Where are the secret config files?

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Solaris hosts.
varboxer
Posts: 22
Joined: 29. Mar 2011, 12:29
Primary OS: Solaris
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Solaris, Ubuntu

Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by varboxer »

I am beginning to suspect that the state is stored in a VBoxSVC or VBoxXPCCOMIPCD process, not in a file.

How can I get those processes to reload a changed VM config? Is it safe to restart them?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by mpack »

The VBoxSVC process will normally terminate within a few seconds of the last VM being terminated. And certainly, the fact that it retains a memory of e.g. deleted VMs and deleted media, is a known problem.
Norchem
Posts: 12
Joined: 14. Sep 2012, 01:33
Primary OS: Ubuntu 12.04
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: WindowsXP32/64,2008,2003,Ubuntu64
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by Norchem »

I believe the problem you are running into is similar to my issues.

I had created a 'boxen' user who's home folder was NFS shared to two servers that where going to be the VM hosts. Unfortunately the state of the VBoxSVC seems to be cached within the process on each VM host. So if you made a new VM Guest on one host, it will not show up on the other host until you shutdown every VM Guest and let the VBoxSVC terminate.. It will then re-load the file with the new VM information next time you initiate a VBoxManage command.

SUPER annoying to say the least.. This is the single biggest thing keeping VirtualBox from being enterprise capable. I had some severe issues with the VBoxSVC on one host thinking that an disk UUID was still in use and wouldn't let me delete it because it had an old version of a VM in memory that did point to the disk UUID. I had to shutdown all the VMs on both machines to allow both VM Hosts to sync up.

In the end, I just left the VM Hosts completely separated.. Each had their own .vbox file for each Guest. If the Guest used a VDI file for the storage, I made sure the common storage location for VDIs is mounted in the same spot on each machine. e.x /media/vboxes . Even easier, I just make all new Guests use iSCSI targets for their drives.. This way I don't need to mount any common storage on the hosts.

Hope this helps.
randyjames
Posts: 9
Joined: 30. Dec 2008, 01:51

Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by randyjames »

Thanks for that very useful reply Norchem.
SUPER annoying to say the least.. This is the single biggest thing keeping VirtualBox from being enterprise capable. I had some severe issues with the VBoxSVC on one host thinking that an disk UUID was still in use and wouldn't let me delete it because it had an old version of a VM in memory that did point to the disk UUID. I had to shutdown all the VMs on both machines to allow both VM Hosts to sync up.
In addition to the system problems you reference, there's a real excess of attitude that seems to permeate the vbox forums, and this thread is a classic. As one who is currently wrestling with the redundant guest backup problem, your post will save me a lot of time trying for the elegant solution. (Thanks again.)
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by mpack »

randyjames wrote:there's a real excess of attitude that seems to permeate the vbox forums
Says the guy with 7 posts to his name in 4 years, and none of them particularly helpful to others.

Are you unhappy with the level of (free) support you get here? Then by all means feel free to volunteer a lot of your time, show us all how free support should be done. On the other hand, if all you want to do is leech off of the work of others whilst simultaneously criticising them, well don't expect much further help or sympathy from said others.
randyjames
Posts: 9
Joined: 30. Dec 2008, 01:51

Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by randyjames »

mpack:
Says the guy with 7 posts to his name in 4 years, and none of them particularly helpful to others.

Are you unhappy with the level of (free) support you get here? Then by all means feel free to volunteer a lot of your time, show us all how free support should be done. On the other hand, if all you want to do is leech off of the work of others whilst simultaneously criticising them, well don't expect much further help or sympathy from said others.
The seven posts in four years was no accident. Thanks for demonstrating my point so perfectly.

BTW: If you're really interested in improving the quality of this forum, a good place to start would be the Ubuntu community forums, as well as http://www.howtoforge.com or askubuntu.com. One critical component of a successful forum is for responders to strictly avoid cross-examining those with questions as to the content of their question. Worse: the "Why would you want to do it that way?" response, both of which have the effect of demeaning those with questions.

In order for the open-source collaborative business model to survive (and thrive), successful practitioners must still treat end-users as "customers", and recognize that every problem which drives an end-user to a forum to ask a question is a valuable clue as to what aspects of the product may not be working as well in the real world as the designer/developers anticipated. Norchem's synopsis of the problem he was trying to solve should go right to the top of the queue for the Vbox development team. Redundant backup modules, ready to be switched on automatically and in real-time, is one of the big value-added benefits that virtual computing offers. It should be seamless, and not require peer guests to be power-cycled just to re-direct one of them.
Last edited by randyjames on 13. Dec 2012, 19:30, edited 2 times in total.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by mpack »

I note that yours is a very easy - content free - reply. (which I see you have since edited to provide some content).
randyjames
Posts: 9
Joined: 30. Dec 2008, 01:51

Re: Where are the secret config files?

Post by randyjames »

mpack:

When I said, "there's a real excess of attitude that seems to permeate the vbox forums", I think I may have overstated the problem to some degree. Although I haven't made a formal study, my impression is that there are two or three responders who stand out in this regard, and maybe solving the problem is just a matter of taking it up with them, and educating them as to the negative consequences it has.
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