Re: Inbox vboxsf not working

Re: Inbox vboxsf not working

[Hans de Goede]

Hi Sumitra,

On 8/15/23 16:43, sumitra sharma wrote:
> Hello Hans,
> 
> I am writing in reference to the vboxsf patch [1]. It has been a while since we have talked about this. It is because it took me time to set up the basic environment. I earlier had Windows as my host machine and was working on this project through Virtual Machine. But I see this created many issues and lowered my resources. However, I have changed my host machine to Ubuntu and again started working on the project.
> 
> I downloaded and installed the Oracle VirtualBox 7.0, and during the installation, it built and installed the Oracle VM VirtualBox kernel modules: *vboxdrv*, *vboxnetflt*, and *vboxnetadp*. Since they are the out-of-tree Oracle installed modules. I manually removed them and installed and loaded the in-tree vbox modules: *vboxsf*, *vboxguest*, *vboxvideo*. But the VirtualBox still throws the following error:
> 
> The VirtualBox Dialogue error:
> 
> "The VirtualBox Linux kernel driver is either not loaded or not set up correctly. VERR_VM_DRIVER_NOT_INSTALLED (-1908) - The support driver is not installed."
> 
> and the command line error:
> 
> sumitra@sumitra:/boot$ virtualbox
> WARNING: The vboxdrv kernel module is not loaded. Either there is no module
>          available for the current kernel (6.5.0-rc4sumitra+) or it failed to
>          load. Please recompile the kernel module and install it by
> 
>            sudo /sbin/vboxconfig
> 
>          You will not be able to start VMs until this problem is fixed.
> 
> Please let me know if there is some other module missing which hasn't been loaded yet. I would be glad if you could help me set up the vboxsf testing environment.

The mainline kernel modules only support vbox guest functionality. If you are using Linux as a virtualbox host / hypervisor then you do need the vbox out of tree host modules on the host side for things to work.

Regards,

Hans

Re: Inbox vboxsf not working

[Sumitra Sharma]

On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 09:28:51AM +0200, Hans de Goede wrote:
> Hi Sumitra,
> 
> On 8/15/23 16:43, sumitra sharma wrote:
> > Hello Hans,
> > 
> > I am writing in reference to the vboxsf patch [1]. It has been a while since we have talked about this. It is because it took me time to set up the basic environment. I earlier had Windows as my host machine and was working on this project through Virtual Machine. But I see this created many issues and lowered my resources. However, I have changed my host machine to Ubuntu and again started working on the project.
> > 
> > I downloaded and installed the Oracle VirtualBox 7.0, and during the installation, it built and installed the Oracle VM VirtualBox kernel modules: *vboxdrv*, *vboxnetflt*, and *vboxnetadp*. Since they are the out-of-tree Oracle installed modules. I manually removed them and installed and loaded the in-tree vbox modules: *vboxsf*, *vboxguest*, *vboxvideo*. But the VirtualBox still throws the following error:
> > 
> > The VirtualBox Dialogue error:
> > 
> > "The VirtualBox Linux kernel driver is either not loaded or not set up correctly. VERR_VM_DRIVER_NOT_INSTALLED (-1908) - The support driver is not installed."
> > 
> > and the command line error:
> > 
> > sumitra@sumitra:/boot$ virtualbox
> > WARNING: The vboxdrv kernel module is not loaded. Either there is no module
> >          available for the current kernel (6.5.0-rc4sumitra+) or it failed to
> >          load. Please recompile the kernel module and install it by
> > 
> >            sudo /sbin/vboxconfig
> > 
> >          You will not be able to start VMs until this problem is fixed.
> > 
> > Please let me know if there is some other module missing which hasn't been loaded yet. I would be glad if you could help me set up the vboxsf testing environment.
> 
> The mainline kernel modules only support vbox guest functionality. If you are using Linux as a virtualbox host / hypervisor then you do need the vbox out of tree host modules on the host side for things to work.

Hi Hans,

Can you please specify what you mean by "vbox guest functionality"? Are you talking about the guest addition utilities which VirtualBox offers and about which you warned not to install them? [*]

How can I make the in-tree vbox modules run? Is there something else you like me to set up for this? I want the in-tree vboxsf module to be used by the VirtualBox so that I can test any changes I make in the vboxsf files.


