Linux Mint 18 goes slow on Virtualbox

[oligalma]

I have Linux Mint 17 installed on my computer and works perfectly. For testing purposes, I decided to install Linux Mint 18 KDE on Virtualbox. To my surprise, its GUI goes very slow. For example, when dragging a window or typing something on the console. I don't know what's happening. I also have a Windows virtual machine and it goes well...

[Cosmo.]

This is a known problem. Use LM 18.2 instead.

[wallyUSA]

Have u reviewed the resources assigned to the guest (ram & processors)?

[oligalma]

This is a known problem. Use LM 18.2 instead.

I've installed LM 18.2 "Sonya" but it has the same problem

[oligalma]

Have u reviewed the resources assigned to the guest (ram & processors)?

I've assigned 4 GB of RAM to the LM virtual machine.

[Cosmo.]

How much has the host?

[oligalma]

How much has the host?

RAM: 8 GB SDRAM
CPU: 2.6 GHz 64 bits (2 cores)

[Cosmo.]

Do you have the guest additions installed? Does the version of the guest additions match exactly with the version of VB? Did you try to activate in the settings of the guest 3D acceleration?

[oligalma]

Do you have the guest additions installed? Does the version of the guest additions match exactly with the version of VB? Did you try to activate in the settings of the guest 3D acceleration?

I have VB extension pack installed. Is it the same as guest additions?

Yes, I enabled 3D accelaration. I also tried to install the drivers of my graphics card but I get this error:

You do not appear to have an NVIDIA GPU supported by the 340.17 NVIDIA Linux graphics driver installed in this system.

[Cosmo.]

No, the extension pack is something quite different than the guest additions. The extension pack gets installed into the system, the guest addtions inside of every running guest system.

Before we can proceed we have to know:
What is the exact version of VB? Where did you take it from (official repositories or downloaded from Oracle)?

[oligalma]

What is the exact version of VB?

Version 5.0.40

Where did you take it from (official repositories or downloaded from Oracle)?

I'm not sure. On "Software manager" I have "virtualbox-nonfree" marked as installed. On the other hand, on "Additional repositories" I have this URL:

Code: Select all

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian vivid contrib

[Cosmo.]

Launch your virtual machine, then press host-n. (The host key is by default the right ctrl-key). This opens a dialog, where you can read, which guest additions (version number) are installed.

[oligalma]

Launch your virtual machine, then press host-n. (The host key is by default the right ctrl-key). This opens a dialog, where you can read, which guest additions (version number) are installed.

Guest additions 5.1.6_Ubuntu r110634

[Cosmo.]

Now we have found the culprit. Different versions of VB and guest additions cannot work. (I wonder, how it will take, until the Mint devs drop this silly pre-installation of the guest additions, which is a guarantee for trouble.)

Do the following:
Go to Oracle and download the current version of VB. For your Mint 17 host you need to take the version for Ubuntu 16.04.

Now remove virtualbox from your system completely. Don't worry about your existing VMs, they will not get touched.
Next install the downloaded virtualbox.
Boot the guest again and open in the guest synaptic. Enter in the search box of synaptic virtualbox and select in the left pane the filter for installed packages. You should see 3 packages, all starting with the name "virtualbox-". Remove them completely. Reboot the host. If you have the VM running again you can easily install the proper guest additions from the devices menu of the VM. Don't forget to reboot the VM again.

[oligalma]

Now we have found the culprit. Different versions of VB and guest additions cannot work. (I wonder, how it will take, until the Mint devs drop this silly pre-installation of the guest additions, which is a guarantee for trouble.)

Do the following:
Go to Oracle and download the current version of VB. For your Mint 17 host you need to take the version for Ubuntu 16.04.

Now remove virtualbox from your system completely. Don't worry about your existing VMs, they will not get touched.
Next install the downloaded virtualbox.

I unistalled VB. Then I downloaded VB from virtualbox.org but I get this error when installing:

[Cosmo.]

Please give the exact and full name of the file you downloaded.

[oligalma]

Please give the exact and full name of the file you downloaded.

virtualbox-5.1_5.1.22-115126~Ubuntu~xenial_amd64.deb

[Cosmo.]

Sorry, this is my fault. I told you do download the version for Ubuntu 16.04 (what you did), but actually you need the version for Ubuntu 14.04. Please forgive me.

[oligalma]

Sorry, this is my fault. I told you do download the version for Ubuntu 16.04 (what you did), but actually you need the version for Ubuntu 14.04. Please forgive me.

Ok . I successfully installed VB for Ubuntu 14.04 and works perfectly. Then I went to the LM virtual machine and deleted the 3 packages you told me. Finally, I installed the guest additions from the devices menu and I got this strange full screen message:



Then I ended up reinstalling the LM virtual machine because the system seemed not to work well and I couldn't fix the problem.

[Cosmo.]

This message has nothing to do with your virtual machines. It has obviously something to do with your screensaver, but I have no idea, how this should happen, while you are active in the system.