EasyOS on Virtualbox: unable to enter desktop

[Thanos]

I can run EasyOS on Virtualbox, but I can't enter the desktop directly.

VirtualBox_linux_test_31_05_2023_23_34_51.png (22.61 KiB) Viewed 3626 times

[N_da]

Hi, got the same problem here.
I like to have nice vm on my synology cause i could use it from work.
Most of the distro work out of the box but in EASYos vmwgfx driver seems not installed in the kernel.
I'm looking for a way to insert theses drivers to EASY because of limitation of default vga driver.
If someone could point me to any type of answers.
Have a nice day all of you and thanks to Barry and contributors.

PS: i know that easyos is not for VM but it's the distro's spirit i like the most.

[Thanos]

Almost all linux have the driver for vm but easyos, that is strange.

[BarryK]

Just about to compile the kernel, will enable vmwgfx

[N_da]

Thanks a lot for your Time and efforts!

[N_da]

Hi, installed the 5.3.2 on my synology VM, everything working fast and could change resolution with vmwgfx activated in kernel.
Thanks a lot Barry.

[BarryK]

N_da,
That's great!
Also, Xorg in 5.3.2 has 'xf86-video-vmware'

Does it do that timeout when "Waiting for kernel video drivers to load"?

[N_da]

the boot make a small stop at ''loading kernel modules'' then it's straight to the desktop. No more countdown, all resolutions are avaible.

[Thanos]

Which vm are you using? vmware?
Easyos 5.3.2 can't enter dwm desktop on virtualbox.

[Thanos]

532.png (9.14 KiB) Viewed 3419 times

easyos 5.3.2 on virtualbox 6.1.36

[BarryK]

Thanos,
dwm? Do you mean jwm?

[N_da]

i think a modded QEMU is used by synology to run vms.

[Thanos]

Thanos,
dwm? Do you mean jwm?

@BarryK

I use your easyos img on virtualbox.

Maybe it is wrong spellings.

[Thanos]

@N_da
Which vm are you using to test the img? vmware?

[BarryK]

Alfons has sent me an email reporting success with virtualbox. Quoting:

Barry,
I rarely use VM Virtual Box and when I do, it's to play with it a bit, because my device is too weak for that. The last time I tried it was when EasyOS 4.3.4 was released. There I got stuck in the startup after the messages "Recognising media devices .... optical input".

My test with EasyOS 5.3.2 was now successful, worked flawlessly!

He also posted a photo of the desktop to show success.

[Thanos]

Alfons has sent me an email reporting success with virtualbox. Quoting:

Barry,
I rarely use VM Virtual Box and when I do, it's to play with it a bit, because my device is too weak for that. The last time I tried it was when EasyOS 4.3.4 was released. There I got stuck in the startup after the messages "Recognising media devices .... optical input".

My test with EasyOS 5.3.2 was now successful, worked flawlessly!

He also posted a photo of the desktop to show success.

Can he tell us the version of his virtualbox and his config? I use virtualbox 6.1.36 on linux and virtualbox 7.08 on Windows. I can NOT see the success.

[N_da]

@Thanos
Hi, i'm running 5.3.2 img in my SYNOLOGY NAS. The NAS OS is linux based. It runs a kind of modded QEMU vm manager with some options ( video card set to vmvga, HDD to SATA, legacy bios) and everything is working. I've tried setting video card emulation to vga and it's working too till 5.3.2.

[BarryK]

Alfons has sent an email with further tests. Quoting:

Barry,
Hmmm, due to the reported problems in the forum just did a reinstall for another test with VirtualBox 7.0.8 and there happens with EasyOS 5.3.2 the same as in test 1 with EasyOS 4.3.4

Test 1 from 06.06.2023 - by post to Barry
Win 7 ultimate
VirtualBox-5.2.44 r139111 (VirtualBox 5.2.x is no longer supported - https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Download_Old_Builds_5_2 )
Tahrpup 6.0 success
EasyOS 4.3.4 stuck in the startup after the messages "Recognising media devices .... optical input"
EasyOS 5.3.2 success

Test 2 from 08.06.2023
win 11 pro
VirtualBox-7.0.8
Tahrpup 6.0 success
EasyOS 5.3.2 test stuck in the startup after the messages "Recognising media devices .... optical input"

In his case, I see where it is freezing, when /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit calls rc.country.

Anyway, he has success with Win7 and an older virtualbox.

