Slow graphics in ArcaOS on VBox when resolution is "large"

[jailbird]

I've noticed this for a while now but I only recently figured out the situation.

On any version of VBox from the last couple of years, when you install ArcaOS (any version, I'm using 5.0.6 now), the default resolution is pretty low and everything is good. After installing the VBox Guest Additions and GRADD (in newer releases, ArcaOS will do this for you during install if you tell it to), everything is still pretty good up to about 1024x768. There's probably very slight lag, but nothing really noticeable unless you're specifically looking for it.

At 1280x1024, there's definitely noticeable UI lag just moving the cursor around. Eg, you can definitely see the mouse pointer "stutter" moving it to the XCenter menu button and clicking on something and selecting it.

At 1600x1000, the UI lag is so bad it's very aggregating trying to navigate around.

So it seems like the larger, the slower it is. This is basic 2D stuff, not 3D. Increasing the VRAM assigned to the VM doesn't help.

Is this a generic OS/2-related issue (eg, the way GRADD works), or is it a VBox guest additions issue?

[Lars]

I am running Virtualbox at 1920x1080 with 16 M colors.
No stuttering at all.
Make sure you have no Panorama leftovers.
Only the pure gengradd.
I am running eCS 2.2 beta. Don't know if that makes a difference.

One tip, in config.sys try:
SET C1=GENGRADD,SBFILTER

"SBFILTER" will enable shadow buffering which might speed up things (just like with Panorama).

[jailbird]

Strange.   This is a fresh install  too.  I guess I'll try a reinstall (again).

And it looks like the ArcaOS installer already does 'SET C1=GENGRADD,SBFILTER'

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi jailbird.

I'm also running Virtualbox at 1920x1080 with 16 M colors. VirtualBox 6.1.18 W10 host. ArcaOS 5.0.6 on the guest. I do not experience any mouse lag that make it hard to use on that resolution. I can not try any higher resolutions with the hardware that I have.

I'm using this gengradd.dll

8-15-20 11:14a        66,100      0 a---  gengradd.dll

I also have 'SET C1=GENGRADD,SBFILTER' on the config.sys.

I had also set 128MB of video memory on the guest VM, but I'm not sure if that makes any difference.

Regards

[Neil Waldhauer]

How do you get 1980 x 1080 resolution with GenGradd? On my Virtual Box, I only see non-widescreen resolutions offered.

[Lars]

I seem to vaguely remember that you need to customize VirtualBox to know about that resolution. Search the VirtualBox documentation for the "vboxmanage.exe" utility. You can also call it from a commandline and it will give you a trillion options.

Found it, look here:
https://ourcodeworld.com/articles/read/1298/how-to-run-a-virtual-machine-in-virtualbox-with-a-custom-resolution-3840x2160

and/or here:
https://winaero.com/set-exact-display-resolution-in-virtualbox-virtual-machine/

[jailbird]

So I did a fresh install and still see it.  If I run the VM in fullscreen mode, it acts better but is still slightly laggy.

If I build the VM under Parallels instead using Panorama, it works fine.  So it must be some weird macOS + VBox + OS/2 GA issue.

Sorry for the noise!

[Dave Yeo]

There's always the option of running at 64K colours. Even on real hardware, Arca Noae recommends 64K colours for maximum performance. Less memory per pixel and doesn't look much different. Of course depends on your usage.

[Neil Waldhauer]

I tried VBoxManage and I am using the same GRADD.DLL as Martin. But so far no joy with getting a wide screen resolution. The screen applet suggests that I select a monitor to enable higher resolution, but offers me a list of monitors from 1996. Did anyone using a wide screen select a monitor? What did you choose?

For what it is worth, I do see a slight flicker to the cursor at 1280 x 1024. It's not crippling, but I think original poster is right that it is a little slow.

[Martin Iturbide]

But so far no joy with getting a wide screen resolution.

