Author Topic: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version  (Read 106120 times)

Doug Bissett

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #15 on: November 07, 2018, 11:04:57 pm »
I gave this a quick try. It is certainly not ready for "prime time", but it is a decent start. It will deserve more test time.

The biggest thing, that I see so far, is that a DIR command (in CMD.EXE) is totally unusable. Using packages like 4OS2, or FC/2, in a VBox system, is far from ideal., but it is okay for testing something like this. The final product must use the basic OS/2 programs, with no extras.

I will comment about testing software, If you are going to test software, be sure that you understand what you are testing, and how to recover from a user error, or a software error. Working with VBox makes it much easier to recover, because you can copy the VDI file somewhere safe, and simply copy it back over the damaged VDI file. The instructions, at the top of this thread, assume that the user knows how to modify CONFIG.SYS, and put files in the proper place (even when they are locked by the running system). If you don't know those basics, I would suggest that you don't waste your time, or the time of the developer, because he doesn't have the time to teach you those basics. Perhaps, open a new thread, asking how to do whatever you need to do, then come back to the testing thread, with proper feedback.

Valery Sedletski

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #16 on: November 08, 2018, 12:24:29 am »
2Doug Bissett: Yes, file listings in WPS Drives object and CMD.EXE doesn't work yet. Use 4OS/2 and FC/2 for now.
Anyway, FC/2 and 4OS/2 are not "extras" but are "must have" programs. Of course, it should work in standard
programs like CMD.EXE and WPS, but not all at once. It will work later. It is just easier to make FIL_STANDARD
and FIL_STANDARDL DosFindFirst options work first. WPS does also require EA's to work, it seems. But no EA's
support in VBox, AFAIK. So, it is more difficult to make WPS and CMD.EXE working. But it will work later.

PS: Yes, agree with the 3rd paragraph, too. What I could add here is except for backing up the .vdi file,
or exporting it to .ova and then reimporting, in case of problems, there is also a snapshots feature in VBox. You
can take a snapshot of a VM (just like checkpoints in windows restore), then revert to any checkpoint.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2018, 03:18:06 am by Valery Sedletski »

mauro

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #17 on: November 09, 2018, 07:02:08 am »
…….. in case of problems, there is also a snapshots feature in VBox. You
can take a snapshot of a VM (just like checkpoints in windows restore), then revert to any checkpoint.

Valery, afaik,  you can resume from a snapshot only once you are in the working system, so it is not for a non-booting system recovery.

Doug Bissett

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #18 on: November 10, 2018, 05:35:35 am »
Quote
Anyway, FC/2 and 4OS/2 are not "extras" but are "must have" programs

They are "extras", and neither one is a "must have". IMO. They are not part of OS/2, they are added later. I usually install 4OS/2, but I never use it. I haven't even thought about FC/2, for a number of years. I wasn't impressed with it then, and I see no good reason to try it now.

I will wait for you to fix your program, there are other ways to accomplish what shared folders does.

As I said, it looks like a good start, but it certainly isn't ready for general use.

Quote
there is also a snapshots feature in VBox.

There are a few ways to do that. I find it easiest, to just copy the VDI file, and copy it back if something goes wrong. Snapshots are too permanent, and end up taking up space in my backups. Export/Import has a few problems too, like converting VDI files to VMDK files, which work okay, but if I wanted VMDK files, I would have made the disk image use that format initially. I am not saying that either method is wrong, or bad, I am just saying that copying the VDI file is easier.

Valery Sedletski

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #19 on: November 10, 2018, 07:43:23 am »
2Doug Bissett:

Quote
They are "extras", and neither one is a "must have". IMO. They are not part of OS/2, they are added later. I usually install 4OS/2, but I never use it. I haven't even thought about FC/2, for a number of years. I wasn't impressed with it then, and I see no good reason to try it now.

OS/2 without FC/2 and 4OS/2 is non-usable. CMD.EXE has a lot of limitations, and it does even not support
command autocomplete. It has only basic  required features. So, 4OS/2 should be used instead. It is free,
open source and no reason not to use it by default. It was included into eCS by default too.

WPS is not at all intended to be a file manager. It only serves as a convenient program launcher, using a desktop.
Copying files with WPS is slow and inefficient. So, it anyway requires an external file manager. But GUI file managers
like Larsen Commander and File Manager/2 are even less usable that Norton Commander clones, like File Commander/2
is. FC/2 has very optimized and convenient hotkeys and using it instead of GUI file managers is far more efficient.

And FC/2 can be started from command line, when booting into Recovery Choices menu. So, it is very useful
and convenient for system repair too. In my opinion, Norton-like file managers are most usable ones, so I use
File Commander/2 and Dos Navigator/2 in OS/2, Volkov Commander, DOS Navigator and Norton Commander
in DOS, Midnight Commander under Linux, and Far Manager is the best under Windows.