[BarryK]

Another test by Alfons:

Barry,
have now turned off the 3D Acceleration and then works EasyOS 5.3.2

Test 2 from 08.06.2023
win 11 pro
VirtualBox 7.0.8
Tahrpup 6.0 success
EasyOS 5.3.2 success

[Thanos]

Screenshot from 2023-06-08 22-42-59.png (30.6 KiB) Viewed 3191 times

This is my test. EasyOS 5.3.2 on QEMU 8.02.

I download it from www.qemu.org, compile and install it.

I use the commandline:

qemu-system-x86_64 -boot d -m 2048 -accel kvm -hda ~/easyos532.img

[BarryK]

Running EasyOS 5.3.2, I did this:

Installed qemu 6.2.0 via PKGget. Then:

Code: Select all

# cp easy-5.3.2-amd64.img vm.img
# truncate -s 8G vm.img
# qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4G -drive format=raw,file=vm.img,media=disk,index=0 -enable-kvm -vga vmware

I get a desktop. In QuickSetup, chose "1024x768" from the video resolution drop-down list.
Then menu Shutdown -> rectify -> Restart X server

Have ethernet but no wifi. No sound.

[BarryK]

Sound is now working.

Running EasyOS 5.3.2, if you have installed qemu via PKGget, uninstall it.
In PKGget, click Configure button and then Update button. Only need to update Packages-oe-kirkstone-official repository.
Then install qemu -- this is the -r4 revision.

I realised that qemu was compiled in OE for alsa only, so have recompiled with pulseaudio support.

With the new qemu -r4 package installed, run this:

Code: Select all

# qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4G -drive format=raw,file=vm.img,media=disk,index=0 -enable-kvm -vga vmware  -audiodev pa,id=pa,server=/tmp/pulse-socket -device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=pa -name "EasyOS 5.3.2"

...however, this is only if your computer has intel-hda audio. If you run this, shows choices:

Code: Select all

# # qemu-system-x86_64 -device help
....
Sound devices:
name "AC97", bus PCI, alias "ac97", desc "Intel 82801AA AC97 Audio"
name "adlib", bus ISA, desc "Yamaha YM3812 (OPL2)"
name "cs4231a", bus ISA, desc "Crystal Semiconductor CS4231A"
name "ES1370", bus PCI, alias "es1370", desc "ENSONIQ AudioPCI ES1370"
name "gus", bus ISA, desc "Gravis Ultrasound GF1"
name "hda-duplex", bus HDA, desc "HDA Audio Codec, duplex (line-out, line-in)"
name "hda-micro", bus HDA, desc "HDA Audio Codec, duplex (speaker, microphone)"
name "hda-output", bus HDA, desc "HDA Audio Codec, output-only (line-out)"
name "ich9-intel-hda", bus PCI, desc "Intel HD Audio Controller (ich9)"
name "intel-hda", bus PCI, desc "Intel HD Audio Controller (ich6)"
name "sb16", bus ISA, desc "Creative Sound Blaster 16"
name "usb-audio", bus usb-bus
....

If you want to do this on a different Linux distribution, the path to the pulseaudio socket will be different. For Easy, the above commandline has "server=/tmp/pulse-socket"

[BarryK]

Ethernet network now working.

I was puzzled, as the network icon in the tray shows no internet, and "ping google.com" does not work. But then I read this:

https://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/Networking

Note - if you are using the (default) SLiRP user networking, then ping (ICMP) will not work, though TCP and UDP will. Don't try to use ping to test your QEMU network configuration!

...oooh!

Started up the browser, and internet works. Either of these does the job:

Code: Select all

# qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4G -drive format=raw,file=vm.img,media=disk,index=0 -enable-kvm -vga vmware  -audiodev pa,id=pa,server=/tmp/pulse-socket -device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=pa -name "EasyOS 5.3.2" -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci,mac=A4:AE:11:16:23:62

or:

Code: Select all

# qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4G -drive format=raw,file=vm.img,media=disk,index=0 -enable-kvm -vga vmware  -audiodev pa,id=pa,server=/tmp/pulse-socket -device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=pa -name "EasyOS 5.3.2" -netdev user,id=internet -device virtio-net-pci,mac=A4:AE:11:16:23:62,netdev=internet

...you need to know the mac-address of your ethernet card. Run "ifconfig" in a terminal, and it is shown as the HWaddress.

[BarryK]

We can run any iso....

