190.42 Nvidia driver Ubuntu Virtualbox

I have Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala installed under virtualbox with 3d acceleration enabled. I wanted to update my graphics card driver to the newest 190.42. This is my first time updating drivers on Ubuntu so I am still quite a noob at it. I first downloaded it from the Nvidia website but didn't know what to do with the .run file. Then I tried using the drivers from Synaptic. Those installed, but now it says it is running in low graphics mode. I finally found out how to install the .run file but it says my card isn't supportted even though it says it is on the Nvidia website. Does Virtualbox not identify the card correctlly or something? My specs are in my sig.

I don't see my signature. Is that normal? I just added it. lol I hope you can. My specs are in my profile if you can't see my sig.

 

When you're running an OS within a Virtual Machine, like with VirtualBox, you typically don't get access to the underlying hardware. So you wouldn't install the nVidia drivers in an Ubuntu VM under VirtualBox, (or under any other virtual server technology like VMWare either).

What you need to do is follow these instructions, and after you enabled the 3d acceleration under VirtualBox, you need to make sure you've loaded the special VirtualBox graphics driver, which is distributed with the VirtualBox Guest Additions. You can read the instructions online here as well.

Good Luck..

 

Thanks, but how do I make it use the virtualbox driver now? I installed that previously, enabled 3d acceleration in virtualbox but it's still trying to load the Nvidia driver and is still in low graphics mode. I went into Synaptic and removed everything with a Nvidia driver number such as 192 or 173.

 

Here is the section in the VirtualBox manual that describes how to install the Guest Additions in Linux, running in a VirtualBox VM. Here is another howto that specifically describes how to do this for an Ubuntu VirtualBox VM. You need to install the Guest Additions because the VirtualBox 3D driver is part of the Guest Additions. I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say that "it's still trying to load the Nvidia driver", (your Ubuntu VM shouldn't even be able to load the nvidia drivers at all), but make sure you have the Guest Additions installed and it should install the correct video driver from there.

Good Luck..

 

I've done all that,, installing guest additions and enabling 3d acceleration.

It says, "Ubuntu is running in low-graphics mode.
The following error was encountered.
You may need to update your configuration to solve this.
(EE) Failed to load module "Nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) No drivers available."

When I press ok it gives me options to start in low graphics mode, reconfigure graphics, troubleshoot the error, or return to console login. Choosing troubleshoot the error gives me review the xserver log file, review the startup errors, edit configuration file, and archive configuration and logs. My configuration file says the video card is something like virtualbox graphics card but the driver still says Nvidia. I can get to Gnome; is there something I can edit manually to fix this?

 

When you installed the nVidia drivers in the system part of the installation process edited your X Server configuration file, /etc/xorg.conf, to configure your system to load the nvidia x server driver. Just deleting the nVidia drivers from your system did not change your xorg.conf file back to the correct configuration. Your xorg.conf file should look something like the following, (from this Howto);

Code:

#VirtualBox Linux Guest xorg.conf

Section "Device"
   Identifier   "Configured Video Device"
   Driver      "vboxvideo"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
   Identifier   "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
   Identifier   "Default Screen"
   Monitor      "Configured Monitor"
   Device      "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "vboxmouse"
        Driver          "vboxmouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
        Option          "Device"        "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier      "Default Layout"
        Screen          "Default Screen"        0 0
        InputDevice     "vboxmouse"
EndSection

If you want to manually edit the file, (you need to do so with superuser or root access so you can save the changes), you could do so. I believe that the change for adding the VMGL (3D Acceleration support) is by adding a Modules section and loading the vmglext module. Such as;

Code:

#VirtualBox Linux Guest xorg.conf with 3D Acceleration Support

Section "Module"
    Load "vmglext"
EndSection

Section "Device"
   Identifier   "Configured Video Device"
   Driver      "vboxvideo"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
   Identifier   "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
   Identifier   "Default Screen"
   Monitor      "Configured Monitor"
   Device      "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "vboxmouse"
        Driver          "vboxmouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
        Option          "Device"        "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier      "Default Layout"
        Screen          "Default Screen"        0 0
        InputDevice     "vboxmouse"
EndSection

BTW, the Guest Additions installation process should also configure your xorg.conf file correctly. So if you did something like after you installed your VM and the Guest Addtions, you then installed, and then removed the nVidia drivers. I would reinstall the Guest Additions, before manually editing the xorg.conf file and see if it corrects the xorg.conf file.

Unfortunately don't be surprised if this doesn't cleanly add 3D Acceleration support to your Linux Guest VM. Apparently it's pretty convoluted as this article, and this article, describes, so unless you want to dig into it at that level, you may be disappointed. This may change in the future, but so far folks who need 3D Acceleration are forced into booting their computer with their OSes natively, with accelerated video drivers.

Good Luck..

 

Just making sure you understand this, you cant install video drivers in Virtual box. Virtual Box has its own set of drivers for all of your hardware. You can add the guest additions by clicking on devices at the top and install guest additions. By doing that you will be able to have a better screen resolution and move the mouse between the the 2 oses. If you actually tried to install video drivers inside virtual box you probably affected something and I would just delete the OS and start over.

 

Thanks Jas! Those edits fixed it. I was afraid I would have to reinstall Ubuntu as joeelmex said; I didn't have much on there, but I still preferred not to. This is all one big "Now I know."

P.S. Sorry for taking so long to reply; I've been enjoying the computer so much I haven't checked the forums nearly as often.