software wanted: vmware player and/or virtualbox

[Arslan S.]

Arslan, have you noticed that VBox v3.2.10 has come out a few days ago? Might me worth another attempt, as they've fixed stuff for the more recent X server, so maybe as a side effect the problem you ran into is resolved as well.

yea i noticed new version i will try it as soon as possible and i will submit it even if the problem persists

[Ulysses_]

I'm becoming a big TC fan now that is looks like TC is probably one step from becoming the best host for virtualization. 

The lack of usb support in virtualbox is a bit of a pain that may not be soothed with usb server/client freeware, not because usb conversion is probably a little slow but because I don't know how to configure a TC firewall so internet access is only available from VM's.  Internet access from the host is not desirable because if possible infections, whereas from VM's you just dump the VM and the infection is destroyed.

Can someone help regarding a firewall in TC and how to make it allow networking just for the usb client/server freeware and nothing else?

[curaga]

Since the VMs run inside the host, it's by definition not possible to have no access from the host while being connected in the VMs.

Unless you're also running a normal desktop on the virtualization host, which is unadvisable, but iptables does allow rules based on user id. Thus one could block user tc's net access, while running the VMs as some other user.

[danielibarnes]

The free USB Redirector uses port 32032 by default, but that can be changed.

Do you need instructions on basic firewall setup or just help with rules for the usb client? There are lots of examples and tutorials available.

The following rules should work (assuming a default DROP policy):

iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 32032 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --sport 32032 -j ACCEPT

This simply states that outgoing packets headed for TCP port 32032 and incoming packets coming from port 32032 are allowed.

[Ulysses_]

I'm trying to do the equivalent of what is possible with vmware on a windows host.  Comodo firewall is set to "Block All" but vmware bridged networking bypasses this firewall and lets VM's see the internet.  Luckily there is full usb support in vmware, so that's the end of it.  But if that usb client/server freeware was necessary, a firewall setup would be required to allow the usb client/server interface locally but block everything else on the host.

Hopefully virtualbox has the equivalent of vmware bridged networking to bypass the firewall and usb redirector is not too complex in the required iptables settings.

Anyone has virtualbox up and running?  What happens if iptables is set to block all and the guest network card to "bridged"?

[Ulysses_]

Do you need instructions on basic firewall setup or just help with rules for the usb client? There are lots of examples and tutorials available.

Rules for the usb client definitely.  Plus rules so VM's can see the internet but they can't see the host, if bridged networking does not bypass iptables.

[danielibarnes]

Go with a default deny, then, and just add rules like I showed for the usb client/server port for www, ssh, etc. as desired. If you want to exclude your local network subnet as a destination, you can do that as well:

iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 32032 -d ! 192.168.250.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --sport 32032 -s ! 192.168.250.0/24 -j ACCEPT

excludes 192.168.250/24, for example. I haven't tested this, so let me know if it doesn't work for you.

[Ulysses_]

Alright.  Also, how serious is this:

there is a problem with guest addition vboxvideo xorg module, X server crashes with segmentation fault

Do I need that vboxvideo xorg module?  My guests are vectorlinux (based on slackware), mint (based on ubuntu) and freebsd.

[maro]

Do I need that vboxvideo xorg module?  My guests are vectorlinux (based on slackware), mint (based on ubuntu) and freebsd.

I'm using VBox quite a bit (with Linux as well as Windows guests) and very often don't use the guest additions (which include the video driver). You only "need" the Xorg driver of the GA if you depend on the "better video support" (as described here). If this special 'Xorg' driver is not found, the 'Xorg' X server should fall back to a "standard" one like VESA, with limits to the default guest screen resolution (e.g. 800x600 in default confless mode).

Linux guests (like TC) that use 'Xvesa' as their (default) X server don't need it either. They would not make use of it anyway, and I'm quite happy with the results (e.g. better choices of supported screen resolutions).