I downloaded radky's bookworm pup64 from here:

viewtopic.php?t=8690

Moved it to the same place I already have 'vm.img', then ran this:

Code: Select all

# qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4G -boot d -drive file=BookwormPup64_beta2.iso,media=cdrom,readonly=on  -drive format=raw,file=vm.img,media=disk -enable-kvm -vga vmware  -audiodev pa,id=pa,server=/tmp/pulse-socket -device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=pa -name "EasyOS 5.3.2" -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci,mac=A4:AE:11:16:23:62

Works great! Internet works. Video is only vesa. vm.img provides sda1 and sda2, saved to a folder in sda2.

EDIT:
Er, no, just realized, the tray is missing. It is supposed to be along the bottom of the screen.
Huh? -- just went back to it, and the tray has appeared. Hmmm.
Oh, I see -- have to move the pointer down to bottom and screen moves up and the tray comes into view.

[BarryK]

I see why Bookworm Pup64 only supports vesa in qemu. Here are the drivers in /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers:

Code: Select all

amdgpu_drv.so
ati_drv.so
fbdev_drv.so
intel_drv.so
modesetting_drv.so
nouveau_drv.so
qxl_drv.so
radeon_drv.so
vesa-drv.so

Easy is committed to supporting old video hardware and has a lot more drivers:

Code: Select all

amdgpu_drv.so
apm_drv.so
ark_drv.so
ast_drv.so
ati_drv.so
chips_drv.so
cirrus_alpine.so
cirrus_drv.so
cirrus_laguna.so
fbdev_drv.so
i128_drv.so
i740_drv.so
intel_drv.so
mach64_drv.so
mga_drv.so
modesetting_drv.so
neomagic_drv.so
nouveau_drv.so
nv_drv.so
r128_drv.so
radeon_drv.so
rendition_drv.so
s3virge_drv.so
tdfx_drv.so
trident_drv.so
vesa_drv.so
vmware_drv.so

Some of those old video cards are disappearing forever. Anyway, it will be good if Bookworm pup could add 'vmware_drv.so' -- I'll mention it on that forum thread.

[Thanos]

Running EasyOS 5.3.2, I did this:

Installed qemu 6.2.0 via PKGget. Then:

Code: Select all

# cp easy-5.3.2-amd64.img vm.img
# truncate -s 8G vm.img
# qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4G -drive format=raw,file=vm.img,media=disk,index=0 -enable-kvm -vga vmware

I get a desktop. In QuickSetup, chose "1024x768" from the video resolution drop-down list.
Then menu Shutdown -> rectify -> Restart X server

Have ethernet but no wifi. No sound.

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3.png (194.39 KiB) Viewed 3246 times

@BarryK

OK, I get the desktop. But I noticed: I must add the switch "-vga vmware" in the commandline. If not, easyos 5.3.2 can't enter desktop yet.

[BarryK]

OK, I get the desktop. But I noticed: I must add the switch "-vga vmware" in the commandline. If not, easyos 5.3.2 can't enter desktop yet.

Yes, as I posted above. Xorg has good support for vmware. See my complete example code, to add sound and network support.

In your second snapshot, need to restart X to fix the icons and wallpaper.

[Thanos]

I test it on Virtualbox today.

Code: Select all

VBoxManage modifyvm linux_test --memory 4096 --graphicscontroller vmsvga

It is ok but I must add the switch "--graphicscontroller vmsvga"

Other linux needn't this. Maybe easyos need some driver for virtualbox.

[Thanos]

See my complete example code, to add sound and network support.

You code about sound and network dosen't work on my qemu.

[BarryK]

See my complete example code, to add sound and network support.

You code about sound and network dosen't work on my qemu.

Code: Select all

-device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=pa -name "EasyOS 5.3.2" -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci,mac=A4:AE:11:16:23:62

You will need to change it for different hardware.

Setting up qemu for wifi seems complicated. The above is for ethernet. You will need to change the mac-address. Run "ifconfig" in a terminal and get the HWaddress, which is the mac-address.

For audio, my example works if you have intel hda audio, which perhaps is the majority of intel-based pc's.
Run this in a terminal:

Code: Select all

# qemu-system-x86_64 -device help

...scroll up to find the supported sound devices. A very limited number of choices.

Arch Linux has a man page, but note it is for qemu 8.0.2, whereas Easy has 6.2.0 (with a gazzilion patches):

https://man.archlinux.org/man/qemu.1.en