How To: Add a VirtualBox to GDM Sessions

[rossjman1]

This is a quick tutorial on how to add a VirtualBox session to GDMs Session menu. This can be useful for someone with a decently powered computer, looking for all the benefits of having a dual boot system without actually having to restart the computer to go into Windows/DOS/*nix. For the purposes of this tutorial I'm assuming you have already got a VirtualBox set up.

Open a terminal and navigate to /usr/share/xsessions. Now you need to create a new file here. My virtualbox is Windows XP, so I named it windows.desktop. To do this:

 sudo gedit windows.desktop

Paste this into the file:

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Windows XP Pro
Comment=This session will run your VirtualBox
Exec=VirtualBox -startvm "Windows XP Pro"
Icon=
Type=Application

The stuff that is bold is what you need to change. Name is what the session is going to be called (GNOME, Failsafe GNOME, etc are all ready taken!). The most important part is the Exec command. This is the command that will be executed by GDM, you need to change the bold part to the Name of the VirtualBox you have installed (See pic).
http://jeffantosh.googlepages.com/Sc...tualBoxOSE.png
Reboot gdm (ctrl-alt-backspace) and log into VirtualBox via GDM. To make VirtualBox fullscreen press the right control button and f at the same time.

[zugol]

Hi,
It doesn't work for me, I have a bad agument number error message...

Any idee ?

Thanks

[rossjman1]

It should still work, just click ok.

[Crafty Kisses]

It worked for me, thanks for that.

[zugol]

Unfortunatly no, he return to my default session "gnome"...

But I try your tips with the XBMC and it works perfectly !....

[rossjman1]

If anyone knows how to get rid of those meaningless error messages, please share!

[bornagainpenguin]

But I try your tips with the XBMC and it works perfectly !....

Okay, I'll bite...what exactly did you do to accomplish that?

Also, does anyone know if it would be possible to do something like this with the Netbook Remix? I have an ASUS EeePC 901 and would like to be able to switch between interfaces, if that's possible!

Another thought that just hit me--would it be possible to do this with other emulators? For example Basilisk II the MacOS Classic emulator?

--bornagainpenguin

[zugol]

1-add this repo : deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc-hardy/ubuntu hardy main
2-install xbmc
3-go to /usr/share/xsessions
4-copy launcher gnome.destop as xbmc.desktop (as root)
5-edit it (as root) :

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=XBMC
Comment=Media Center XBMC
Exec=xbmc
Icon=
Type=Application

Now you can log on XBMC session.

(I created a new user called XBMC with this launcher as default session.)

But, doing this you cannot run anything except xbmc built-in apps (no firefox, no xmame...) Becaus it's not multitask... I dont't know if bender mameOx can be run like this.

I hope this can help you.

For more information go to

http://xbmc.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=52

[zugol]

1-add this repo : deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/team-xbmc-hardy/ubuntu hardy main
2-install xbmc
3-go to /usr/share/xsessions
4-copy launcher gnome.destop as xbmc.desktop (as root)
5-edit it (as root) :

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=XBMC
Comment=Media Center XBMC
Exec=xbmc
Icon=
Type=Application

Now you can log on XBMC session.

(I created a new user called XBMC with this launcher as default session.)

But, doing this you cannot run anything except xbmc built-in apps (no firefox, no xmame...) Becaus it's not multitask... I dont't know if bender mameOx can be run like this.

I hope this can help you.

For more information go to http://xbmc.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=52

[Jose Catre-Vandis]

Tried the OP's instructions under Xubuntu 8.04.1. Get the following error message:

X session: unsupported number of arguments
(3); falling back to default session

and am then returned to a normal session.

FWIW, the command

 VirtualBox -startvm Windows

runs fine from a terminal window

EDIT

tried this under gnome-hardy too with same result