Sarah Cinnamon running without video hardware acceleration under Virtual Box

[dwelden]

Linux noob, and recent Mint beginner.

After installing Sarah Cinnamon on Virtual Box, at login a message pops up saying that Mint is running in software rendering mode. I have the same VBox configuration that I ran Rosa Cinnamon with (128 MB Video Memory, Enable 3D Acceleration). Here are my results from checking glxinfo and unity support test:

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dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ glxinfo | grep "direct rendering"
direct rendering: Yes

dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ glxinfo | grep OpenGL
OpenGL vendor string: Humper
OpenGL renderer string: Chromium
OpenGL version string: 2.1 Chromium 1.9
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.30
OpenGL extensions:

dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p
OpenGL vendor string:   Humper
OpenGL renderer string: Chromium
OpenGL version string:  2.1 Chromium 1.9

Not software rendered:    yes
Not blacklisted:          yes
GLX fbconfig:             yes
GLX texture from pixmap:  yes
GL npot or rect textures: yes
GL vertex program:        yes
GL fragment program:      yes
GL vertex buffer object:  yes
GL framebuffer object:    yes
GL version is 1.4+:       yes

Unity 3D supported:       yes

All of which leads me to believe that I should not be getting this message. What could I be missing?

[Cosmo.]

Most likely: You missed to install the proper guest additions from the devices menu of the running VM.

[dwelden]

I thought of that. I have run apt-get purge virtualbox* followed by an install from the VBox ISO of the Guest Additions 5.0.22. After a successful installation and reboot, I still get the warning notification.

Is there something else I can check to verify my Guest Additions installation or to verify that I don't have old versions creating a conflict?

[Cosmo.]

Which is your version of VB? (Current is 5.0.24.) The most important part is, that the version of VB and the installed guest additions do match. If you install them with the way I advised, this is guaranteed.

Also double check if 3D acceleration for the VM is really enabled. You don't need anything besides those 2 prerequisites (GE and 3D).

[dwelden]

May have found the answer although it is a bit surprising to me.

I have 3 VMs that I run from time to time. Today I started up Mint first (typically I start one of the others first). No notification appears about software rendering. So I shut it down, and start one of the others. Checking the current GA version I discover that it is 5.0.14. So my supposition is that since I usually start it before I run Mint, the older version of GA is loading into my host Windows VBox memory and causing the problem for the guest.

If this is not likely, then my other supposition is that my host may have been scraping the ceiling on memory and starving the guest. Either way, Sarah is no longer reporting a software rendering issue.

[Cosmo.]

So my supposition is that since I usually start it before I run Mint, the older version of GA is loading into my host Windows VBox memory

No. The guest additions load inside the VM, not inside the host. The host does not even know anything about GE.

But as i told you already: The GE has to match with the VB-version.

[dwelden]

OK. I have upgraded VBox to 5.0.24 and updated the Guest Additions to 5.0.24 using the ISO in the VBox Programs File directory on the host. Software rendering seems to have returned.

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dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ lsmod | grep -io vboxguest | xargs modinfo | grep -iw version
version:        5.0.24 r108355
dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ glxinfo | grep "direct rendering"
direct rendering: Yes
dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ glxinfo | grep OpenGL
OpenGL vendor string: Humper
OpenGL renderer string: Chromium
OpenGL version string: 2.1 Chromium 1.9
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.30
OpenGL extensions:
dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p
OpenGL vendor string:   Humper
OpenGL renderer string: Chromium
OpenGL version string:  2.1 Chromium 1.9

Not software rendered:    yes
Not blacklisted:          yes
GLX fbconfig:             yes
GLX texture from pixmap:  yes
GL npot or rect textures: yes
GL vertex program:        yes
GL fragment program:      yes
GL vertex buffer object:  yes
GL framebuffer object:    yes
GL version is 1.4+:       yes

Unity 3D supported:       yes
dave@dave-VirtualBox ~ $ 

Is it possible that some configuration for Cinnamon or for MDM is not getting properly updated?

[Cosmo.]

Mh, your output says: Not software rendered.

[dwelden]

Agreed, but I am still getting the notification from Cinnamon upon initial login. That is what is puzzling.

[Cosmo.]

Strange. LM 18 Cinnamon runs here as VM fine with 3D-support, after I installed the guest additions. Difference to you is, that I use VB 4.3.38, but that should matter. I don't find a hint in the VB-forum, that the guest additions of 5.0.24 are broken.

Is this a plain Mint installation, or do you have added or removed any packages?

BTW: Which OS is your host?

[dwelden]

Host is Windows 7 64 bit. Only package I have installed is Plank from Mint software downloads. I am also having issues with Elementary Freya; I have to tty login and restart lightdm to even get a gui. At least Mint is better than that.

One other thing which may be relevant: I am running 32 bit Mint. My virtualization is off in the BIOS and I don't have password. So I am limited to 32 bit guests. Again, I ran Rosa Cinnamon fine with this setup, so now I begin to suspect VBox is at fault. Have also a question on their forum and will report back here if I learn anything.

[Cosmo.]

I have seen your post on the VB-forum. Let us wait, what this gives after you have posted there the requested log.

[Total_Blue]

Hi dwelden,

I was just wondering if you might have missed when Cosmos said to run Guest Additions from within Virtualbox. After logging into Linux Mint, click on Devices and choose "Insert Guest Additions CD Image". It may prompt you to download the newer Guest Additions, before starting the install.

[dwelden]

Yes, that is what I did:

I have upgraded VBox to 5.0.24 and updated the Guest Additions to 5.0.24 using the ISO in the VBox Programs File directory on the host. Software rendering seems to have returned.

I see at least one other report of this exact issue with Sarah and VB GA 5.0.24 on the VB forums. I am beginning to suspect 5.0.24

[Cosmo.]

I see at least one other report of this exact issue with Sarah and VB GA 5.0.24 on the VB forums. I am beginning to suspect 5.0.24

Please provide the link to this report.

[dwelden]

https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=78531

[Cosmo.]

The last post in the linked thread closes with the statement, that the problem has been solved.

It comes out - as also Perryg pointed out -, that your problem is at the end your problem with the BIOS password and the settings there. If this is your own computer, remove the BIOS battery for a minute or so to reset the BIOS password. If it is not your own computer, as the owner.

[dwelden]

If the solution requires having virtualization enabled in the BIOS, then I will have to revert back to Mint 17 or some other distribution. The only reason I run a 32 bit instance instead of 64 bit is because 32 bit clients do not require BIOS enablement. It is really the only advantage of a 32 bit client at this point in time. How would a 32 bit client run on a 32 bit host if hardware virtualization is required?

If the forum is saying this is the only solution, then apparently there really is no solution for my particular use case.

[Cosmo.]

In more than 10 years experience with VB I have accumulated much experience about it and I consider my knowledge above average. Perryg in the VB-forum (where I read here and then) is surely somebody, who knows about that subject far more than I do and if he says, that the solution lies in the BIOS setting, than you can trust him.

[dwelden]

I do appreciate you and Perry trying to help. People like you are what keep me plugging along in the open source world. I am disappointed that something that worked in Mint 17 and older versions of VB no longer does work in Mint 18 and latest VB. But the world moves on and leaves some things behind (my old PowerPC laptop gets no love these days either).

Thanks again for your great support.