Hi Neil

I have some VirtualBox notes here: https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/ArcaOS_5.0.x_as_a_VirtualBox_6.x_Guest#Video

Which is your VirtualBox host?  In Windows 10 I had tried this command to get a higher resolution on the ArcaOS guest and worked.
"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" setextradata "ArcaOS 5.0.3 (Name of the VM)" "CustomVideoMode1" "1920x1080x32"

Regards

[Neil Waldhauer]

I am using Ubuntu Linux, but I also have a Windows 10 host. I am quite unfamiliar with Windows 10 and Ubuntu, but I thought Virtual Box might be helpful to develop. I've tried to follow your instructions, and those at Arca Noae, but nothing seems to set that resolution.

Your helpful Wiki helps me see that monitor definitions are not the answer. But I'm still unsuccessful at adding any wide screen video.

[Lars]

1) what version of Virtualbox are you using ? I am using 6.1.16 on a Win64 host. I cannot use 6.1.18 for a completely different reason: it breaks DHCP support in the guest in conjunction with E1000 as MAC driver selection (which I have already reported and which will be fixed in the next VBox release). I am asking, because there is always a chance of some regression sneaking into versions. It would be helpful to start from a common base ...

2) the monitor I picked in the OS/2 guest is "Vesa 17 inch, VESA standard". I doubt that it would make a difference considering that "Vesa 17 inch" is a config/standard that is about 25 years old.

3) what "display type" have you selected in the VBox configuration ? Should be "VBoxVGA" which is the default. The documentation explicitely says to not change that.

4) 1920*1080 * 4 = about 8 MB should be enough for screen aperture (my resolution as an example). I set it to 16 MB.

5) I am not sure in how far VBox has to use real mode BIOS or emulate real mode BIOS services to support custom screen resolutions. As with Panorama, this might cause limitations in what can be offered as a custom resolution. Do you have a native installation of OS/2 on that very same machine and can test with Panorama what it would support ? Is your desired screen resolution supported in the host as well (in my case, I picked the max resolution that Win64 can do on this computer) ?


EDIT: I can confirm for 2) that selection of monitor is completely irrelevant.

[Neil Waldhauer]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I am using Virtual Box 6.1.18 under Windows 10 64 bit (and also Ubuntu, but I checked your suggestions under Windows)
I left monitor unselected, as I had seen Martin's page with no monitor, but wide screen working
I am using VBoxVGA and I increased video memory to 32 MB
I had been trying 1920 x 1080 x 32, but then I saw your suggestion, and I changed to the native 1920 x 1200. Both Windows and ArcaOS are fine with 1920 x 1200 x 32. Unfortunately, this change did not get VirtualBox to cooperate.

My OS2Addtions are dated 8-15-20. These do not have VBXGRADD.DLL

[jailbird]

Here's the full instructions on what I did:

1) Shut down all VBox VMs, but leave VBox itself running.
2) On a command line window, run:

Code: [Select]

VBoxManage.exe setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution any   (on Linux, leave out the .exe of course)
( Or inside of VBox, Preferences->Display, Maximum Guest Screen Size to "None" ).
3) On the same command line window, run:

Code: [Select]

VBoxManage.exe setextradata "OS/2" "CustomVideoMode1" "1920 x 1200 x 24"   (change OS/2 to match the VM name)
4) Power on the VM and wait for the desktop to finish loading
5) At the command line again, run:

Code: [Select]

VBoxManage.exe controlvm "OS/2" setvideomodehint 1920 1200 24( Yes, there's no consistency in the formatting of the resolution between the two commands, it's annoying )
6) Back inside the VM, go into the Screen settings and 1920x1200x16777216 should now show up.

This assumes you have the VBox's version of GENGRADD.DLL loaded following either the instructions with the GAs, or by selecting guest additions in the ArcaOS installer.

Basically, #2 lets you set custom resolutions (they won't work without it), #3 adds the new resolution, and #5 tells the VM about it.

[jailbird]

There's always the option of running at 64K colours. Even on real hardware, Arca Noae recommends 64K colours for maximum performance. Less memory per pixel and doesn't look much different. Of course depends on your usage.

Good idea, I'll try that.