Comments on: GISVM – A Virtual Ubuntu Linux GIS Workstation

By: Uberme

Uberme — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:44:27 +0000

Run the virtual box addon cd included with virtual box to increase
resolutions beyond 800×600. Search youtube pcmech video for a
visual howto.

By: Tiny geocoder « LocalLab : Foire aux Infos

Tiny geocoder « LocalLab : Foire aux Infos — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:51:14 +0000

[...] GISVM – A Virtual Ubuntu Linux GIS Workstation [...]

By: RPinho

RPinho — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:08:02 +0000

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the nice tutorial!!!
I’m the author of GISVM and I must correct some things said here.

GISVM runs on both VMWare and VirtualBox, but has been optimized for VMWare!
That means it has the VMware drivers installed, not the VirtualBox one’s.
When you start GISVM on VirtualBox it doesn’t find the VMware virtual hardware: mouse, display, etc. So then Ubuntu starts with the default virtual drivers: VGA (800×600), standard mouse, etc.
That’s why you must install the VirtualBox drivers to have â??better hardware”, just like Marc B. explained. Thanks Mark!

I’m trying to find a solution for that on the next GISVM release:
1. Trying to install several VM Vendor drivers (VMWare , VBox, Paralells, etc) into a single GISVM image (one fits all)
2. Release several versions of GISVM, one for each VM Vendor. Just like other Virtual Appliances do. (Don’t like it very much!)

Please, contact me if you have a better suggestion!

In the mean time,
I really advice you to use VMWare player. It is also Open Source and, yes, it requires (free) registration. So what?! It’s in both sides interest; you get notification alerts about updates and new releases!
I’ve tried GISVM on several VM, and concluded that VMWare just overcome all others in speed, stability, interoperability, etc. Sometimes you forget you are running a VM!

Cheers,
Ricardo Pinho

By: Marc B.

Marc B. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:31:58 +0000

Update: Installing “Guest Additions” there is no problem about resolution and other issues. Procedure:

1.- Execute your Virtual Ubuntu.

2.- In top menú select Device>Install Guest Additons… It will appear a new CD-ROM in your Virtual Ubuntu.

3.- Go to Applications>Accessories>Terminal, and type:

sudo nautilus

Enter the password “user”

4.- In new windows go to the CD-ROM and double click in “VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run” (or 64-bits version) and select “Run” to install Guest Additons.

5.- Restart your Virtual Ubuntu and it’s all.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:35:40 +0000

800x 600 resolution seems to be ridiculous for gis-applications , isnt it?
by the way many applications (like kosmo or qgis) run unter a native windows (with jre)

By: Marc B.

Marc B. — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:26:46 +0000

Did you try to install Virtual Box “Guest Additions” in your Virtual Ubuntu? Theorically (I’ve only tested in a Virtual WinXP, on a Ubuntu 8.04) they with solve the problems with mouse and screen resolution)

By: Kai

Kai — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:54:38 +0000

Hi,

the problem seems neither Ubuntu, nor GISVM. It’s the VirtualBox. Try it with the VMWare Player and it works fine. I tried on three different XP machines and did so, because I read somewhere that there are problems with the resolution under VirtualBox.
But, regular non-techie users will run into much more complicated matters using the applications of GISVM (think about mapserver and postgis) than editing xorg.conf, don’t you think?

Best

Kai