Quote
There are a few ways to do that. I find it easiest, to just copy the VDI file, and copy it back if something goes wrong. Snapshots are too permanent, and end up taking up space in my backups. Export/Import has a few problems too, like converting VDI files to VMDK files, which work okay, but if I wanted VMDK files, I would have made the disk image use that format initially. I am not saying that either method is wrong, or bad, I am just saying that copying the VDI file is easier.

Snapshots can be deleted, if not required anymore. And the space used by them can be freed by compacting
the disk image. There is a "compact disk image" feature for that.

2Mauro:

Quote
Valery, afaik,  you can resume from a snapshot only once you are in the working system, so it is not for a non-booting system recovery.

You can restore from a snapshot any time. You can do it with VBoxManage:

Quote
https://www.vleeuwen.net/2012/12/virtualbox-snapshots-using-the-cli

Also, IIRC, this is possible to do the same from GUI. Just start the VM and "restore from a snapshot"
can be choosen from its menu.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2018, 08:10:13 am by Valery Sedletski »

Doug Bissett

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #20 on: November 10, 2018, 07:56:55 pm »
Quote
OS/2 without FC/2 and 4OS/2 is non-usable.

Sorry, but I don't agree with any of this.  FC/2 and 4OS/2 are no better than CMD.EXE, and the WPS. RSYNC can be useful, but it has a different purpose. If you like them, by all means use them. I will use what I find works best, for me. This is OS/2, after all.

I avoid anything that even hints that it is like a NORTON program. Many years ago, when antivirus was a new thing, I found that NORTON was causing more problems than it fixed, or prevented. From what I have seen, over the years, that hasn't changed. Clones, of course, should not have those problems, but I avoid them anyway.

BTW, 4OS/2 doesn't display directory information (for a shared drive) any better than CMD.EXE does (that is, no file names). At least CMD.EXE formats what is shown, in a more readable way. I find the 4OS/2 DIR to be distracting, on normal directory displays. I do hope that you an come up with something that works better than what SAMBA does.

Quote
Snapshots can be deleted, if not required anymore. And the space used by them can be freed by compacting the disk image. There is a "compact disk image" feature for that.

True, but it is all time consuming maintenance, that needs to be done before I can do a backup. At least OS/2 doesn't use up large amounts of disk space for garbage, like windows does, so compacting doesn't need to be done as often (after spending a lot of time cleaning out the garbage), when you don't use Snapshots. Copying the file, to a place that doesn't get backed up, is still much easier.

OS4User

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #21 on: November 10, 2018, 09:40:28 pm »
OS/2 without FC/2 OS/2 is non-usable

I agree,  if one needs to manege files fast and often FC/2 is  the best choice.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2018, 08:03:31 am by OS4User »

Valery Sedletski

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #22 on: November 11, 2018, 01:21:56 am »
2Doug Bissett:

Quote
I avoid anything that even hints that it is like a NORTON program. Many years ago, when antivirus was a new thing, I found that NORTON was causing more problems than it fixed, or prevented. From what I have seen, over the years, that hasn't changed. Clones, of course, should not have those problems, but I avoid them anyway.

Norton causing problems? I did not saw any problems with Norton. So, what do you mean? So, is there any alternative
for Norton clones? Do you think that using a bare command line is better and more efficient? I doubt that.

Quote
BTW, 4OS/2 doesn't display directory information (for a shared drive) any better than CMD.EXE does (that is, no file names). At least CMD.EXE formats what is shown, in a more readable way. I find the 4OS/2 DIR to be distracting, on normal directory displays. I do hope that you an come up with something that works better than what SAMBA does.

??? My version displays directory listings fine. I'm using 4OS/2 OSE, osFree version. Maybe, your version is different
and it uses different switches for DosFindFirst?

My version of 4OS/2 uses FIL_QUERYEASIZE == 2, and FC/2 uses FIL_STANDARDL == 11. command.com
and Volkov Commander in a DOS session use FIL_STANDARD == 1. These do work.

CMD.EXE uses FIL_QUERYEASIZEL == 12, WPS uses FIL_QUERYEASFROMLIST == 3 -- these won't
work, yet.

PS: just checked another version of 4OS/2 (version 4OS2 3.08.3-shl), it uses FIL_QUERYEASIZEL,
like CMD.EXE. So, it doesn't display file names too. Probably, you have the same problem.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2018, 01:42:40 am by Valery Sedletski »

Valery Sedletski

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #23 on: November 11, 2018, 02:25:52 am »
PS: BTW, I fixed FIL_QUERYEASIZEL now, so file listings in CMD.EXE and some versions of 4OS/2
are working now. The problem was very simple. It was a oNextEntryOffset field in the beginning of
FILEFINDBUF4L structure. DosFindFirst returns it, but an IFS should omit it, it is added later by the
kernel. It was returned by FIL_QUERYEASIZEL, but was ommited by FIL_QUERYEASIZE, so the
latter worked, and the former didn't work. Now FIL_QUERYEASFROMLIST/FIL_QUERYEASFROMLISTL
are in the queue. Should be fixed soon. (The layout of data returned by these two options is the
most complex, so it's harder to implement it).
« Last Edit: November 11, 2018, 02:29:04 am by Valery Sedletski »

Doug Bissett

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #24 on: November 11, 2018, 07:34:05 am »
Quote
PS: just checked another version of 4OS/2 (version 4OS2 3.08.3-shl), it uses FIL_QUERYEASIZEL,
like CMD.EXE. So, it doesn't display file names too. Probably, you have the same problem.

