[SOLVED]Virtualbox guest OS tools

[stealth]

I have a VM of PCLOS in Virtualbox and I have installed the guest OS tools in that VM from Synaptic. I cannot find anything to tell me how to get them to work. I prefer to keep the OS clean so I am going to stick with the tools in the repo rather than download and use the guest tools from Virtualbox. Any help about where to look and what to look for will be appreciated.

[Old-Polack]

I have a VM of PCLOS in Virtualbox and I have installed the guest OS tools in that VM from Synaptic. I cannot find anything to tell me how to get them to work. I prefer to keep the OS clean so I am going to stick with the tools in the repo rather than download and use the guest tools from Virtualbox. Any help about where to look and what to look for will be appreciated.

From the main PC menu, More Applications --> Emulators --> Get Oracle VM VirtualBox - VirtualBox Installer. This will download and install the latest VirtualBox version and the proper Guest Additions to go with it.

After creating a new, or starting an existing VM, from the menu bar of the running VM, choose Devices --> Install Guest Additions... When you get the notification with options, choose Open in File Manager. Right click in the window background and choose Root Menu --> Open as root. Give the root password, in the Run as root window, and click OK. Click on the VBoxLinuxAdditions.run icon, in the new window.

A terminal window will open with a warning, and you will be asked if you want to continue anyway, with options yes and no. Type yes and press the Enter key on your keyboard. Wait for the process to complete, press Enter to close the terminal window, close the two file manager windows, then reboot the VM.

Again, from the running VM, choose Help --> Contents to reveal a detailed extensive User Manual, explaining how to do most anything you wish to do with your VM.

[stealth]

Thanks OP. One small part of your instructions needs some adjustment. "Root Menu --> Open as root" that isn't an option. The only options are run, edit and delete. I tried run but it didn't give me any new window or ask anything after I gave it the root password. So I just opened a terminal and logged into it as root went to /media/V* and ran the file from there. This VM is a clean install and updated to kde 4.8.3 with no additional software installed. Other than apt-sources-list and now virtualbox guest tools.

I still can't figure out how to get the guest OS to fill up the screen like my windows guest OS. Maybe I will find something in the manual.

[stealth]

I figured out how to re-size the Linux VM. What a pain. It doesn't do as clean a job as the windows VM. Oh well can't have everything.

[Old-Polack]

I figured out how to re-size the Linux VM. What a pain. It doesn't do as clean a job as the windows VM. Oh well can't have everything.

Did you choose View --> Switch to Scale Mode or View --> Auto-resize Guest Display?

[stealth]

Don't like the scale mode and the auto-resize doesn't work. Unless I missed something in the manual I am not sure that will work with Linux. It might be one of those things that might with some versions and not with others. That is too bad because it works well with windows.

I am just using the VM of PCLOS for testing. I do all my work on my host PCLOS. I am glad that windows auto-resize works because I do have one software app that I use to earn money that won't work except on windows. If it wasn't for that one app I wouldn't even have a windows VM. That VM only gets run when I have to use that app. I have been using that VM for several years now. When I no longer have a reason to use that app that VM is going away.

[Old-Polack]

Don't like the scale mode and the auto-resize doesn't work. Unless I missed something in the manual I am not sure that will work with Linux. It might be one of those things that might with some versions and not with others. That is too bad because it works well with windows.

I am just using the VM of PCLOS for testing. I do all my work on my host PCLOS. I am glad that windows auto-resize works because I do have one software app that I use to earn money that won't work except on windows. If it wasn't for that one app I wouldn't even have a windows VM. That VM only gets run when I have to use that app. I have been using that VM for several years now. When I no longer have a reason to use that app that VM is going away.

In PCC of the guest OS, if the Resolution of the VBox graphics card is set to less than the natural resolution of the monitor, the Auto-resize works. If it is set to the full natural resolution, only the Scale Mode works.

[stealth]

Don't like the scale mode and the auto-resize doesn't work. Unless I missed something in the manual I am not sure that will work with Linux. It might be one of those things that might with some versions and not with others. That is too bad because it works well with windows.

I am just using the VM of PCLOS for testing. I do all my work on my host PCLOS. I am glad that windows auto-resize works because I do have one software app that I use to earn money that won't work except on windows. If it wasn't for that one app I wouldn't even have a windows VM. That VM only gets run when I have to use that app. I have been using that VM for several years now. When I no longer have a reason to use that app that VM is going away.

In PCC of the guest OS, if the Resolution of the VBox graphics card is set to less than the natural resolution of the monitor, the Auto-resize works. If it is set to the full natural resolution, only the Scale Mode works.

Thanks there was noting about that in the manual. PCLOS isn't listed as a supported OS but it is close in make up to most of the OSs that are supported. So I am hoping it will work.

Okay I found

/etc/modprobe.preload.d/vbox-guest=additions
/etc/udev/rules.d/vbox-additions.rules

So I am guessing the additions are installed.

in PCC the monitor size is less than the real monitor size. Still no joy. I will have to keep reading and looking. I would like to be able to get it to expand to fit the monitor.

