Running Linux under Virtualbox on my Mac

ChrisM666 · #1 November 6th, 2008, 05:19 PM

Installed Virtualbox on my Mac but was dismayed by the max screen res of only 800x600. You would be too.

I am hoping that a macosx-er has done this and can explain what to do because after Googling and looking into the virtualbox.app finding VBoxGuestAdditions-x86.run, I am still stumped.

I ran in the terminal:
sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run
...and it uncompressed and then said:
VirtualBox 2.0.4 Guest Additions installation
Please install the build and header files for your current Linux kernel.
The current kernel version is 9.5.0
Problems were found which would prevent the Guest Additions from installing.
Please correct these problems and try again.
so no joy.

ElDiabloConCaca · #2 November 6th, 2008, 05:40 PM

I'm assuming you're running Ubuntu in VirtualBox since you didn't specify which Linux ditro you're using... if so, follow this:

http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/index.p...ewtopic&t=6438

Currently, as I understand it, no Virtual Machine additions installers (for Parallels, Fusion, nor VirtualBox) are compatible with the latest Ubuntu distro, so manually-editing the display properties is the only way.

**Giaguara** · #3 November 6th, 2008, 06:50 PM

With Fusion, you could build the tools for it and specify in VMware Tools the initial resolution.
http://peterc.org/2008/62-how-to-ins...re-fusion.html
http://communities.vmware.com/message/887802#887802

Some similar method should work with VirtualBox too.
(sorry, I'm not using Sun Virtualbox ... I gave it a try, got guru meditation errors with it, that their support boards didn't have anyone reply, so far from around May or June, and it didn't run anything 64-bit.)

ChrisM666 · #4 November 6th, 2008, 07:16 PM

Many thanks, Diablo, for your help. My screen res now is up to a comfortable 1360x768. Quite enough to work in. The mouse is now integrated in that passing it over the VM lets it work in Ubuntu and then moving it into the Mac desktop goes without any interruption (before I had to press the Command key to break out of the VM).

The mounting of my network and host machine drives is my next challenge...

Ubuntu 8.10 does work fine with Leopard, it seems. ...I wonder how my dodgy XP will fare??

ChrisM666 · #5 November 6th, 2008, 07:21 PM

Giaguara, I'm into VBox to avoid paying for Fusion, nice though it was during my fiddle with it during beat testing. I might go back if the serious stuff can't survive VBox.

And, yes, the VBox forums are a bit slow to respond.

The Following User Says Thank You to ElDiabloConCaca For This Useful Post:
ChrisM666 (November 6th, 2008)