0

When I install Ubuntu via VirtualBox, I can only have resolution of 640x480 or something similar. I found that I needed to install guest additions to get more resolution choices. Doing this makes my Ubuntu look like this in VM window:

enter image description here

I obviously can't navigate in this window and was wondering what my next course of action should be.

Jason Aller
  • 415
disengage
  • 3
  • I remember that after installing Guest Auditions, I had the same problem. I reinstalled the Guest Auditions, again, and it work, but have no idea why. Please try reinstalling, maybe it's the same problem. – Melon Dec 01 '14 at 07:43
  • I have tried to reinstall, but I get a mounting error and nothing happens. How did you reinstall? I cannot do it thru terminal because I cannot see anything in the GUI ...I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Ubuntu build and reinstalling additions but it does not fix the problem. – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 07:46
  • Does switching to other terminals work Ctrl - Alt - F4 ? – Melon Dec 01 '14 at 07:49
  • Did you select Auto Resize HOST + G and Adjust Window Size HOST + A in the Virtual Box View settings? – Takkat Dec 01 '14 at 08:13

1 Answers1

1

Open Terminal: CTRL+ALT+T

Install these Guest Additions Packages:

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-guest-dkms virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-x11

Make sure you put your sudo user password and packages are installed correctly. After that installation is Done. Restart your VM

If the problem still stays... Try:

Go to System settings -> Software and Updates -> Additional drivers
Use x86 virtualization solutions...
After that reboot your virtual box

Source: Screen Resolution Problem with Ubuntu 14.04 and VirtualBox

After doing this if you still have the same resolution:

Open Terminal CTRL+ALT+T (Hotkey) type in terminal: 

xrandr -s 1024x768

It will set your screen resolution to 1024x768

Community
  • 1
LostLife
  • 315
  • 1
  • 10
  • I cannot do that because I cannot navigate the ui. Perhaps uninstall and do that before installing additions? – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 14:33
  • Tried the above answer, still does not work. Just the window is not as small now. http://i.imgur.com/QfA7vjy.jpg – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 15:47
  • Open Terminal CTRL+ALT+T (Hotkey) type in terminal: xrandr -s 1024x768 – LostLife Dec 01 '14 at 15:54
  • Can't access terminal because screen resolution auto resizes to smaller resolution. – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 15:56
  • just type: ctrl+alt+t (it will open terminal) then type the command i have written and press enter and tell me what it does..(you dont have to see anything) – LostLife Dec 01 '14 at 15:57
  • It does nothing. Tried multiple times. – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 16:00
  • OK. I Have found a possible solution open terminal (CTRL + ALT +T): sudo apt-get install virtualbox-guest-dkms virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-x11

    Type this command make sure you put in your user password to get these packages installed. after that installation is finished. Restart VM.

     – LostLife Dec 01 '14 at 16:07
  • After that installation of packages are finished restart your machine: sudo apt-get install virtualbox-guest-dkms virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-x11 – LostLife Dec 01 '14 at 16:08
  • I made the EDIT try installing those packages I have told you and tell me if problem still stays.. – LostLife Dec 01 '14 at 16:15
  • Nope. I tried everything. VM window looks the exact same as the first picture I posted. It only does this after installing additions. But I don't want 640x480 either so.

    Also it just defaults to automatic window resizing and that makes the resolution extremely small and I cannot recover from it. The only thing that 'fixes' this issue is reinstalling Ubuntu and starting over.

     – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 16:45
  • Okay, xrandr -s 1024x768 now works. strange. Will keep updated.

    edit: tried other resolutions and they did not work, now 1024x768 does not work. From what i can sort of read in the terminal, it says it is not an available mode...

     – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 16:47
  • After getting lucky and being able to reinstall guests additions via devices tab, i have many more resolution choices in Ubuntu. This has been very odd, thanks for your help dude. – disengage Dec 01 '14 at 16:59
  • If your problem is resolved, set it to answered in comments. – LostLife Dec 01 '14 at 17:48