[stealth]

This works exactly as stated with a windows VM but I can't get it to work with a PCLOS VM

Found in section 1.8.5 #2 of the manual
"If you have the Guest Additions installed and they support automatic resizing, the Guest Additions will automatically adjust the screen resolution of the guest operating system. For example, if you are running a Windows guest with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and you then resize the VM window to make it 100 pixels wider, the Guest Additions will change the Windows display resolution to 1124x768."

I am going to install one of the supported OSs and see if it will resize properly.

[Old-Polack]

Don't like the scale mode and the auto-resize doesn't work. Unless I missed something in the manual I am not sure that will work with Linux. It might be one of those things that might with some versions and not with others. That is too bad because it works well with windows.

I am just using the VM of PCLOS for testing. I do all my work on my host PCLOS. I am glad that windows auto-resize works because I do have one software app that I use to earn money that won't work except on windows. If it wasn't for that one app I wouldn't even have a windows VM. That VM only gets run when I have to use that app. I have been using that VM for several years now. When I no longer have a reason to use that app that VM is going away.

In PCC of the guest OS, if the Resolution of the VBox graphics card is set to less than the natural resolution of the monitor, the Auto-resize works. If it is set to the full natural resolution, only the Scale Mode works.

Thanks there was noting about that in the manual. PCLOS isn't listed as a supported OS but it is close in make up to most of the OSs that are supported. So I am hoping it will work.

Okay I found

/etc/modprobe.preload.d/vbox-guest=additions
/etc/udev/rules.d/vbox-additions.rules

So I am guessing the additions are installed.

in PCC the monitor size is less than the real monitor size. Still no joy. I will have to keep reading and looking. I would like to be able to get it to expand to fit the monitor.

When creating the VM, for Operating System: choose Linux, for Version: Other Linux



For testing new images, I have 10 PCLinuxOS VMs, and all work as I instructed.



After installing VBox, did you reboot? After creating the VM, and installing the Guest Additions, did you reboot the guest VM?

Here are two screen shots, one with the VM window maximized, one with it restored to its minimal size. Both are as I actually see them.





Another, with the menu open to select a Konsole-Root terminal;



...and with the Konsole-Root window open, waiting for the root password.



With the widow maximized vertically...



...then maximized horizontally again...



...and finally with the Konsole-Root window restored to its minimal size, in the maximized VM window.



All of these images are with the View --> Auto-Resize Guest Display active.

[stealth]

Don't like the scale mode and the auto-resize doesn't work. Unless I missed something in the manual I am not sure that will work with Linux. It might be one of those things that might with some versions and not with others. That is too bad because it works well with windows.

I am just using the VM of PCLOS for testing. I do all my work on my host PCLOS. I am glad that windows auto-resize works because I do have one software app that I use to earn money that won't work except on windows. If it wasn't for that one app I wouldn't even have a windows VM. That VM only gets run when I have to use that app. I have been using that VM for several years now. When I no longer have a reason to use that app that VM is going away.

In PCC of the guest OS, if the Resolution of the VBox graphics card is set to less than the natural resolution of the monitor, the Auto-resize works. If it is set to the full natural resolution, only the Scale Mode works.

Thanks there was noting about that in the manual. PCLOS isn't listed as a supported OS but it is close in make up to most of the OSs that are supported. So I am hoping it will work.

Okay I found

/etc/modprobe.preload.d/vbox-guest=additions
/etc/udev/rules.d/vbox-additions.rules

So I am guessing the additions are installed.

in PCC the monitor size is less than the real monitor size. Still no joy. I will have to keep reading and looking. I would like to be able to get it to expand to fit the monitor.

When creating the VM, for Operating System: choose Linux, for Version: Other Linux



After installing VBox, did you reboot? After creating the VM, and installing the Guest Additions, did you reboot the guest VM?

Yes I rebooted after install of vbox. I have been using vbox for several years with a windows VM. I have run a Linux VM many times but this is the first time I have installed the guest additions for a Linux VM. Yes I have rebooted the Linux VM several times in the last 24 hours. I have mine setup the way your first photo shows except for the name of the VM. I have read the manual in the sections covering initial setup and install, display resize, guest additions. I am currently working on this problem trying to figure out what isn't setup correctly or what I might be doing wrong. I keep looking at all the settings and information in the manual. Obviously I am missing something but I haven't figured out what yet.

[johnmart]

Excuse me, but I recently had trouble getting Guest Additions to function after a new install.
I eventually reinstalled Vbox using the get-virtualbox script, allowing it to run to completion with the congrats box. Guest additions worked perfectly.
You didn't mention if you installed using the get-virtualbox script as O-P mentioned.
Hope you get fixed up.
John

[stealth]

Yes I installed running the get-virtualbox script but at this point I will do what you did. Because I am also going to update my kernel on my host.

[stealth]

Success!  

I installed 3.2.18-pclos2.pae.bfs on my host ran the get-virtualbox script rebooted.
launched Virtualbox and the guest PCLOS installed 3.2.18-pclos2.bfs rebooted ran the vboxadditions again on the guest rebooted and everything works now as expected!   doing back flips and fist pumps. Just kidding about back flips lol