These instructions are for Ubuntu 13.04 using the Unity Desktop, running under VirtualBox 4.2.12.

They may be the same or similar for other version combinations, but I make no guarantee.

Sometimes, after installing updates, the VirtualBox Guest Additions stop working.

To get them working again, it is necessary to reinstall them.

1) Open the Dash by tapping on the Windows / Super key:

2) Type vboxadditions into the Dash query field:

3) Press Enter to open the VirtualBox Guest Additions Folder:

4) Click the Run Software button:

5) Click on Run:

6) Enter your password and click on Authenticate:

This will then uninstall and then reinstall the VirtualBox Guest Additions.

After rebooting your machine, everything should be working correctly again.

The post Ubuntu 13.04 – VirtualBox Guest Additions Stop Working After Update appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for removing VirtualBox Guest Additions from Ubuntu 13.04 running under VirtualBox version 4.2.12.

They may be the same or similar for other version combinations and other Linux distros, but no guarantee is made.

Assumes you know how to open a terminal. Instructions for opening a terminal can be found here.

Uninstalling VirtualBox Guest Additions

1) Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and enter the following commands:

cd /media
cd <username>
cd VBOXADDITIONS_4.2.2_81494
sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions.run uninstall

After entering your password, the VirtualBox Guest Additions will be uninstalled:

Ejecting the VirtualBox Guest Additions CD

Having uninstalled the VirtualBox Guest Additions, there is not much point in keeping the Guest Additions media installed.

1) Click on the Files icon on the Unity Launcher:

2) Click on the Eject icon next to the Guest Additions:

The post Ubuntu 13.04 – How to Uninstall VirtualBox Guest Additions appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for Ubuntu 13.04 running under VirtualBox 4.2.12 on Windows 7 with SP1.

They should be the same or similar for other version combinations, but I make no guarantee.

These instructions are the same or very similar for many other Linux distros, however, the VirtualBox Guest Additions don’t work with all distros of Linux. As well, for some Linux distros, the installation does not happen automatically – you have to manually start it.

Why Install VirtualBox Guest Additions?

Installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions better integrates Ubuntu Linux with your system and gives you the following benefits (and more):

1. better video support – more resolutions, hardware acceleration, etc. This is important with Ubuntu because the Unity desktop expects to be running on 3D hardware accelerated graphics card. If it does not find 3D hardware acceleration, it emulates it using LLVM Pipe and performance is definitely on the sluggish side.
2. better mouse pointer integration
3. shared folders – useful for sharing data between OSes
4. seamless windows (instead of having an Ubuntu desktop and a Windows desktop, the two can be combined together. While neat, it is not quite perfect – though, I it is cool to see Linux and Windows applications running side-by-side on your Windows desktop)
5. shared clipboard

1) Click on on the Devices menu and then select Install Guest Additions…:

2) Click Run on the information dialog:

3) Enter your password and then click on Authenticate:

4) A terminal will pop up and begin the process of compiling and installing the Guest Additions – how long this process takes depends on how fast your machine is, but it is at least several minutes:

5) Go to the System Tools icon in the top right corner and select Shut Down:

6) Choose to either Shut Down or Restart the system (it doesn’t matter which):

The next time the virtual machine starts, the guest additions will be installed and integrated.

When Install Guest Additions… Doesn’t Autorun

Sometimes, Ubuntu doesn’t automatically start the install process after after Guest Additions have been added. One of these three techniques will allow you to manually start the installation process:

Method 1

1) Click on the VBOXADDITIONS disk near the bottom of the Unity Launcher – it’s just above the trash can:

2) Click on Run Software and then continue from Step 2) above:

Method 2

1) Click on the Files icon on the Unity Launcher:

2) Click on the VBOXADDITIONS… entry under Devices:

3) Click on Run Software and then continue from Step 2) above:

Method 3

1) Open a terminal and enter the following commands:

cd /media
cd VBOXADDITIONS_4.2.12_84980
sudo sh VboxLinuxAdditions.run

It will then go through the process of compiling and installing the Guest Additions:

The post Ubuntu 13.04 – How to Install VirtualBox Guest Additions appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for removing VirtualBox Guest Additions from Ubuntu 12.10 running under VirtualBox version 4.2.2.

