VMSVGA does not allow to resize guest display in GNU/Linux

[Edmund Laugasson]

In this case the host and guest are same OS: 64-bit Linux Mint 19.3 MATE.

This error has been since VMSVGA came out and it seems that this is still not fixed. So it is not just VirtualBox 6.1.4 issue but much older one and exist in many former VirtualBox versions.

Graphics controller in VirtualBox machine settings

• in case of GNU/Linux by default VMSVGA
• in case of MS Windows by default VBoxSVGA

The truth is that VMSVGA does not allow to resize guest display in GNU/Linux. I have to adjust display settings manually in Linux in order to resize display. When using VBoxSVGA then guest resizing works in GNU/Linux but Invalid settings detected message is shown in virtual machine (VM) settings that suggest to use VMSVGA unless I have reason to not use. Well - currently I have reason as VMSVGA does not work properly.

Also in case of VBoxSVGA the resizing clutter appears - I need to maximize VM window and back in order to get guest display resizing work properly. This has to be done after every time I wake up my laptop from sleep or start the VM first time.

At the same time in case of MS Windows the VBoxSVGA is chosen by default which works also in case of MS Windows. Actually when to choose VMSVGA in case of MS Windows then you cannot start VM as it is considered invalid setting. Well - no need as VBoxSVGA works.

My proposal: either get VMSVGA to work properly in case of any supported guest OS or remove it permanently from VirtualBox.

[Edmund Laugasson]

This means by pressing Host+A or choosing View -> Adjust Window Size when VM is working. Certainly Guest Additions were installed same version as VirtualBox itself.

Also with VBoxSVGA when guest is smaller window, I need to press Host+A twice: first time it does not work (window will be switched back as it was initially) and after second time it starts working: when resizing with mouse the guest window - the resolution adopts new size automatically.

[Edmund Laugasson]

When looking at CLI:

$ ps aux|grep VB
root       407  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        I<   15:42   0:00 [iprt-VBoxWQueue]
root      1035  0.0  0.0 322560  3352 ?        Sl   15:42   0:00 /usr/sbin/VBoxService --pidfile /var/run/vboxadd-service.sh
student   1178  0.0  0.0  53852   376 ?        S    15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --display
student   1179  0.0  0.0  53984  3600 ?        S    15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --display
student   1186  0.0  0.0  53852   376 ?        S    15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --seamless
student   1187  0.0  0.0 186088  2760 ?        Sl   15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --seamless
student   1195  0.0  0.0  53852   380 ?        S    15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --draganddrop
student   1196  0.1  0.0 186604  2848 ?        Sl   15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --draganddrop
student   1205  0.0  0.0  53852  1532 ?        S    15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --vmsvga-x11
student   1884  0.0  0.0  53852  1404 ?        S    15:42   0:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --vmsvga-x11
student   3589  0.0  0.0  53852   376 ?        S    15:44   0:00 VBoxClient --clipboard
student   3590  0.0  0.0  53852   376 ?        S    15:44   0:00 VBoxClient --clipboard

... and man-page:

$ VBoxClient -h
Usage: VBoxClient --clipboard|--draganddrop|--display|--checkhostversion|--seamless|--vmsvga|--vmsvga-x11[-d|--nodaemon]
Starts the VirtualBox DRM/X Window System guest services.

Options:
  --clipboard        starts the shared clipboard service
  --draganddrop      starts the drag and drop service
  --display          starts the display management service
  --checkhostversion starts the host version notifier service
  --seamless         starts the seamless windows service
  --vmsvga           starts VMSVGA dynamic resizing for DRM
  --vmsvga-x11       starts VMSVGA dynamic resizing for X11
  -f, --foreground   run in the foreground (no daemonizing)
  -d, --nodaemon     continues running as a system service
  -h, --help         shows this help text
  -v, --verbose      increases logging verbosity level
  -V, --version      shows version information

... then I see that VBoxSVGA is missing in Linux. Only VMSVGA extension is there. Despite that the dynamic resizing works with VBoxSVGA and not with VMSVGA.

[Edmund Laugasson]

To be honest, resizing with either VMSVGA or VBoxSVGA do not work with 6.1.4 My proposal: allow VBoxSVGA under Linux again.

[Edmund Laugasson]

Installed back 6.1.2 Guest Additions and then resizing works but with some glitches. I need to maximize window in first place in order to get resising to work. Also it has some delays when it actually resize.

[zardoz]

Also see ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=97686 for more issues in this area with GA 6.1.6

[Frank Batschulat (Oracle)]

almost likely a duplicate of #19496 fixed in 6.1.8 - try 6.1.8

[adamf]

still broken in virtualbox 6.1.26 and 6.1.28.

[galitsyn]

Hi adamf,

Could you please confirm that View -> Auto-resize Guest Display option is ON?

In order to say anything about the issue, logs are needed. At first, could you please enable guest logs pass-through by running the following inside guest:

echo 1 | tee /sys/module/vboxguest/parameters/r3_log_to_host

Then, please restart VBoxClient --vmsvga process in foreground and verbose mode:

kill -TERM <PID>
VBoxClient --vmsvga -vvvvvvvvv -f

After this, try to resize guest window and attach resulting VBox.log file as well as complete output of VBoxClient --vmsvga -vvvvvvvvv -f.

[alsn21]

A forum post from a few months ago is probably relevant to this problem, which still exists in 6.1.28. Logs are included with the post. ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=103519

[galitsyn]

Replying to alsn21:

A forum post from a few months ago is probably relevant to this problem, which still exists in 6.1.28. Logs are included with the post. ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=103519

Hi alsn21,

Forum post is not exactly related. In the post the problem is related to the fact that 32 VM is configured to use VMSVGA graphics while it is running an old kernel which does not provide compatible vmwgfx version. See, ​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=103519&p=509183#p509183.

Logs from comment:9 are still needed.