On Few Recent Errors in Linux Mint Virtualisation

Until Linux Mint 17 there were no issues installing Linux Mint on an Oracle VirtualBox. They worked seamlessly together. Though there was no option specifically for Linux Mint distributions, one could have them as the "Other Linux" or just as the "Ubuntu Linux" since Mint is based on the Ubuntu kernel.

From the Mint 18 distribution a new problem arose. Mint 18 could not find the graphics hardware offered for the guest operating from the VirtualBox. We had this error,

"Cinnamon Running in software rendering mode Cinnamon is currently running without video hardware acceleration and, as a result, you may observe much higher than normal CPU usage. There could be a problem with your drivers or some other issue. For the best experience, it is recommended that you only use this mode for troubleshooting purposes."

or something similar to that. This is no fault of the Linux Mint. It is due to the fact that Oracle VirtualBox tries to default to VBoxSVGA from what has been used to be, i.e., default to VMSVGA.

VBoxSVGA works fine for the Windows operating Systems, but still fails for all the Linux Mint and Ubuntu.

If you are using the old VBoxVGA (note the difference with VBoxSVGA) for the Windows guests, then the VirtualBox gives a warning asking you to change it to VBoxSVGA. "The virtual Machine Execution May run into an error … ."

For Windows easily power off the machine and go to the setting of that machine and change display setting to VBoxSVGA.

However, For Linux Mint and Ubuntu Graphic accelerator should be set to VMSVGA at this date until all the bugs removed for the VBoxSVGA.

Another point is, as you do not use VBoxSVGA, as the result the option, "Auto re-size Guest Display" won't become enabled. You are not able to enjoy the "maximise" option of the window pane that is available on your screen.

To solve this you need to install virtual box guest addition. You do not need to use a terminal. Mint and Ubuntu run automatically the guest addition similar to Windows operating system.

If before the installation you have increased the graphics memory to 256 MB then you also may receive this message:

Then do not try to debug, but click on "OK" and reduce the graphic memory back to 128MB.

After installation you can increase that memory to 256 MB again.

In case you do not know how to increase the graphics memory from 128 to 256 MB, you can edit the myvirtual.vbox (where myvirtual is the name of you virtual machine.) or you can do it in the easier way through the setting of the virtual machine.

First increase the number of screen to eight. The virtual machine allows a 256 MB to be selected. Then click "OK" on the Setting to close it. Immediately, open the Setting again and decrease step by step (one by one) back to one screen. Then again click on "OK" to close the setting.