vbox Using desktop-installer on VirtualBox - artifacts in the console.

Host - Win 10 64x

VBox – 6.1.26

Guest - FreeBSD-13.0-RELEASE-amd64

Tried installing KDE5 using the desktop-installer script. After completing the item

X11 test? (y/n)[y]

and the Ctrl+F1 transition could not use the console to continue the script, because it took this form:

1633013207220.png


I had to continue running it from the terminal on the installed KDE. KDE installed, but all Ctrl+F1-F8 consoles are like this. Is there any way to fix it?
 
The screenshot is too small to see anything.
But isn't this a problem of VirtualBox on Windows anyway?
Did you try other operating systems as a guest?
 
The size of the screenshot will not affect the content, just a black screen and a few rows of white dashes at the top - a trace of very shrunken text. It looks like some kind of distorted video mode.

It appears after selecting reconfiguration and testing Xorg. The KDE desktop displays normally. Only the text-based virtual console has been distorted.
 
I found the reason for this distortion is the VboxSVGA adapter selection in the VM settings. After switching to VMSVGA all distortions disappeared.
To tell the truth, there appeared some difficulties with automatic screen resizing, but it is another topic and the least trouble compared to impossibility to use text-based virtual console.
 
I run VirtualBox 6.1.26 under Windows 8.1.

I can boot my FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE-p4 client to the console with the Graphics Controller set to either VboxSVGA or VMSVGA.

VMSVGA works, but I have never been able to get better than 800x600 resolution.

To get get full screen resolution (1600x900) for a window manager the VboxSVGA setting is required.

I have seen multiple references to VboxSVGA being required for FreeBSD clients, so your path forward may be fraught.

EDIT make sure you have the latest VirtualBox ose stuff (there's a recent patch for kmod):
Code:
[f13.139] $ pkg info | grep virtualbox
virtualbox-ose-additions-6.1.26_1 VirtualBox additions for FreeBSD guests
virtualbox-ose-kmod-6.1.26     VirtualBox kernel module for FreeBSD
 
I use pkg and the latest branch. All packages are of the latest version.

Guest add-ons and xf86-video-vmware driver installed. I used VBoxClient -wmsvga and set the resolution to 1920x1200.

Admittedly acted a bit haphazardly, so now I'm doing a completely new setup - I'll be testing more consistently.
 
… After switching to VMSVGA all distortions disappeared. …

Doing so breaks some guest additions functionality.

… now I'm doing a completely new setup …

The quick start alone should suffice. <https://community.kde.org/FreeBSD/Setup#Quick_start> – Graphics first (to include VBoxSVGA) then KDE and the rest (five steps).

Without using sysutils/desktop-installer, a recently updated FreeBSD is OK on Windows 10 21H1:

1633268984172.png
  • VBoxSVGA
  • seamless
  • shared clipboard working
  • etc..
 
My Computer -

Computer type - x64-based ACPI computer
ОС - Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC
DirectX - DirectX 12.0
CPU type - DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo E7500, 2933 MHz (11 x 267)
System Board - Asus P5KPL-AM IN/ROEM/SI
Motherboard chipset - Intel Bearlake G31
System memory - 4096 МБ (DDR2 SDRAM)
BIOS Type - AMI (01/15/10)
Video Adapter - GeForce GT 240 (512 МБ)
3D accelerator - nVIDIA GeForce GT 240
Monitor - NEC MultiSync 24WMGX3 [24" AMVA LCD] (87100916TB)
 
I have performed a new installation with VBoxSVGA. Translated packages from quarterly to latest.

Installed nano,sudo,mc. I have configured the localization (russian). Then installed xorg and guest add-ons.

In /boot/loader.conf, I added the following lines:

Code:
kern.vty=vt
hw.vga.textmode=0

In /etc/sysctl.conf, I entered the line:

kern.evdev.rcpt_mask=3

In /etc/fstab

proc /proc procfs rw 0 0

Installed KDE5, sddm. Xorg –configure did not perform.

Мой /etc/rc.conf

Code:
clear_tmp_enable="YES"
syslogd_flags="-ss"
sendmail_enable="NONE"
hostname="beastiebox"
ifconfig_em0="DHCP"
sshd_enable="YES"
moused_enable="YES"
ntpd_enable="YES"
dbus_enable="YES"
# Set dumpdev to "AUTO" to enable crash dumps, "NO" to disable
dumpdev="AUTO"
keymap="ru.win"
font8x16="vgarom-8x16"
vboxguest_enable="YES"
vboxservice_enable="YES"
vboxservice_flags="--disable-timesync"
sddm_enable="YES"

The download process begins. Before the graphical environment starts, tty0 has a normal view –

1633703731787.png


After loading the graphical environment I got another distortion –

1633703802637.png

After switching Ctrl+F1 to tty0 I get -

1633703829857.png
Tried switching to VMSVGA. tty0 takes on its normal appearance and can be handled.