Thanks & regards
Sumitra


[*]: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/2882298.SvYEEZNnvj@suse/T/#m6136855637d2da03a894edf7d1f869484e626694



> 
> Regards,
> 
> Hans
> 
> 

Re: Inbox vboxsf not working

[Hans de Goede]

Hi,

On 8/16/23 13:45, Sumitra Sharma wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 09:28:51AM +0200, Hans de Goede wrote:
>> Hi Sumitra,
>>
>> On 8/15/23 16:43, sumitra sharma wrote:
>>> Hello Hans,
>>>
>>> I am writing in reference to the vboxsf patch [1]. It has been a while since we have talked about this. It is because it took me time to set up the basic environment. I earlier had Windows as my host machine and was working on this project through Virtual Machine. But I see this created many issues and lowered my resources. However, I have changed my host machine to Ubuntu and again started working on the project.
>>>
>>> I downloaded and installed the Oracle VirtualBox 7.0, and during the installation, it built and installed the Oracle VM VirtualBox kernel modules: *vboxdrv*, *vboxnetflt*, and *vboxnetadp*. Since they are the out-of-tree Oracle installed modules. I manually removed them and installed and loaded the in-tree vbox modules: *vboxsf*, *vboxguest*, *vboxvideo*. But the VirtualBox still throws the following error:
>>>
>>> The VirtualBox Dialogue error:
>>>
>>> "The VirtualBox Linux kernel driver is either not loaded or not set up correctly. VERR_VM_DRIVER_NOT_INSTALLED (-1908) - The support driver is not installed."
>>>
>>> and the command line error:
>>>
>>> sumitra@sumitra:/boot$ virtualbox
>>> WARNING: The vboxdrv kernel module is not loaded. Either there is no module
>>>          available for the current kernel (6.5.0-rc4sumitra+) or it failed to
>>>          load. Please recompile the kernel module and install it by
>>>
>>>            sudo /sbin/vboxconfig
>>>
>>>          You will not be able to start VMs until this problem is fixed.
>>>
>>> Please let me know if there is some other module missing which hasn't been loaded yet. I would be glad if you could help me set up the vboxsf testing environment.
>>
>> The mainline kernel modules only support vbox guest functionality. If you are using Linux as a virtualbox host / hypervisor then you do need the vbox out of tree host modules on the host side for things to work.
> 
> Hi Hans,
> 
> Can you please specify what you mean by "vbox guest functionality"? Are you talking about the guest addition utilities which VirtualBox offers and about which you warned not to install them? [*]

Yes.

Virtualbox consists of 2 parts:

1. The hypervisor / hw-emulator on which virtual-machines run. This hypervisor itself runs on the host.

2. The guest addition utilities which can be installed inside a guest / virtual-machine running on top of VirtualBox. These allow things like copy and pasting between the guest and host and sharing  a folder on the host with the guest.

The host always uses out of tree kernel-modules.

The guest can use the in tree kernel modules.

> How can I make the in-tree vbox modules run?

You can use these and specifically the vboxsf and vboxguest modules by installing Fedora 38 Workstation x86_64 as a virtualbox *guest* / inside a virtualbox vm and then share a folder on the host with the guest.

Regards,

Hans

Re: Inbox vboxsf not working

[Ira Weiny]

Hans de Goede wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On 8/16/23 13:45, Sumitra Sharma wrote:
> > On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 09:28:51AM +0200, Hans de Goede wrote:
> >> Hi Sumitra,
> >>

[snip]

> > 
> > Hi Hans,
> > 
> > Can you please specify what you mean by "vbox guest functionality"? Are you talking about the guest addition utilities which VirtualBox offers and about which you warned not to install them? [*]
> 
> Yes.
> 
> Virtualbox consists of 2 parts:
> 
> 1. The hypervisor / hw-emulator on which virtual-machines run. This hypervisor itself runs on the host.
> 
> 2. The guest addition utilities which can be installed inside a guest / virtual-machine running on top of VirtualBox. These allow things like copy and pasting between the guest and host and sharing  a folder on the host with the guest.
> 
> The host always uses out of tree kernel-modules.

Hans,

Thanks for this clarification.  This is my fault for leading Sumitra to
believe that the in tree modules could replace the guest additions for the
VirtualBox hypervisor.

> 
> The guest can use the in tree kernel modules.
> 
> > How can I make the in-tree vbox modules run?
> 
> You can use these and specifically the vboxsf and vboxguest modules by
> installing Fedora 38 Workstation x86_64 as a virtualbox *guest* / inside
> a virtualbox vm and then share a folder on the host with the guest.
> 

I took your original email to mean that some in tree modules could be out
of sync with the interfaces used by code coming from Oracle.

I'm curious are there also out of tree modules for the guest support?

Thank you again,
Ira

Re: Inbox vboxsf not working

[Hans de Goede]

Hi all,

On 8/16/23 19:02, Ira Weiny wrote:
> Hans de Goede wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> On 8/16/23 13:45, Sumitra Sharma wrote:
>>> On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 09:28:51AM +0200, Hans de Goede wrote:
>>>> Hi Sumitra,
>>>>
> 
> [snip]
> 
>>>
>>> Hi Hans,
>>>
>>> Can you please specify what you mean by "vbox guest functionality"? Are you talking about the guest addition utilities which VirtualBox offers and about which you warned not to install them? [*]
>>
>> Yes.
>>
>> Virtualbox consists of 2 parts:
>>
>> 1. The hypervisor / hw-emulator on which virtual-machines run. This hypervisor itself runs on the host.
>>
>> 2. The guest addition utilities which can be installed inside a guest / virtual-machine running on top of VirtualBox. These allow things like copy and pasting between the guest and host and sharing  a folder on the host with the guest.
>>
>> The host always uses out of tree kernel-modules.
> 
> Hans,
> 
> Thanks for this clarification.  This is my fault for leading Sumitra to
> believe that the in tree modules could replace the guest additions for the
> VirtualBox hypervisor.

