Am I in time to report some Problems since RC1? I am entirely "Save to RAM" + VirtualBox module focussed user
First stage testing of RC3, first run with 15+Hours uptime of running Host+Guest VMs.
Having considerable difficulty "passing through" my USB storage devices to any Guest Virtual Machine since RC1
My reference SLAX remix / VB 3.1.6 setup on same hardware is behaving normally.
Had less of a fight this time than with RC2, but its still a huge deterrent to my spending more time running
Porteus x86_64 v1.0 routinely.
Obviously something has changed to affect this since RC1 + VB4.0.x modules released. I had other issues then,
but at least the USB pass-through seemed to work normally. Even in LXDE I could work efficiently, running an
essential main USB drive, and using a variety of USB Flash devices on and off, easily.
With a root KDE desktop: When I plug a storage device in, the "Pop-Up" usually appears in focus over the running
full-screen Guest OS. Usually ( with RC1 ) I just dismissed it, put the Guest Window back in focus, waited a bit,
then went to "Devices" and ticked the new device that appeared. I had a little more of a fight in root LXDE, but did
eventually succeed in umounting the devices from /media (usually from root command line). They seemed to
"automount" and lose information/connection with the GUI Panel widgets for external device state control in RC2
The LXDE / RC2 issue prevented me from doing any significant testing ( Sorry I didnt report it then ) But I got Busy.
I do keep all the logs - from /var/log Host and the VirtualBox Machine. But I cannot figure out what has changed
since RC1 to make RC2 and RC3 so nasty to work with routinely ( and get some useful work done in the VMs with
external storage mounted. The most alarming aspect was a (probably bogus) data/drive corruption warning with
a large xfs archive drive I can ill afford to lose. So I went back to my trusty Slax-remix06 / VB3.1.6 setup until
I saw RC3 on ponce.cc last Sunday.
Uptime on this first RC3 Run now 15Hrs+ My routing survived an overnight turn-off of mobile internet kppp; I
did not need to restart VirtualBox and the Guest OS to regain routing early this morning!
(Root) KDE Desktop quite happily started the two VirtualBox modules; nothing bad happened (yet)
Next: I shall get the appropriate SlackWare packages for aide, gpg, and gkrellm: installing them from a
command line ( separate ) console only login, and do a signature check on this machines Installed Windows
Partitions... If that works out ( and the Host KDE Desktop plus running VMs stay happy ) I'd say I'm closer
to migrating away from last years beautifully stable SLAX-remix + VB 3.1.6
OK! What do I need to do to narrow down this problem? Short of placing my precious xfs main USB drive
integrity at risk! This has to stay mounted for my main dm_crypt User partition for the Ubuntu VM Guest OS.
I can umount it and go entirely native from other User Accounts as needed. But I cant get any work done
in that state - only eating quality time purely testing this Porteus RC3 session.
First - can anyone else reproduce the problems passing-through USB storage devices to Guest VM Appliances?
We are indeed much closer to a system that I can use for routine daily work with some confidence...
Thanks Guys
Posted after 1 hour 28 minutes 26 seconds:
Some important setup detail about how I configured my Save to Ram session ( for those that try to reproduce my USB pass-thru problem ):
Cheatcode adjust (Tab) at "Save to RAM": add ramsize=18% [ 4GiByte Main Memory ]
Set Passwords Both accounts
Logout Guest Desktop immediately
Login KDE root Desktop.
Removed all but US+UK language choices. Set GB as default
Set Monitor Size 1280x1024. Accept configuration ( How do I make this persist across further logouts/logins? )
Setup Dolphin to see Hidden files and detailed list, sort by date.
Go to local disk directory [ /mnt/sda<n>/Porteus64bitRC3 ] where modules are
Raise Command Window. Set a sensible High Contrast default ( not the less visible eyestraining grey fore/black back )
Copy local HDD path in Dolphin URL window
<Paste it into> ln -s <path>/VirtualBox .VirtualBox ( I don't set up Environment Variables, which is probably better for VirtualBox 4.0.x )
OK Now I right click on each of the module names; use the recommended "add module" option from menu.
Back to command window.
cd <paste HDD path again>
command to add extension pack.
Copy sundry .mozila reference profile ans kpprc files to appropriate /root places.
Off we go...
I'm wondering if there is some remaining issue with memory allocation within KDE/LXDE that's causing the problems.
Not tried using a Ctrl-Alt-F1 genuine root console (Only) to add all the extra stuff before running the Desktops. (yet)
( Did this as a successful workaround in RC1/RC2 to add aide + gpg slackware packages then worked from LXDE )
Until weird things happened with USB storage device automounting in the Host Desktop / pass through to the VB module in RC2