Re: emulators/virtualbox-ose-addtions72: 4k resolution not possible

Hello fellow "VDI Provided in the Workplace User",

I know that pain. Need more info to help:

Advice First:
1. Don't use RELENG, it's a "point in time" and if you decide you must have more current versions of "the things":
  - 16.0-CURRENT (https://download.freebsd.org/snapshots/ISO-IMAGES/16.0/
  - Recommended: FreeBSD-15.x (https://download.freebsd.org/releases/ISO-IMAGES/15.1/ + "latest" repo instead of default "quarterly" (how: https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/ports/#quarterly-latest-branch)
2. Most likely we are not dealing with an issue on your side but an issue on the VDI host side. Removing as many 'potentially unstable' elements from the equation as possible will reduce unknowns. 

Latest Repo:
| Feature | Latest Branch |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Source** | Main (HEAD) ports tree |
| **Updates** | Continuous rolling updates |
| **Best For** | Development, desktops, new features |
| **Default?** | No |

Quarterly Repo:
| Feature | Latest Branch | Quarterly Branch |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Source** |  Branched from HEAD every 3 months |
| **Updates** | Only security/bug fixes for 3 months |
| **Best For** | Production, stability, servers |
| **Default?** | Yes |

Info Needed:
- 1. Need your current "/etc/X11/xorg.conf" as well as any diffs on that file which were tried (eg: settings which helped, settings which failed) to understand what has been done so that it's not repeated and time is not wasted. It's better to have the full "/etc/X11" directory + "/usr/local/share/X11/" since there's often more than a single file limited to xorg.conf which needs to be looked at (as you know it tends to load resources from other locations).
- 2. Versions of packages involved (driver versions, xorg + dependency package versions, etc)
- 3. Full file output of current + "best attempt" log file from X: "/var/log/Xorg.log.0" 
- 4. Need to know everything possible (non-NDA) about the upstream VDI host (what the RTT from your workstation to the VDI host, what versions are involved, whether you are able to change anything or request that something be changed on the VDI host, etc).
 
Thanks,

EMW


On Tue, Aug 4, 2026, at 22:36, A FreeBSD User wrote:
> Hello,
>
> on a system provided by my company I have FreeBSD 15.1-RELENG running 
> as a VM guest within
> VirtualBox 7.2. The VBox environment is completely maintained by the 
> company in a
> restrictive manner and only limited settings are available for users.
>
> With FreebSD 15.1-RELENG installed vioa pkg/pkg-base in addtion to
> emulators/virtaulbox=ose-additions72 and X11, on 4k Displays (3840x2180 
> pixel) the resolution
> of the screen maxes out at 2560x1440 - which results in a centered 
> "screen box" in the middle
> of the screen with a border, that exapnds to 4k (with guest additions 
> installed, one can move
> the mouse pointer across the borders of the "screen box" in the middle, 
> so I imply a real
> resolution of 4k, but FreeBSD's X11 screen is WQHD only).
>
> Setting a resoltion of 4k (aka 3840x2180) in the appropritae X11 config 
> (screen driver
> section: Section screen, SubSection "Display", Modes "3840x2180") 
> results in an annoying
> 640x480 micro screen box.
>
> By the way, I use windowmaker as the primary windowing subsystem, but 
> that doesn't matter, on
> bare metal FreeBSD I run 4k with this system.
>
> We also use Win10/Win11 guests which are obvioulsy all capable of 
> running 4k on the same
> hardware setup. For my FreeBSD VM, I select the VM profile for Win11 or 
> Ubuntu to run FBSD.
>
> Is there a way to achieve 4k resoltion or, at least, a "scaled 
> resolution@ to use the complete
> 32 inch screen?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> oh
> 
>
>
> -- 
>
> A FreeBSD user