They may be the same or similar for other version combinations and other Linux distros, but no guarantee is made.

Assumes you know how to open a terminal. Instructions for opening a terminal can be found here.

Uninstalling VirtualBox Guest Additions

1) Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and enter the following commands:

cd /media
cd <username>
cd VBOXADDITIONS_4.2.2_81494
sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions.run uninstall

After entering your password, the VirtualBox Guest Additions will be uninstalled:

Ejecting the VirtualBox Guest Additions CD

Having uninstalled the VirtualBox Guest Additions, there is not much point in keeping the Guest Additions media installed.

2) Click on the Home Folder icon on the Unity Launcher:

3) Click on the Eject icon next to the Guest Additions:

The post Ubuntu 12.10 – How to Uninstall VirtualBox Guest Additions appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

This applies to Ubuntu 12.10 running under VirtualBox version 4.1.22 (or earlier), 4.2.0, 4.2.2, and 4.2.4 under Windows 7 with Service Pack 1.

The issue and solution is likely the same for all versions of VirtualBox 4.1.22 and 4.2.x, regardless of which OS they are running on.

Unfortunately, the problem with VirtualBox 4.2.2, and 4.2.4 has no solution at the moment.

The Problem

When you install VirtualBox Guest Additions under Ubuntu 12.10, you find that the video drivers don’t work properly: you get no 3D hardware acceleration and the display resolution is fixed at 1024×768 (or 800×600).

If you are observant, when you install the VirtualBox Guest editions you will notice the notification:

The Cause

This warning occurs because Ubuntu 12.10 and many other Linux distros now use X Server version 1.13.* (or later). Unfortunately, VirtualBox version 4.1.22 (or earlier) only recognizes version 1.12.* or earlier.

The Solution

Upgrade to the latest version of VirtualBox (at least version 4.2 or later).

However, this will not enable 3D hardware acceleration – so Unity will be sluggish and slow. This is a problem with the VirtualBox drivers – it does not fully support X Server 1.13 (it supports it enough to allow running, but not 3D hardware acceleration).

See this discussion thread over at VirtualBox.

There is also a bug report filed here.

The post Ubuntu 12.10 – VirtualBox Guest Additions not Working appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04, with the Unity interface, running under VirtualBox 4.1.12_77218. They should be the same or similar for other version combinations, but no guarantee is made.

Sometimes, when Ubuntu updates are applied to your system, the VirtualBox Guest Additions stop working. Symptoms may include: (1) screen resolution reverts back to the default setting, (2) shared folders no longer work.

Trying to fix it by selecting Install Guest Additions… does nothing (and it won’t because Guest Additions are already installed).

The fix is to rerun the Guest Additions installation program. There are three ways to do this.

Method 1

1) Locate the VBOXADDITIONS disk icon (it is probably the only disk icon) located near the bottom of the Launcher (it is most likely just above the trash can icon) . Click on the disk icon:

2) Click on Open Autorun Prompt:

This will uninstall the Guest Additions and then reinstall them. The rest of the procedure is exactly the same as for installing VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Method 2

1) Open Dash by tapping the Super key (usually, this will be the Windows key on your machine). Alternately, you can click on the Dash icon at the top of the Launcher.

2) Type vbox into the dash query field. This will bring up the VBOXGUESTADDITION… folder:

3) Press the Enter key. This will open the VBOXGUESTADDITIONS… folder. Alternately, you can select the folder by either using your mouse or navigating to it using the arrow keys:

4) Double-click the VBOXADDITIONS icon:

5) Click on Open Autorun Prompt:

This will uninstall the Guest Additions and then reinstall them. The rest of the procedure is exactly the same as for installing VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Method 3

1) Click the Folder icon on the launcher:

2) Click on File System, then double-click on the media folder:

3) Double-click the VBOXADDITIONS icon:

4) Click on Open Autorun Prompt:

This will uninstall the Guest Additions and then reinstall them. The rest of the procedure is exactly the same as for installing VirtualBox Guest Additions.