Now, AFAIK the quote from Arslan was for his attempt then (possibly trying with 'v3.2.8'). He has since produced a 'virtualbox-ose-additions.tcz' based on v3.2.10. Furthermore, I hope you are realizing that the GA are specific to the guest OS (!!). That means you would use this TC extension if you want to run TC in a VBox VM, you don't use it if you want to run VBox on a TC host system. For your other guest OS you'll have to get the GA from those (or you compile it yourself, as this is anyway the approach suggested by Oracle).

[Arslan S.]

yea as maro explained in previous post virtualbox is ok when tc is the host but there is a problem with xorg driver when you run tc as a guest (for example under windows xp)

but you can safely use guest additions with vesa driver but in this case you won't get full screen or any kind of graphics acceleration

note: there is a sample xorg.conf inside guest additions extension

if you are running virtualbox as tc being the host and slackware the guest operating system then you need guest additions from slackware package repository

[Ulysses_]

Looks like that crash with TC as a guest is still there if you need large resolutions and decent video rendering.  I was going to use TC as a guest too.  But it's too early for that it seems.

In certain other guests there is also 3d acceleration with virtualbox that is disabled by default because it has security holes.  Does it work with TC as the host?

If it works, how does it compare with vmware 3d acceleration with TC as a host?

If virtualbox beats vmware, can the same installations of operating systems I have in vmware be used with virtualbox or must they all be re-installed?

[dWLkR]

Looks like that crash with TC as a guest is still there if you need large resolutions and decent video rendering.  I was going to use TC as a guest too.  But it's too early for that it seems.

In certain other guests there is also 3d acceleration with virtualbox that is disabled by default because it has security holes.  Does it work with TC as the host?

If it works, how does it compare with vmware 3d acceleration with TC as a host?

If virtualbox beats vmware, can the same installations of operating systems I have in vmware be used with virtualbox or must they all be re-installed?

vmware is using different emulated hardware - in the past when moving vmware XP guests to vbox or vice versa - it often reads: "xp needs to be activated" or sth. like that... so unless you are using ms volume licenses - you are surely going to experience some difficulties... :/

anyways... PLEASE consider, that this thread is not meant to be misused for discussing VM-guests or even worse: TCL as a VM-guest...

THIS thread is all about: how can TCL become the best "baremetal"-host-OS for kicking of VMs via using: vbox OSE?!

so please, developers: could you create a small package for this task - so I can enjoy TCL for kicking of my VMs?

thank you very much in advance! :>

[Ulysses_]

I'm not sure I understand you, but in any case check out our recent efforts with vmware on a TC host:

http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=7652.msg41485#msg41485

Myself I would rather stick with vmware because:

1. no USB complications at all
2. if vbox crashes TC VMs under certain circumstances, it may crash other linux VMs too
3. reputedly the best virtual display drivers of any virtualization product complete with mature 3d acceleration
4. already a vmware user here so no VM conversion issues

If you want VM's for enchanced security in internet-facing tasks like some of us do, windows is not recommended because there are too many security issues and M$ can stick their activation where the sun doesn't shine.  On the other hand windows in a disposable VM is still better than exposing the host to the internet.

[Kingdomcome]

Hi VBox fans, I apologize that I have not been able to reply before now.  Im glad that someone was willing to continue working on the daunting VBox extensions after I lost my internet access (thank you Arslan).  I too encountered the the problem with the xorg driver and I believe it is a bug in the VBox code, because old versions (2.x) of VBox will compile and run completely normal on TC 3.x.

Kingdomcome

[Arslan S.]

Hi VBox fans, I apologize that I have not been able to reply before now.  Im glad that someone was willing to continue working on the daunting VBox extensions after I lost my internet access (thank you Arslan).  I too encountered the the problem with the xorg driver and I believe it is a bug in the VBox code, because old versions (2.x) of VBox will compile and run completely normal on TC 3.x.

Kingdomcome

no problem and welcome back,

i also referenced arch linux vbox, and your build script in tc 2.x repository, for the Xorg problem i did try everything i can with no luck before i gave up