Snow On VirtualBox - About & Resolution Problems

[DasFox]

My System specs; (Laptop) - Running Win7 Home Premium x64 Host

 

I didn't install the server, I'm running the desktop under VirtualBox 3.2.10 'OSX Server x64'

 

Hazards Snow Leopard 10.6.2 SSE2/SSE3 Intel AMD

AMD TF-20

ATI HD3200

 

I have Snow running on VirtualBox 3.2.10 and I have a few problems, trying to figure out.

 

The 'About' when I click the screen goes blank for a few seconds then the desktop pops back. Next I'm trying to get my resolution from 1024x768 to 1366x768 if possible. From what I've read online there are only 5 supported resolutions and I was able to change it to 1280x1024, but then the VB doesn't adjust window size so the resolution is to big.

 

I've tried all these with no success.

 

1. Changed com.apple.Boot.plist and tried both these options;

 

<key>Graphics Mode</key>

<string>1366x768x32</string>

<key>Timeout</key>

<string>5</string>

<key>device-properties</key

<string></string>

 

Then I also changed the second line to this;

 

<string>"Graphics Mode"="1366x768x32"</string>

 

2. I tried rebooting with just those two changes two times leaving the com.apple.Boot.plist in;

 

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/

 

3. Then I tried the two changes again, this time editing the .xml file on the host as such;

 

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" value="1366x768x32" />

 

and

 

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" "Graphics Mode"="1366x768x32" />

 

4. Then I tried all these over again and besides leaving com.apple.Boot.plist in the /Library/ path I copied it also to /Volume/hdd/Extra still with no success.

 

I did read online some people had success getting their resolution to boot to 1366x768 but I'm not figuring it out.

 

I'm also using Hazard's latest Snow iso but in case no one around here is happy about that, I do have a copy of Snow I purchased.

 

I remember when I was installing Hazard's Snow that it has a patch for the About menu I installed, but do I need to do anything with it now to make it work?

 

THANKS

 

P.S. After posting I realized I didn't try editing the xml file under the 'Machines' directory, so I did everything above over, this time editing this xml file but still no luck.

 

This is how the xml file top looks like with;

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" "value"="1366x768x32" />

 

.xml file;

 

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<VirtualBox xmlns="http://www.innotek.de/VirtualBox-settings" version="1.10-windows">

<Machine uuid="{3e25da30-4050-4a36-8e1a-08ce90c03eae}" name="Snow Leopard" OSType="MacOS_64" currentSnapshot="{cdf883eb-6bed-45d3-9409-6fe5fddbaa79}" lastStateChange="2010-11-06T01:16:38Z">

<ExtraData>

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" value="1366x768x32"/>

<ExtraDataItem name="GUI/InfoDlgState" value="400,450,normal"/>

 

Does the placement look ok above? Even if it is, still not working...

[gsw953]

I have basically the same setup as you and was never able to get the resolution to change to 1366x768 either.Hopefully I'm wrong but I think you can only use the resolutions supported by both virtualbox and the host.An example would be,even tho virtualbox supports 1280x800 our laptops don't so we can't get that resolution.(someone prove me wrong please)

The best workaround I have come up with is to remove the menu bar and status bar from the virtualbox window.

http://maketecheasier.com/hide-menu-bar-st...lbox/2010/06/08

This gives me a window almost the same size as I would get if I was running in fullscreen mode,the benefit to this is I still get easy access to Windows 7 when I need it,rather than having 2 strips of wasted space when you are in fullscreen mode.

 

 

Hopefully I'm wrong and someone has a better solution

[DasFox]

I'm running in full screen mode so I need to be able to change the resolution.

 

Taking away the menu bar and status bar is only giving about a 1/2 inch more...

 

I don't mind using '1280x1024x32'

 

But then the virtual window won't resize to fit this how running a Windows guest does, so if I could at least do that I'd be happy.

 

I wonder if I'll have better luck running this in VMWare?

