OS2Warp4.52 Guest Additions: mouse pointer has defective behavior

[mauro]

Hi all, I have this weirdness since I installed the Guest Additions time ago. Not the official Oracle ones which never worked causing system trap, but the Valery Sedletski version, the 218r that resulted successfully installable in the VM 
see topic https://www.os2world.com/forum/index.php/topic,1905.0.html

the mouse pointer has a defective behavior when the pointer changes shape -ie. from arrow to hand- passing over a gadget; it leaves persistent "object shadows" in the place where it changed shape, that can be wiped away by moving any opened window on it.
See example image here.

Can someone tell if it's a graphic driver or a mouse driver issue?
Thank you

[Martin Iturbide]

Hello Mauro

I don't have the answer to it. I remember I used to have the same problem but I don't know when it got fixed.

Right now on a ArcaOS 5.1 (BIOS) under VirtualBox 7-0-12 (Windows 10 Host) I'm using this mouse driver and it is working fine:
- 1-31-20  3:06a        25,774    227 a--r  VBoxMouse.sys

But I also don't know if the issue is the mouse or the video driver.

Mauro:
1) can you post your version of VBoxMouse.sys ?
2) Are you using Valery's latest version - ftp://osfree.org/upload/vbox/additions/VBoxAdditions-os2-x86-5.0.51.r218.zip (2020-01-31)
3) What are you using for video driver? I was told long ago that with the GRADD that came on the addons was good enough. Panorama or SNAP didn't give much on the VM (as I was told)

Other general comments:

I'm using Valery Sedletski's "vboxsf.ifs" (notice the slight change of name between "vboxsf.ifs" and "vboxfs.ifs")  because it offers WPS share folder usage.

I recommended Valery to also try to get his VBoxAdditions version up to Oracle's available public source code, just to see if he can grab the good things about the latest version and see if there is something interesting there. But I guess he has not a lot of free time to work on it these days.

I think also asked in the VirtualBox Bugtracker to see if Valery's source code can also be used to improve GUI implementation of the "Share folder" with the host. But I can not find the evidence, maybe I dreamt it. 

Maybe the only thing missing on VirtualBox guest addons is the "drag and drop" file sharing functionality, which will be also a nice to have.

Regards

[Lars]

The Virtualbox provided additions have a fixed "VBoxSF.ifs" for quite some time now. It was fixed in >= 6.1.32 and is working just fine (with shared folders) with the provided "VBoxSF.ifs".
See: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/19453

For the same reason,whenever you update Virtualbox you should always also update the complete guest additions (available as a "virtual device" called "guest additions").

I have never found a need to update gengradd.dll but in case it matters for your sytem:
For your graphics problem, unlock \os2\dll\gengradd.dll and overwrite with the gengradd.dll that is part of the guest additions. However, do not copy the lib*.dll files from the guest additions as they are outdated/no longer needed.

[mauro]

Hi Martin!

Hello Mauro

I don't have the answer to it. I remember I used to have the same problem but I don't know when it got fixed.

Right now on a ArcaOS 5.1 (BIOS) under VirtualBox 7-0-12 (Windows 10 Host) I'm using this mouse driver and it is working fine:
- 1-31-20  3:06a        25,774    227 a--r  VBoxMouse.sys
But I also don't know if the issue is the mouse or the video driver.

sorry do not remember how to check a file version info in an OS2 command prompt.
Virtualbox version I'm actually using is 7.0.6
 

1) can you post your version of VBoxMouse.sys ?

I've downloaded the Guest Additions 7.0.6 and replaced VBoxMouse.sys  instead of Valery's 218r GA version one : no Guest Additions mouse properties anymore, no mouse integration, it is as it was before the GA installation, well working -no issue- but no exit out the VM window.

2) Are you using Valery's latest version - ftp://osfree.org/upload/vbox/additions/VBoxAdditions-os2-x86-5.0.51.r218.zip (2020-01-31)

yes

3) What are you using for video driver? I was told long ago that with the GRADD that came on the addons was good enough. Panorama or SNAP didn't give much on the VM (as I was told)

gengradd.dll, now replaced with vbxgradd.dll contained in the Valery's 218r GA. The video config.sys entries have been modified as per  readme:

SET GRADD_CHAINS=C1
DEVICE=C:\OS2\GRADD.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VMANWIN.SYS
REM SET GREEXT=SDDGREXT
REM SET C1=SDDGRADD
SET C1=VBXGRADD

Other general comments:

I'm using Valery Sedletski's "vboxsf.ifs" (notice the slight change of name between "vboxsf.ifs" and "vboxfs.ifs")  because it offers WPS share folder usage.

let me correct you, the Valery's GA valid file is vboxfs.ifs which I use, the other one is in the Oracle GA.  In fact by trying to have vboxsf.ifs (and adapted its name in the config.sys call), I loose the shared folder.

thank you much

[mauro]

Hi Lars, thanks for your answer

The Virtualbox provided additions .....

please see my reply to Martin which contains some of the elements you are highlighting

I have never found a need to update gengradd.dll but in case it matters for your sytem:
For your graphics problem, unlock \os2\dll\gengradd.dll and overwrite with the gengradd.dll that is part of the guest additions. However, do not copy the lib*.dll files from the guest additions as they are outdated/no longer needed.

also applied this in my installation attempt with the Oracle GA 7.0.6 (followed the readme), but then the system traps at boot, had to get back using the Valery's GA installation which gives the VBXGRADD as video driver

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi Lars.

The Virtualbox provided additions have a fixed "VBoxSF.ifs" for quite some time now. It was fixed in >= 6.1.32 and is working just fine (with shared folders) with the provided "VBoxSF.ifs".

Thanks for the tip. I had installed VirtualBox Addons version 7 from the VBox 7 Addons, and sharing folders works with WPS integration. So, I guess I will use the newer ones. I will keep testing it.

Regards

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi Lars.

I found a limitation on the VBOXAdditions 7. I was not able to copy a file, from the WPS guest, to the shared folder (host). It says "SYS0266: The specified file was not copied". I made sure I had "full access" while sharing. On the host is creates a file with the right name but 0 size bytes.

I do not have that limitation with Valery's VBoxAdditions, it just shows me a warning that EAs will not be copied and allowed me to copy files to the Windows host.

Regards

[Lars]

Copy from the commandline. That works ok.
VBOXSF.IFS (from Virtualbox) seemingly does not properly handle the FS_COPY command for remote drives (because that's how shared folders are represented to the OS/2 guest).
It would be nice if you raised a bug with Virtualbox.

[mauro]

Copy from the commandline. That works ok.
VBOXSF.IFS (from Virtualbox) seemingly does not properly handle the FS_COPY command for remote drives (because that's how shared folders are represented to the OS/2 guest).
It would be nice if you raised a bug with Virtualbox.

Lars, the point is that VBOXFS.IFS file by Valery's GA has fixed the issue with the WPS window, that's why some of us feel ok with that version

[mauro]

Hi, since it seems not clear how try to solve directly by fixing video driver side, it would then be the case trying to force the pointer not changing shape when pass onto the icon (that is the moment that the issue happens).
Does anybody knows how to ?
Thank you