I have 4OS/2 3.08.4-shl, which is the officially supported version, that comes with ArcaOS 5.0.3.

Quote
I fixed FIL_QUERYEASIZEL now, so file listings in CMD.EXE and some versions of 4OS/2
are working now.

Wonderful. I am looking forward to your corrected program.

mauro

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2018, 06:58:48 am »
I Valery, this is the screenshot of the two error message when try to open the shared folder E from WPS:



https://ibb.co/k9CYQA

but, as you specified to me, I have found the E drive and its contained files using FC2.

Thank you

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #26 on: November 13, 2018, 04:42:56 am »
Hi

I wonder what which video drive would be better for a VirtualBox ArcaOS guest. Panorama, SNAP or the include gengradd.dll on the addons? which one provides better performance for a guest machine?

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Martin Iturbide
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Doug Bissett

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #27 on: November 13, 2018, 06:32:41 am »
Sort of off topic, but...

Quote
I wonder what which video drive would be better for a VirtualBox ArcaOS guest. Panorama, SNAP or the include gengradd.dll on the addons? which one provides better performance for a guest machine?

I have no doubt that SNAP and Panorama, do nothing in VBox, except take up memory space and machine cycles. The video information is passed to the host video driver by the gengradd.dll supplied by the extensions. The host video driver does all of the fancy stuff.

Valery Sedletski

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #28 on: November 13, 2018, 02:25:29 pm »
Hi all

I uploaded a new build of VBox OS/2 Additions to my ftp:

Quote
ftp://osfree.org/upload/vbox/additions/VBoxAdditions-os2-x86-5.0.51.r179.zip

For convenience, I built them as an ISO image, so it can be easily attached to the VM.
All additions binaries (except for vbxgradd.dll and VboxMouse.sys, for which sources
are unavailable) now contain buildlevel information. I also included the readme from
the Oracle additions (though, it is a bit not in sync with current state, and I need to
write my own readme in the future) and all required DLL's from kLIBC (in case they
are missing in your system. If they are present, use the versions from your system,
but update from repository, first).

Also, things that were fixed in this version include correct handling of directory listings
in CMD.EXE and 4OS/2 (though, FIL_QUERYEASFROMLIST[L] option in DosFindFirst
is not yet working. I need to generate correct FEALIST structure with empty EA's for
WPS Drives object to be working correctly).

Also, I noticed an error in previous version, which was fixed too: I renamed gengradd.dll
from official Oracle Additions to vbxgradd.dll, but forgot to change the internal module
name to VBXGRADD too (it remained to be GENGRADD as is). So, I discovered that
vbxgradd.dll failed to load in fact. So, it falled back to gengradd or vgagradd (if gengradd
is unavailable). So, this is why Mauro got VGA mode with 16 colors. He has no gengradd.dll
in his system, but has vgagradd.dll, so it was loaded as a fallback.

Also, new features include support for UNC pathnames. So, paths like

Quote
\\vboxsrv\shared_folder_name\path\to\somefile

or

Quote
\\vboxsvr\shared_folder_name\path\to\somefile

now are working. Though, it appears that an UNC IFS can be only one in the system, so
if you have ifs=netwksta.200 from Peer/LAN Server installed, only last UNC IFS in config.sys
will work. So, currently, you need to comment out the second IFS, if you want to try this.

2Mauro: So, you have VGAGRADD loaded. So, update to the new version, it should work now.
It looks like you had amouse.sys and VBoxMouse.sys loaded at the same time, that's why you
had a trap. All other your settings seem to be ok. I only don't know why you have this error:

Quote
https://ibb.co/k9CYQA

I dont have it in my system. I only see an empty drive for each shared folder I have. No errors
at all.

2Martin Iturbide: It's best to use VBXGRADD. SNAP or Panorama work in VESA mode anyway.
So, they should be slow. VBXGRADD seems to call VBox video functions from host directly, so it
should be better. Though, I don't know exactly what it does as I don't have its sources. And previously,
I had vbxgradd failing to load, and gengradd was loaded instead, but I did not noticed the difference
between vbxgradd and gengradd until Mauro said he has started in VGA mode.

2Doug Bissett: So, now I have CMD.EXE working. So, WPS should be working soon too.

PS: I updated the first message of this topic, now it contains the latest link to binaries,
and some new tips.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2018, 02:56:14 pm by Valery Sedletski »

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Shared folders IFS for VBox Additions, the test version
« Reply #29 on: November 13, 2018, 04:11:15 pm »
Hi

Sorry for more off topic and basic things. How do you configure a custom video resolution (1,920x1,080) with vbxgradd or GENGRADD ? I used to have the procedure with SNAP, but I want to follow your advice.

Regards
Martin Iturbide
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