 

 

THANKS

 

 

P.S. If Windows users want to do this, then in the path of C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\

 

type;

 

VBoxManage.exe setextradata global GUI/Customizations noMenuBar,noStatusBar

 

If you want to put it back;

 

VBoxManage.exe” setextradata global GUI/Customizations MenuBar,StatusBar

[billget]

Try using 1360x768x32 insted, I use a few different resolutions here and the only one that does not work is the 1366x768x32 one.

 

- Add the ExtraData option to your machinename.xm file

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" value="1360x768x32"/>

 

- Enter boot parameter, editing the Boot.plist file also work

"Graphics Mode"="1360x768x32"

 

- Have fun!!!

 

Sys: HP DV7 4087cl i430m 6g Win 7 Home Premium 64 bits Virtual Box 3.2.10. Snow Leo was installed from Leo with a retail DVD and has the latest updates intalled (When I update it gives a kernel panic then I use the EFI iso to boot and recover my system).

 

PS: I have the same "About" problem as DasFox.

[LeXa2]

My System specs ...

I have Snow running on VirtualBox 3.2.10 and I have a few problems, trying to figure out.

All the problems you had asked about have been described in great detail and provided with solutions in this forum thread: http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=207334 . Sure, it's huge, but there are a lot of wisdom inside so it's worth reading.

 

The 'About' when I click the screen goes blank for a few seconds then the desktop pops back.

About box would not work correctly unless your system has got EFI firmware available (I've heard that it might be possible to patch DSDT somehow to make it work without EFI but I hadn't tried to figure out what exactly should be added to DSDT as using EFI under VirtualBOX is much easier). Links to the good guide on how to make Mac OS X work with VirtualBOX EFI are available in the sign of the forum user takwing - he was one of the most active users on the forum thread I had mentioned before and his guides are based on the information available there.

 

Next I'm trying to get my resolution from 1024x768 to 1366x768 if possible...

How to change the resolution depends on the type of firmware your VM uses.

If you have EFI active then you should use VirtualBOX EFI Gop mode selection as described in VirtualBOX docs (http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch03.html#efividmode).

In case you use BIOS firmware you should instruct your bootloader to change the video mode for you. Most probably your bootloader is Chameleon and you may set the videomode it should use in the com.apple.Boot.plist (either in /Extra or in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration; keep in mind that in case you've got com.apple.Boot.plist in /Extra it takes precedence) in the "Graphics Mode" subsection. Apart standard VESA video modes you might want to add some other to fit your requirements (1366x768x32 in this case). Details about how to do it are available here: http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch09.html#id485343 .

 

<key>Graphics Mode</key>

<string>1366x768x32</string>

This syntax is the correct one.

 

3. Then I tried the two changes again, this time editing the .xml file on the host as such;

Newer ever edit VM xml file on the host, it might just don't work. All changes should be done using VBoxManage command line utility (or GUI where applicable).

 

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" "Graphics Mode"="1366x768x32" />

This is totally wrong. VirtualBOX configuration has nothing to do with guest bootloader configuration parameter "Graphics Mode". Moreover, you had violated the XML syntax here which can lead to unexpected and undesired behavior of VirtualBOX GUI.

 

This is how the xml file top looks like with;

<ExtraDataItem name="CustomVideoMode1" "value"="1366x768x32" />

Violation of the XML syntax again. Parameter name "value" should not be enclosed in quotes.

[Pigpoo]

Actually, I have the same problem with the "About" and the resolution, despite having a different build.

My build:

Intel i7 920

Intel DX58SO

nVidia 8600GT 1GB

Snow Leopard 10.6.5 Official + myHack

 

I believe this is an issue with the VirtualBox video drivers and OSX, not with the way you're configuring.

If there is a Kext for VB, then it could possibly work, or even the Host graphics drivers. It's worth a try downloading the drivers for your Host's graphics card and see what happens.