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – Virtualbox Guest Additions Stop Working after Update appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running under VirtualBox 4.1.12 on Windows 7 with SP1.

They should be the same or similar for other version combinations, but I make no guarantee.

These instructions are the same or very similar for many other distros of Linux, however, the VirtualBox Guest Additions don’t work with all distros of Linux. For some Linux distros the installation does not happen automatically, you have to manually start it.

Why Install VirtualBox Guest Additions?

Installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions better integrates Ubuntu Linux with your system and gives you the following benefits (and more):

1. better mouse pointer integration
2. shared folders – useful for sharing data between OSes
3. better video support – more resolutions, hardware acceleration, etc
4. seamless windows (instead of having an Ubuntu desktop and a Windows desktop, the two can be combined together. While neat, it is not quite perfect. Although, I don’t deny it is cool to see Linux and Windows applications running side-by-side on your Windows desktop)
5. shared clipboard

1) Click on on the Devices menu and then select Install Guest Additions…:

2) Click Run on the information dialog:

3) Enter your password and then click on Authenticate:

4) A terminal will pop up and begin the process of compiling and installing the Guest Additions – this takes several minutes (how long depends on how fast your machine is):

6) Go to the System Tools icon in the top right corner and select Shut Down:

7) Choose to either Shut Down or Restart the system (it doesn’t matter which):

The next time the virtual machine starts, the guest additions will be installed and integrated.

When Install Guest Additions… Doesn’t Autorun

Sometimes, Ubuntu doesn’t automatically start the install process after after Guest Additions have been added. One of these three techniques will allow you to manually start the installation process:

Method 1

1) Click on the VBOXADDITIONS disk near the bottom of the Unity Launcher – it’s just above the trash can:

2) Click on Open Autorun Prompt and then continue from Step 2) above:

Method 2

1) Click on the Home Folder icon on the Unity Launcher:

2) Click on File System, then double-click on the media folder:

3) Double-click the VBOXADDITIONS icon:

4) Click on Open Autorun Prompt and then continue from Step 2) above:

Method 3

1) Open a terminal and enter the following commands:

cd /media
cd VBOXADDITIONS_4.1.12_77218
sudo sh VboxLinuxAdditions.run

It will then go through the process of compiling and installing the Guest Additions:

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for removing VirtualBox Guest Additions from Ubuntu 12.04 running under VirtualBox version 4.1.12.

They may be the same or similar for other version combinations and other Linux distros, but no guarantee is made.

Assumes you know how to open a terminal. Instructions for opening a terminal can be found here.

Uninstalling VirtualBox Guest Additions

1) Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and enter the following commands:

cd /media
cd VBOXADDITIONS_4.1.12_77218
sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions.run uninstall

After entering your password, the VirtualBox Guest Additions will be uninstalled:

Ejecting the VirtualBox Guest Additions CD

Having uninstalled the VirtualBox Guest Additions, there is not much point in keeping the Guest Additions media installed.

2) Click on the Home Folder icon on the Unity Launcher:

3) Click on the Eject icon next to the Guest Additions:

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Uninstall VirtualBox Guest Additions appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for removing VirtualBox Guest Additions from Ubuntu 11.10 running under VirtualBox version 4.1.12.

They may be the same or similar for other version combinations and other Linux distros, but no guarantee is made.

Assumes you know how to open a terminal. Instructions for opening a terminal can be found here.

Uninstalling VirtualBox Guest Additions

1) Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and enter the following commands:

cd /media
cd VBOXADDITIONS_4.1.12_77218
sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions.run uninstall

After entering your password (Linux does not echo back your password, so you get no feedback when entering it – you just type and it looks like nothing is happening), the VirtualBox Guest Additions will be uninstalled:

Ejecting the VirtualBox Guest Additions CD

Having uninstalled the VirtualBox Guest Additions, there is not much point in keeping the Guest Additions media installed.

