VBoxSDL error before launching VM

[Max D]

In version 4.2.6 under Windows 7 SP1 x64, when trying to start a VM using VBoxSDL, I get the following error (regardless of the VM) :

SDL Error: 'DirectInputDevice::SetDataFormat: Invalid parameters'

It also happens from a freshly created VM :

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>vboxmanage createvm --name test --ostype Debian_64 --register
Virtual machine 'test' is created and registered.
UUID: 2cbfe35a-fd26-44e3-90a3-9a6e31f406f3
Settings file: 'D:\VMs\VirtualBox\test\test.vbox'

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>vboxsdl --startvm test
Oracle VM VirtualBox SDL GUI version 4.2.6
(C) 2005-2012 Oracle Corporation
All rights reserved.

SDL Error: 'DirectInputDevice::SetDataFormat: Invalid parameters'

No VBox.log is generated and nothing appears in the VBoxSVC.log.

[Max D]

Same in 4.2.12

[JoakimS]

I'm still experiencing this in 4.2.16 r86992.

Is there any workaround for this, or plans to fix it?

[Frank Mehnert]

VBoxSDL is not actively maintained anymore. We suggest you to switch to the normal VirtualBox GUI. You should be able to configure it to meet your requirements.

[H.Hopper]

Does that mean VBoxSDL will be removed in future versions? Or will we get SDL2?

Just to add some extra findings on this:

The same error happens on 4.3.12 (and 4.3.14...).

I've compiled 4.3.12 OSE using SDL 1.2.15 (current the latest 1.2) on x64 Windows 7. Building SDL with VS2010 will fix the msvcr80.dll missing and things like that.

SDL: ​https://www.libsdl.org/download-1.2.php

It's confirmed: vboxsdl OSE 4.3.12 works in command line on Windows x64. Here is a link with the proof: ​http://www.eightforums.com/virtualization/49846-virtualbox-x64-windows-getting-vboxsdl-work.html

Sorry, I didn't run windows with full ose in 'windows test mode' I've replaced the official Windows x64 VBox sdl version with the built OSE binary to run on x64 Windows, and VMs work fine.

I don't consider it a clean fix but it works. Please make VboxSDL work in the official Windows release of VirtualBox, as it works in Linux.

I'll try to provide some logs later.

Regards, H.

[H.Hopper]

vboxsdl ose log on x64 windows host

[H.Hopper]

second log x64 guest but ose build of most files

[H.Hopper]

It seems this issue is irrelevant.

Can someone confirm my assumptions that the provided SDL.dll on Windows is broken?

It has a missing dependency to msvcr80.dll (can be available on the system) but with or without that file the program always launches giving the SDL Error: 'DirectInputDevice::SetDataFormat: Invalid parameters' no matter what.

But if nobody reads this ticket, why bother?

The only way to confirm this is to provide a test build with: -updated SDL to 1.2.15 (built with vs2010 instead of vs2005 - msvcr80.dll)

[Mihai Hanor]

Set SDL_VIDEODRIVER to windib in the Windows environment variables. Why do you need to use VBoxSDL?

[H.Hopper]

Thank you mhanor!

Confirmed: created environment variable SDL_VIDEODRIVER with a value of windib and it works fine. For me this one is solved then.

I'm using VBoxSDL --fullscreen --fullscreenresize to test fullscreen apps and some games where resolution needs to stretch entirely (mouse at edges). I find it works better that scale mode in this case.

I was looking in the wrong places for a fix so far.

[H.Hopper]

Note: this is officially solved as of v6.1.0. Confirmed to work on Windows hosts without adding SDL_VIDEODRIVER windib to launch command.

changelog: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Changelog-6.1#v0

VBoxSDL frontend: Fixed running on Windows hosts