Playing around with Linux Mint & Virtualbox.

Discussion in 'Tech' started by Goofus Maximus, Feb 12, 2016.

  1. Goofus Maximus

    Goofus Maximus Too old to be this dumb!

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    Mint.jpg

    I am posting this from Firefox in Linux Mint, running in VirtualBox in Windows 10, using settings synced with the settings of Firefox in Windows 10. It's all nicely incestuously intertwined. Installing Linux in VirtualBox has again reminded me why I hate Linux more than I like it! Linux Mint seems to play nicest with the latest virtualbox, but even it was a pain to get functioning properly with all the extensions and add-ons. But after an hour of headbanging and trolling the inter... ahem!... researching forums on my issues... I finally have it running with a shared folder to windows, and a shared clipboard with windows, as well as limited hardware accelerated graphics and USB 2/3 support.

    I started on this quest, so I could try out the Linux only video editors, to see how they stack up. I can already tell that I'm not going to get along with my first attempt, which is the multi-window-mess known as Cinelerra. Next I'll be trying KDEnlive and PiTiVi, though this last one sounds like it's still a work in progress. I'll also see about Openshot.

    The nice thing about using Virtualbox, is how easy it is to blow away an entire installation, when things totally don't work out. (You hear me, Kubuntu!?!?!?) I am learning to HATE the word "sudo"... Setting up VirtualBox can be a bit trying as well, installing the extensions in virtualbox, as well as the virtualbox addons within Linux itself. Till you get it just right, making that shared folder will DRIVE YOU UP THE FREAKING WALL!!!!!!! GWARGH!!!!!!!!!!!

    Edit: I am in Dependency Hell... Sigh.

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    Last edited: Feb 12, 2016
  2. Goofus Maximus

    Goofus Maximus Too old to be this dumb!

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    Silly me. I blew away the previous install, and started anew, with more of a clue of what I am doing. As a result, there is no need for a shared folder anymore, as the latest Virtualbox with extensions HAS FULL DRAG-&-DROP SUPPORT!

    I needed to give my VDI more headroom than I had, so I can do stupid client tricks like installing the steam client in the guest os (which is a chore because of Valve's braindead idea of installing it's own flavor of generic libraries, which doesn't get along with virtual machines).
  3. Goofus Maximus

    Goofus Maximus Too old to be this dumb!

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    My third reply to myself! Well, I installed the Steam Client, which for some reason this time installed with no complaint or problem or need for me to do my library magic, and it runs. I then downloaded and installed Half Life... and it worked. sort of.

    It ran at 640-480 resolution, and it ran rather slowly, but acceptably fast for my ability to play. HOWEVER, there was a fly in the ointment that I was unable to fix. The MOUSE! mouse input was entirely unacceptable. Random, laggy, and much too fast! Playing with the mouse is just a no-go. Keyboard works fine though, and if I'd wanted to, I think I could have bound the arrow keys to look-up-right-left-and-down, and played the game with just the keyboard. Meh.

    I satisfied my curiosity, that it was actually possible to do at all. I imagine, if I had a better CPU than my Pentium G3220, like a Core iX with VT-d support, more memory than my 8 gigs, and an actual, you know, graphics CARD, then possibly I could have run even semi-new titles without much problem.
  4. hans5849

    hans5849 Serious as a heart attack

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    Sudo make me a sandwich
  5. Goofus Maximus

    Goofus Maximus Too old to be this dumb!

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    Password: BLT_WithSwiss_on_RYE

    Of course, this isn't a REAL sandwich! It is merely a SUDO sandwich! *whistles innocently*