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user10853
Asked: 2012-12-04 10:46:14 +0800 CST

The system is running in low-graphics mode error in "Virtualbox"

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I faced a "The system is running in low-graphics mode error" like the on in this question How to fix "The system is running in low-graphics mode" error?

This happened in Virtualbox!

I'll go with the answer that the root file system ran out of space since I left the system downloading some stuff & previously I was notified that the system is low on space. Dumb of me but everyone makes mistakes. I was planning on moving the files to a shared folder later on.

The screen I get is similar to the screen in the link above. If I click on Ok, I get the following screen

None of the options work. I even tried to use the shell mode to try to free some space but all I get is this screen

So my question is how can I get back to my system & move the files to the shared folder (which btw needs guest additions which is was already installed on the system!) or better (if easier) an USB?

Note: I tried a live mode (iso) but I cannot do anything (e. G; open nautilus or a terminal!); + I get a VERP_PDM_MEDIA_LOCKED_error when try to install guest additions.

virtualbox

6 Answers

  1. I just had the same error with a fresh installed ubuntu 12.04.2 that where just downloaded as well.

    Just updating the system was enough for me:

    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
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  2. I just recently tried my hand at Ubuntu in VirtualBox and received the same error. For me, the solution was installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions. I followed the instructions listed here, which are essentially:

    1. Before installing the Guest Additions, you will have to prepare your guest system for building external kernel modules:

      sudo apt-get install dkms

    2. Insert the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso CD file into your Linux guest's virtual CD-ROM drive and mount the ISO for the guest additions (it can be found in the VirtualBox installation directory):

      sudo mount /dev/cdrom /cdrom

    3. Change to the directory where your CD-ROM drive is mounted and execute as root:

      sudo sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

    However, it has been a decade since I used Linux, so I had a little trouble finding out where the CD was mounted. I found a post on the VirtualBox forums that gave me the nudge I needed to setup the mount point for the CD, then I was off and running.

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  3. Best Answer

    A Virtual Box Ubuntu behaves very similar to Ubuntu on bare metal. Therefore the solutions from this question

    mostly hold true as well. However note, that you do not have a graphics card or proprietary drivers in a VM. This will all be handled by the guest additions.

    We can enter a TTY for command line repair by press and hold the HOST-key, which in your case is the right Ctrl-key and simultanously press F1 trough F8.

    In case your virtual hard drive runs short of memory try first with

    sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean

    to remove no longer needed packages. See also:

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  4. My host machine is a Windows machine which has an ATI graphic card. The following procedure worked for me:

    When the message that "your system is running in low-graphics mode" appears press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to enter the termina. Then login with your credentials, and then run the following commands: 

    sudo apt-get install fglrx    
sudo reboot

    This was an answer posted in another question.

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  5. I had the same problem. It turns out I had accidentally edited the file /etc/environment.

    To fix this:

    1. Login with sudo command permission.
    2. Edit the file using nano editor.
    3. Make sure that there is no illegal entries in /etc/environment.
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  6. I had the same problem installing a 32 bit VirtualBox guest in a 64 bit Ubuntu 12.04 desktop machine.

    64 bit guests in the same environment causes no problems, but the 32 bit guest got the low graphics warning.

    The problem seems to be a bug in the display mechanism in the code on the Ubuntu 12.04 CD.

    After I logged in through a TTY and did 

    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

    everything works fine.

    Hopefully, this will work out of the box with the next service release og 12.04.

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