2) Click on the Home Folder icon on the Unity Launcher:

3) Click on the Eject icon next to the Guest Additions:

The post Ubuntu 11.10 – How to Uninstall VirtualBox Guest Additions appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for Ubuntu 11.10, with the Unity interface, running under VirtualBox 4.1.8. They should be the same or similar for other version combinations, but no guarantee is made.

Sometimes, when Ubuntu updates are applied to your system, the VirtualBox Guest Additions stop working. Symptoms may include: (1) screen resolution reverts back to the default setting, (2) shared folders no longer work.

Trying to fix it by selecting Install Guest Additions… does nothing (and it won’t because Guest Additions are already installed).

The fix is to rerun the Guest Additions installation program. There are two ways to do this.

Method 1

1) Locate the VBOXADDITIONS disk icon (it is probably the only disk icon) located near the bottom of the Unity ribbon (it is most likely just above the trash can icon) . Click on the disk icon:

2) Click on Open Autorun Prompt:

This will uninstall the Guest Additions and then reinstall them. The rest of the procedure is exactly the same as for installing VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Method 2

1) Click the Folder icon on the Unity ribbon:

2) Click on File System, then double-click on the media folder:

3) Double-click the VBOXADDITIONS icon:

4) Click on Open Autorun Prompt:

This will uninstall the Guest Additions and then reinstall them. The rest of the procedure is exactly the same as for installing VirtualBox Guest Additions.

The post Ubuntu 11.10 – Virtualbox Guest Additions Stop Working After Update appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

These instructions are for Ubuntu 11.10 running under VirtualBox 4.1.8r75467 on Windows 7 with SP1.

They should be the same or similar for other version combinations, but I make no guarantee.

These instructions are the same or very similar for many other distros of Linux, however, the VirtualBox Guest Additions don’t work with all distros of Linux. For some Linux distros the installation does not happen automatically, you have to manually start it.

Why Install VirtualBox Guest Additions?

Installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions better integrates Ubuntu Linux with your system and gives you the following benefits (and more):

1. better mouse pointer integration
2. shared folders – useful for sharing data between OSes
3. better video support – more resolutions, hardware acceleration, etc
4. seamless windows (instead of having an Ubuntu desktop and a Windows desktop, the two can be combined together. While neat, it is not quite perfect. I don’t deny it is cool to see a Linux and Windows apps running side-by-side on your Windows desktop)
5. shared clipboard

1) Click on on the Devices menu and then select Install Guest Additions…. If you are running Ubuntu in full screen mode, move your mouse to the very bottom of the screen in the middle – this will pop up the same menu options. Alternatively, you can just hold the right Ctrl key down and press the D key (the default Host key is the right Ctrl key):

2) Click Run on the information dialog:

3) Enter your password and then click on Authenticate:

4) A terminal will pop up and inside will be a message about not being able to find the headers. Don’t worry about it:

5) The guest additions will be compiled. This takes several minutes (how long depends on how fast your machine is, how much memory the virtual machine has, etc). Once it is done, you will see a message instructing you to press Enter to close the terminal:

6) Go to the System Tools icon in the top right corner and select Shut Down:

7) Choose to either Shut Down or Restart the system (it doesn’t matter which):

Once the virtual machine restarts, the guest additions will be installed and integrated.

When Install Guest Additions… Doesn’t Work

On rare occasions, I have found that Ubuntu doesn’t start the install process after step 1) above. One of these two techniques should allow you to get around that.

Trick 1

1) Click on the disk near the bottom of the Unity ribbon – it’s just above the trash can:

2) Click on Open Autorun Prompt and then continue from step 2) above:

Trick 2

1) Click on the Folder icon:

2) Click on File System, then double-click on the media folder:

3) Double-click the VBOXADDITIONS icon:

4) Click on Open Autorun Prompt and then continue from step 2) above:

The post Ubuntu 11.10 – Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.