Arch Linux

jcapinc

Member

Registered: 2012-03-30

Posts: 1

Arch Linux - Virtualbox - 3D Acceleration

Hey all,

I have tried installing arch linux on a virtual machine, my intent is to make sure that I can actually do it before taking it to the real thing and wiping my computers which need new OS's for Arch Linux.  I have had limited success.

I get as far as installing Gnome-shell, and getting that up and running, but it is glitchy, and it clearly does not have proper 3D acceleration, and no  amount of Googling yields a silver bullet on this matter.  I have stopped working on it in frustration.

Here is all the relevent info I can  think of:
I installed the drivers for virtualbox video (the display automatically resizes when I resize  the VM window), I have enabled 3D acceleration for this machine on the Virtualbox side, the gnome-shell activates (not the gnome fallback), which seems to tell me I have the propper drivers installed, but the windows stop refreshing a few seconds in, and I have to do things like mouse-over the activities menu to get the UI to refresh.  When I start the VM I log in through the terminal as root, then launch GDM and log in as a personal user.

I am sure I could give more information, I am not sure what will help, so rather than spam this forum with the output of every informative command i could think of, I would love ot hear what I can post to help you help me.

Thank you in advance.

niqingliang2003

Member

Registered: 2010-06-23

Posts: 25

Re: Arch Linux - Virtualbox - 3D Acceleration

I don't think you need test 3D in VM. even you success, but the difference of experience between VM and host is too big.
in other words, the 3D in VM make no any sense about that on the host.

the most important part about 3D is the driver of your GPU.

McDoenerKing

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2010-06-21

Posts: 59

Re: Arch Linux - Virtualbox - 3D Acceleration

Which graphics card + driver do you use?
Have you installed the Guest Additions in your archlinux vm?
Also as far as I remember is the 3D support for guest linux in virtualbox very minimal. I remember, that my guest archlinux in my host archlinux had abysmal 3D Performance. While my host archlinux can play steam games and other 3D games just fine. So nothing to worry about really.