That "SPU" looks very similar to "Software Processing Unit" and "nouveau/Gallium" are not graphics cards, they're software renders.

nouveau and Gallium 0.4 on NVE7 are very basic open source drivers usually for nVidia GPUs. I had all kinds of issues with those when they first came out years ago and installed the nVidia proprietary drivers instead. Currently using nVidia-364 but there is a newer version.

At the bottom of the log you can see the results of this basic driver.

Very true Perry, thanks! A little bit of Googling helped too...
But why when there are no GAs installed in a basic (Ubuntu-based) Linux VM, the "glxinfo | grep OpenGL" returns Chromium? Are they the basic "ingredient" even if you don't (obviously) have an Nvidia GPU?

The GA drivers are generic and use software to hook into the host process. They are not specific GPU drivers. But the host must have proper drivers installed to perform the task at hand and the basic host drivers sometimes do not have all that is needed.

Oh and without the GAs installed you should not see chromium/humper, but some gallium llvm type. If you do then somewhere sometime something was installed.

You're once again correct. Mint 17. With GAs installed: Without GAs installed:

I am on occasion in error but this time I am lucky

Ah... I think when I uninstalled dkms it pulled the nvidia driver off too. Whoops. Hopefully I didnt screw up more than just nvidia drivers.

I reinstalled nvidia-367, rebooted, launched VM... no more crashing with 3d acceleration on! Also, the flickering is almost gone (still a little bit) and input lag is gone. Thanks guys