Author Topic: Virtualbox  (Read 9083 times)

David Kiley

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Virtualbox
« on: March 02, 2015, 06:55:55 am »
Is this the latest version of vitualbox that runs on ECS?:
http://www.os2site.com/sw/apps/virtual/vbox2-1.6.1-r9201-dbcsfix-20080604.zip

Does anyone know if shared networking is supported on it yet - meaning browsing the web over the VM.
I assume usb is still not supported.

According the the documentation there is issues with:
  - Host interface networking.
  - Internal networking.
  - USB proxying.

But i'm not sure if they mean networking and usb are completely not working, or have they made progress?

Thanks


Dave Yeo

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Re: Virtualbox
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2015, 07:46:31 am »
Networking works for me. IIRC I had to use MPTN to install a network driver on the host OS/2system.
What doesn't work here is running it under eCS, possibly due to not installing it correctly. I originally installed it under OS/2 v4.

Andi B.

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Re: Virtualbox
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2015, 09:06:58 am »
Browsing the net works. Although I see not much sense in doing so from a f.i. Win guest ;) If you mean 'is it possible for you special Win banking software to connect to the outside world from the Win guest' - yes.  But TTBOMK you can not configure the guest as an independent system. I think it works like the host doing NAT for the guest. So the guest can not do typical server tasks. 

Another problem I have is I can not connect to my solar converter. Seems the software uses some multicast packets which do not go through correctly. It works with VPC instead.

What does not work very well too is connecting to Netbios shares on your eCS host. Read, it works but very often you see only a few files/dirs and you can not handle through the Win file dialog. But if you know the path/file you can open them. And then it works much faster than with VPC. But OTOH ftp works way slower than with VPC. At least that's what I observed.

Mouse pointer does not work as it should too. The mouse arrow does not change when you are on window boundaries so it is little hard to resize windows of the guest.

Doug Bissett

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Re: Virtualbox
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2015, 08:34:03 pm »
I suggest that you look at the Virtual Users mail list:

To subscribe, E-mail to: <virtualized_ecs_users-on@2rosenthals.com> and reply to the confirmation email.
Web archives are publicly available at: http://lists.2rosenthals.com

There is a lot more information about using virtual machines (mostly VBox) to run eCS, or OS/2, under another OS, but running other OSs under OS/2 is also there.

FWIW, I do have a VBOX 1.6.1 set up under eCS. I run WinXP in it. That works okay, until I switch XPager (ePager) to a different window. It refuses to go back, so I need to force a reboot. I do need to use NAT, because TAP slows down all networking to a crawl. Using NAT doesn't seem to be a problem, but I cannot attach my network to the local machine. That isn't too much of a problem, because Shared Drives works (with windows guests, it does not work with an eCS guest). As you note, USB is not supported. Sound may work, IF you have a sound card that supports multiple streams (only SoundBlaster Live, I think). Sound must be turned on by running a command, but it is generally not very useable. You will find that it is best to define a SoundBlaster device, for the guest, rather than a more advanced sound device. The overhead is much less.

So, the answers:
  - Host interface networking.
  - Internal networking. (Not really sure what the difference is).
     Works, with TAP, but TAP causes other networking problems. Use NAT and Shared Drives (when supported) for host system access. Networking works well, to other physical machines, including routers with access to the internet. I can also use my WiFi connected HP D110a printer, over the network. My brother uses a Canon WiFi connected printer, although doing so is rarely (never) required.

  - USB proxying.
    Does not work.

Joseph M. Kempf

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Re: Virtualbox
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2015, 01:25:24 am »
I suggest that you look at the Virtual Users mail list:

To subscribe, E-mail to: <virtualized_ecs_users-on@2rosenthals.com> and reply to the confirmation email.
Web archives are publicly available at: http://lists.2rosenthals.com...

FWIW, I do have a VBOX 1.6.1 set up under eCS. I run WinXP in it. ... Sound must be turned on by running a command, but it is generally not very useable. You will find that it is best to define a SoundBlaster device, for the guest, rather than a more advanced sound device. The overhead is much less.

... I can also use my WiFi connected HP D110a printer, over the network. My brother uses a Canon WiFi connected printer, although doing so is rarely (never) required.

  - USB proxying.
    Does not work.

Thank you for recommending the Virtual Users mail list. I signed up for it this morning.

I run Win XP as a guest (with eCS 2.2 beta as a host) in Virtual PC 5.1 and in Virtual Bo 1.61.  Win XP seems to run a bit better in VPC.  I have however been able to install and run the 32 bit version of Win 7 in Virtual Box 1.61 with eCS as a host.   I have had no such luck with Win 7 in VPC.  The Windows 2008 Server setting in VBox works for Win 7.  You will need to use the AMD nic from Windows 2003 Server though to get network working.   I have not been able to install Windows 8 though.

Can you say what Canon Wifi connected printer your brother uses?

Thanks
Joe Kempf

Doug Bissett

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Re: Virtualbox
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2015, 05:18:11 am »
Quote
Thank you for recommending the Virtual Users mail list. I signed up for it this morning.

Those who use such things seriously seem to hang out there, so questions usually get good answers. I would suggest that you will want to search in the web interface, before you ask questions, those guys are usually pretty busy.

Quote
I have not been able to install Windows 8 though.

I have never tried to get anything newer than XP to work, especially with eCS as a host. The VBox is just too old.

I had VPC under Win7 PRO 64, but decided to scrap that, and use VBox, so all of my systems are the same. You can export the VBox systems under one host, and import them under another host. So far, that has worked well with Win7, and Linux Mint, as hosts.

Quote
Can you say what Canon Wifi connected printer your brother uses?

It is a Canon MP620. It works with CUPS, but it is a PITA to get it going, and I never got the scanner to work in eCS. Of course, it works perfectly with XP, in a real machine, or in a virtual machine.

I have two HP printers. The C4180 (USB connected) prints okay with CUPS1.4.8, and I got TAME to scan, once, and never again. The D110a is WiFi connected, and it works with CUPS 1.4.8 (although it looks like AOO4.1 broke something). Scanning works great, using the internal web page (in the printer), so it is completely OS independent. I am pretty sure that all recent HP network attached (WiFi) printers have the scanning feature.

Joseph M. Kempf

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Re: Virtualbox
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2015, 06:20:00 pm »
Thanks again Doug.

I joined the Virtual User mail list solely to monitor the discussion.   One can learn much by quietly listening ;-)

I've had luck installing various OS's in VBox 1.61 with eCS as host (and only in v1.61) from iso files downloadable from http://getintopc.com/softwares/operating-systems/

I'll look into HP all-in-ones.

Joe