Re: [tlug] VirtualBox Capabilities

[CL <az.4tlug@example.com>]

Scott Robbins wrote:

> I'm not sure if you installed via apt or used the binary from their
> page.  If the latter, then each time you upgrade the kernel, you will
> have to run 

In keeping with my WIN past, I downloaded and installed the binary ... 
which was two versions newer than what was in the repositories at that 
time.  The appropriate drivers appeared in the repositories a full five 
days after the kernel upgrade (DAMHIK).

> /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Thanks, that worked.

> It's probably documented somewhere, but of course, that's one of the
> things about Linux--much of the time you have to google, search, spend
> hours to find out a simple one line command because no one ever bothered
> to properly document it.

Finding it is only good when you know what the problem is called.  Linux 
setup instructions are not the only thing I have ever searched for while 
trying to think of every possible name to call the thing I am trying to 
locate.  I read someplace that it is supposed to make you more calm and 
philosophical.  But, the people who write stuff like that never admit to 
their own Valium prescriptions.  That has _got_ to be how they do it. 
I'm sure of that.

> However, as the VBox docs are pretty good, it's probably in there
> somewhere--that's not a criticism, it is the sort of small but important
> thing that's hard to find. 
>
> I believe many of their developers use Ubuntu, and since that is what
> you have, you should be in pretty good shape. 

I am eventually off to try the bridge setup.  I have printed out your 
"Wired" instructions and will check all of the process names before 
getting too carried away changing things.  I've had enough of those 
"Yes, *that* /was/ the name in *that* version, but *now* we call the 
process something else" moments in Kubuntu to search for files in 
Dolphin before getting too deep into making a change.

==========

One extremely weird thing that happened at the same time I was having 
version problems with VirtualBox was that my ATI fglrx driver 
configuration headed south as soon as I started making changes to 
VirtualBox.  I suddenly found that Kubuntu was defaulting to the drivers 
for the onboard Intel 865 video chip that is disabled in BIOS.  I could 
resize the screen using System Settings -> Monitor & Display, but as 
soon as I rebooted, I had to let the system "fix" xorg.conf to get my 
X-desktop back.

When I could get fglrx to work, all I was getting was 640x480x60 and the 
Catalyst setup program would not resize or scroll on screen to let me 
accept the changes to 1280x1024x75 -- I could make the changes but could 
not reach the "Apply" button.  After two days of sifting through the 
data in about two dozen variations of xorg.conf and slogging through the 
eminently worthless-for-newbies man pages, I finally discovered that if 
you manually edit xorg.conf for the board and chip, then erase screen 
size data, you get a screen that can be resized after rebooting.

Running the vboxdrv setup _after_ making sure the ATI driver was running 
in Restricted Drivers and resizing the screen in fglrx made all start 
working properly again.  Since I made two changes before rebooting, I am 
not sure that one necessarily led to the other but am curious whether 
anyone else has noticed a connection between their video driver and 
VirtualBox performance?

--
CL