Actually the in tree modules can replace the *guest* kernel modules which are shipped with the guest additions from virtualbox.

>> The guest can use the in tree kernel modules.
>>
>>> How can I make the in-tree vbox modules run?
>>
>> You can use these and specifically the vboxsf and vboxguest modules by
>> installing Fedora 38 Workstation x86_64 as a virtualbox *guest* / inside
>> a virtualbox vm and then share a folder on the host with the guest.
>>
> 
> I took your original email to mean that some in tree modules could be out
> of sync with the interfaces used by code coming from Oracle.
> 
> I'm curious are there also out of tree modules for the guest support?

Yes the guest-additions contain out of tree modules (1). Since Sumitra plans to work on the in tree modules, those should NOT be installed.

The easiest way to avoid installing the out-of-tree guest modules is to just not install the official guest additions at all.

Fedora comes with pre-packaged guest additions which only contain the (FOSS) userspace parts, relying on the in tree vbox guest kernel modules.

Regards,

Hans


1) When I worked on mainlining the guest modules the idea/hope as that virtualbox upstream would switch to the in tree version, at least when the guest has a new enough kernel. But unfortunately this never happened.

Re: Inbox vboxsf not working

[Hans de Goede]

Hi,

On 8/27/23 14:54, sumitra sharma wrote:
> 
> 
> On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 11:03 PM Hans de Goede <hdegoede@redhat.com <mailto:hdegoede@redhat.com>> wrote:
> 
>     Hi all,
> 
>     On 8/16/23 19:02, Ira Weiny wrote:
>     > Hans de Goede wrote:
>     >> Hi,
>     >>
>     >> On 8/16/23 13:45, Sumitra Sharma wrote:
>     >>> On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 09:28:51AM +0200, Hans de Goede wrote:
>     >>>> Hi Sumitra,
>     >>>>
>     >
>     > [snip]
>     >
>     >>>
>     >>> Hi Hans,
>     >>>
>     >>> Can you please specify what you mean by "vbox guest functionality"? Are you talking about the guest addition utilities which VirtualBox offers and about which you warned not to install them? [*]
>     >>
>     >> Yes.
>     >>
>     >> Virtualbox consists of 2 parts:
>     >>
>     >> 1. The hypervisor / hw-emulator on which virtual-machines run. This hypervisor itself runs on the host.
>     >>
>     >> 2. The guest addition utilities which can be installed inside a guest / virtual-machine running on top of VirtualBox. These allow things like copy and pasting between the guest and host and sharing  a folder on the host with the guest.
>     >>
>     >> The host always uses out of tree kernel-modules.
>     >
>     > Hans,
>     >
>     > Thanks for this clarification.  This is my fault for leading Sumitra to
>     > believe that the in tree modules could replace the guest additions for the
>     > VirtualBox hypervisor.
> 
>     Actually the in tree modules can replace the *guest* kernel modules which are shipped with the guest additions from virtualbox.
> 
>     >> The guest can use the in tree kernel modules.
>     >>
>     >>> How can I make the in-tree vbox modules run?
>     >>
>     >> You can use these and specifically the vboxsf and vboxguest modules by
>     >> installing Fedora 38 Workstation x86_64 as a virtualbox *guest* / inside
>     >> a virtualbox vm and then share a folder on the host with the guest.
>     >>
>     >
>     > I took your original email to mean that some in tree modules could be out
>     > of sync with the interfaces used by code coming from Oracle.
>     >
>     > I'm curious are there also out of tree modules for the guest support?
> 
>     Yes the guest-additions contain out of tree modules (1). Since Sumitra plans to work on the in tree modules, those should NOT be installed.
> 
>     The easiest way to avoid installing the out-of-tree guest modules is to just not install the official guest additions at all.
> 
>     Fedora comes with pre-packaged guest additions which only contain the (FOSS) userspace parts, relying on the in tree vbox guest kernel modules.
> 
> 
> Hi Hans,
> 
> I set up the Fedora-64bit machine to test the vboxsf changes. But I was also trying to create another 32-bit machine and enable the HIGHMEM 4G option to test the kmap changes in the vboxsf. I discovered that all Linux distros other than Fedora require installation of the Virtualbox guest additions to share a folder between the host and the guest [1]. It is because Fedora has open-vm-tools inside its repository and is part of the default installation, which other distros do not have. Is there any other way to create a successful 32-bit machine to test the vboxsf changes without installing the Virtualbox guest additions? I tried Ubuntu, Debian, and OpenSUSE.

You can install the vbox guest additions and then after installation remove the vboxguest and vboxsf modules which the virtubal-guest-additions installer will have installed under /lib/modules/<$kver>/updates I think.

After removing the modules from the updates dir run "depmod -a" and reboot and then check if they have not been re-added by some startup script ...

Regards,

Hans