But after switching again Ctrl+F9 then again Ctrl+F1 it stops responding to the keyboard and a message appears at the bottom -

1633703851052.png

Attached are 3 files - dmesg output, /var/log/messages, /var/log/Xorg.0.log
 

Attachments

  • dm.txt
    5.7 KB · Views: 133
… another distortion …

That is normal, within the standard dimensions of the virtual screen when SDDM appears. Not a bug.

If I recall correctly: you can alter the resolution that is used, although (off topic from FreeBSD) I can not find a relevant section in Oracle's user manual.

… a message appears at the bottom …

The dbus-daemon message is negligible in this context. I get much the same with guests that are free from the artifacts.

Also negligible in this context: the pulseaudio message.
 
Does the VirtualBox log for the guest show anything relevant around the time of the problem occurring/beginning?

/var/log/Xorg.0.log

At a glance, I see no relevant error (EE).

after switching again Ctrl+F9 then again Ctrl+F1 it stops responding to the keyboard

When there's no response at ttyv0, switch to e.g. ttyv1 then back to ttyv0. This is often enough to regain responsiveness.
 
When there's no response at ttyv0, switch to e.g. ttyv1 then back to ttyv0.
The fact is that all tty 0-8 have this form.

1633723156376.png


By themselves, they seem to work, but the way they are displayed on the monitor screen – (I increased a little image fragment)


1633723184830.png


doesn't allow for their use.
 
Is the issue reproducible with EFI enabled?



If a UEFI shell prompt appears, exit then use the boot maintenance manager to boot from the appropriate file.
 
Is the issue reproducible with EFI enabled?

I tried to use UEFI from the very beginning, but I couldn't go beyond UEFI shell. On the virtualbox forum, I was told that the reason was my outdated hardware. Here and now - after exit

1633772779819.png


1633772792666.png


In any case, I get back into the UEFI shell.

I did another experiment. After switching to the distorted tty, I entered my username and password on the keyboard, then typed the line shutdown -p now
(the arrows in the screenshot show the line shutdown -p now on the screen).

1633772856626.png


Then I entered Enter and the machine shut down. Which confirms the operation of tty.

The only problem is that switching to graphics mode switches tty to some strange vieo mode.
 
Maybe not the best suggestion (because I don't recall seeing anything like this in a VirtualBox context), but try:

1. take a snapshot of the guest
2. add the line below to /boot/loader.conf
3. restart the guest

kern.vty="sc"

 
Maybe not the best suggestion (because I don't recall seeing anything like this in a VirtualBox context), but try:

Initial /boot/loader.conf:

Code:
kern.vty=vt
hw.vga.textmode=0

I tried three combinations –
1
Code:
kern.vty="sc"
hw.vga.textmode=0
2
Code:
kern.vty="sc"
3
Code:
kern.vty=vt

1-2 tty gets a normal look, but I get other distortions

1633778921253.png

Started mc

1633778949714.png


3 Then the tty takes on a normal appearance, but after switching Ctrl+F9 again, then Ctrl+F1 again, it stops responding to the keyboard.
 
Some progress! Thanks again for feedback.

To me, the two screenshots above suggest a character set issue. I can't guess/tell how to correct this in your case, sorry.



after switching Ctrl+F9 again, then Ctrl+F1 again, it stops responding to the keyboard.

Please try the previously suggested workaround:

When there's no response at ttyv0, switch to e.g. ttyv1 then back to ttyv0. This is often enough to regain responsiveness.

– in other words, try Control-F2 Control-F1.
 
To me, the two screenshots above suggest a character set issue.
Maybe it has something to do with UTF-8. And also during the installation, I set the user class - russian.

Please try the previously suggested workaround:
And this seems to work, but firstly it has to be done every time after Ctrl+F9 and return to tty, and secondly, without line hw.vga.textmode=0 distorts russian text -

Here is the mc open in Konsole KDE5

1633792297105.png


And here is the same mc open on tty0

1633792330711.png


I have a feeling that the solution to the problem is somewhere nearby, but I can't seem to grasp it. Maybe don't dwell on it just yet - I can work with KDE, learn the system.

Maybe I should analyze the results, read some man pages carefully, maybe then a solution will appear.
 
… latest branch. …

I ran desktop-installer in a guest with 12.2-RELEASE-p7. One glitch at an early stage, a bug in the OS, worked around:

1633975685783.png

End result: SDDM and KDE Plasma were fine at ttyv8, but ttyv1 ceased responding properly to keyboard input.
For example, attempting to login as root:

1633980974187.png

– frozen, and ttyv1 was no better after I logged in as root at ttyv2 and killed SDDM. Not worked around by switching away from, then back to, ttyv1.

I have encountered this type of freeze at a tty in the past, I don't suspect an issue with desktop-installer.
 
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