Mint 19 - Software Rendering

[micksulley]

I have just installed Mint 19 in an Oracle Virtual Box, host is Mint 18.3.
When I start it I get a message - 'Running in software rendering mode'.
Current drivers are
virtualbox-guest-x11-hwe
virtualbox-guest-dkms-hwe

How do I fix it?

Thanks
Mick

[smurphos]

Get rid of the Ubuntu hosted guest modules......apt purge virtualbox-guest* in the guest OS.

Install the correct Oracle guest additions version from within Virtualbox.

1) apt install build-essential in the guest OS
2) Follow these instructions - https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E36500_01/E3 ... tions.html. Ignore that the screenshots are for WIndows - the basic steps are the same.

[AZgl1800]

for me, with 18.3 Cinnamon,

I went to Devices while Mint 19 was running, selected "Insert Guest CD Image"
it then asked if I wanted to download that, I clicked 'yes'

and it did every thing that was needed, and the message never came back.

easy peasy, none of that stuff you have to labor thru from the Oracle page.

one of the guys on the forum helped me with that, tnx to who ever did it.

[micksulley]

OK I tried both of your suggestions and neither worked. I did see some conflict errors as I had 5.1 installed and it expected 5.2

What I have done -
apt purge virtualbox-guest*
removed VirtualBox via Synaptic
downloaded and installed 5.2.12 from the Oracle site, note that I had to go back to the version for Ubuntu 16.04, the newer ones gave me errors
reinstalled Mint 19 Virtual Box
with that running click on Devices and installed Guest Additions
reboot Mint 19
I am still running in software rendering mode

I have many other Virtual Boxes, including Mint 18, they all run without this problem

Any ideas?

[smurphos]

Double check your settings for that VM - particularly that you've got 3D acceleration enabled and sufficient Video Memory applied.

I've just been setting up some Mint 19 VM's including Cinnamon on a Mint 19 Cinnamon Host with the VBOX 5.2.12 from the Oracle Repos and the 5.2.12 Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack also installed. The latter is a manual download and install from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Cinnamon is working fine. Here's a step by step of what I do....

1) Create the Virtual Machine with a new VDI fixed size disk. My host system has a HDD and I find that dynamically allocated VDI's result in a much slower VM.

2) In the new VM settings under System, I increase the allocated memory to 2048MB (my host has got 6GB - 2048MB is about right to run 1VM at a time without causing the host to start swapping), allocate the maximum allowed processor cores, and enable PAE/NX.

3) Under Display, I increase the allocated Video memory to the maximum allowed and enable 3D acceleration.

4) Then add the ISO, boot and install the Guest OS.

5) After first reboot into the Guest OS apply all available updates in update manager and reboot (because they include kernel updates).

6) On 2nd reboot run apt install build-essential in the Guest OS so that the Guest Additions ISO can build the Guest Addition kernel modules.

7) Insert the Guest Additions ISO via the Devices Menu and follow the prompts then reboot.

8) On the third reboot Cinnamon should load in regular mode, not software rendering as long as 3D acceleration is enabled.

9) Finally I amend the main user account in the Guest OS to add it the group vboxsf - sudo usermod -a -G vboxsf $USER to ensure that shared folders etc will work, logout and log back in.

[micksulley]

Thanks smurphos, you seem to have solved all of my problems!