Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest?

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
caramba
Posts: 20
Joined: 9. Jan 2014, 20:58

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by caramba »

Thanks again @scottgus!

I'm super interested in this option!
If I am completely missing an important point, then here is another workaround: Don't use Guest Additions Shared Folders. Rather, use real host-OS shared folders passed through the Host-Only network. Then you can not run Guest Additions, stay with VNC, avoid copy/paste conflict, and still be able to pass data between host and guest. In fact, GASFs are really only for manual drag-n-drop file & folder copying between host and guest, not for anything else. But real shared folders can run, edit, churn databases, etc.
We need to mount a single windows host PC folder on the linux guest ...but I'm not sure at all how to achieve it (the links I've seen aren't really clear to me)

Would you by any wild chance be able to point me at a helpful example/explanation?

thanks again!

PS - you can ignore the following section in my previous update, I have done further investigation and it is a red herring :roll:
ADDITIONALLY: I should mention I see an error when installing the 6.1.10 GAs (we've been seeing this for some versions of GAs now but - maybe stupidly - I haven't paid attention to)
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by scottgus1 »

There's not much specific here on the forum or to Virtualbox as to how to share a Windows folder to a Linux OS over a network. Using the Host-Only network is the only unique part. Guest Additions is not needed for any of this arrangement.

Once the Windows folder is shared, access the shared folder in the Linux guest via the host's Host-Only network IP address (defaults to 192.168.56.1 in the Host-Only network that Virtualbox first sets up on initial install). You can find the Host-Only network's host adapter IP address for the network your guest is using by going to the main Virtualbox window's File menu, Host Network Manager, select the Host-Only network being used, and under "Configure Adapter Manually" see the IPv4 Address. Use this IP address in the Linux guest to access the shared folder 'server' on the host.

Accessing via IP address, mounting, setting passwords & permissions, and using the shared folder is the same as you would do with Windows and Linux PCs on a typical Ethernet network.
caramba
Posts: 20
Joined: 9. Jan 2014, 20:58

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by caramba »

thanks so much for all your help @scottgus1.

Closing status from my perspective:
------------------------------------------
1. VB guest additions mess with TigerVNC on CentOS 7 (and likely all Enterprise Linux variations)
2. The guest additions never used to cause problems prior to 6.1.2 so a Guest additions bug has been introduced.
3. Version 6.1.10 version of the guest additions has become even more invasive in that it actually changes the VNC client screen dimensions from those set in the VNC configuration file.
4. This bug is inconsistent in that it doesn't occur on Linux hosts.
5. I can use the workaround of using standard network shares

My closing observations to the Virtual Box development team should they ever read this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. It is a critical design requirement that Guest additions be transparent to a user accessing the guest operating system. Not being able to rely on this renders the guest additions untrustworthy and therefore useless / dangerous.
2. while it is possible to use the alternative network share method kindly suggested by @scottgus1, it is not at all ideal because it means that:
- sharing configuration is required on both the host and the guest (rather than just the VB environment / guest)
- it introduces a requirement for additional unneeded os packages to installed on the guest to support networking share. This OS inconsistency in environment from one server deployment to another introduces the potential for guest behavioural differences and thus increased risk.
- the guest now needs knowledge of the host username / passwords in order to access the shares.

Again @scottgus1 - thank you so much for your efforts and help on this topic, I can only hope Oracle put the effort in to correct this.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by scottgus1 »

Glad to be of service, caramba!

The Bugtracker is the place to report this issue to the devs. They probably won't see this topic.

Be sure to explain carefully how the problem occurs, what host OS, guest OS, Virtualbox, TightVNC versions were being used, and a vbox.log showing a complete run with the offending Guest Additions installed, where the TightVNC troubles happen. For extra credit ( :lol: ) a vbox.log with GAs prior to 6.1.2 showing the TightVNC trouble not happening would also help. Put a link back to this topic.
caramba wrote:1. It is a critical design requirement that Guest additions be transparent to a user accessing the guest operating system
Usually they do. I have been using Virtualbox for a decade and have not had trouble. Others have, depending on other things they have tried to do in their Virtualbox guests or their hosts. There have been more glitches lately, depending on guest OS and security-hole fixes.

Do keep in mind in your description that the devs strive for good quality work and don't slack on the testing. They have a business to advance and paying customers to keep happy. They do depend on someone to tell them a bug exists before they can fix it. In fact, half of the posts we deal with on the forum come from users having trouble because the devs made Virtualbox less 'dangerous'. The 'catch more flies with honey than with vinegar' thing and what-not...
caramba
Posts: 20
Joined: 9. Jan 2014, 20:58

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by caramba »

Thanks again @scottgus, the following ticket has been opened: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/19711
Nell
Posts: 1
Joined: 3. Aug 2020, 12:06

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by Nell »

We are experiencing exactly the same issue on our Centos setup.
We have VirtualBOx running on a Centos host and Centos guests, as well as VirtualBox on Windows 10 with Centos guests.
We use TigerVNC to connect to our servers and we cannot cut and paste since GA 6.1.*

We have reverted to uninstalling the GA on any servers we do not require it, and have installed VB6.0 and GA6.0.24 on the windows hosts.

This is not ideal, and my manager has logged a ticket with VB
Let's hope they sort it out.
fth0
Volunteer
Posts: 5668
Joined: 14. Feb 2019, 03:06
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Linux, Windows 10, ...
Location: Germany

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by fth0 »

caramba wrote:(If I could, I would use the VM without GA installed but the problem is that we need the shared folder ability - which requires GAs)
Well, I could imagine a dirty trick: If you take a look at the list of running processes (e.g. ps -elfH), you'll see several pairs of VBoxClient processes for the individual functions of the GA. If you kill the ones providing the clipboard integration, does the problem persist? ;)
caramba
Posts: 20
Joined: 9. Jan 2014, 20:58

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by caramba »

As per @Nell, the problem relates to VB 6.1 - we reverted to 6.0.24 and the problem went away completely.

Here are my final investigation comments in the ticket: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/19711#comment:2
caramba
Posts: 20
Joined: 9. Jan 2014, 20:58

Re: Why is VB taking over the guest clipboard with VB clipboard functionality disabled for the guest

Post by caramba »

Fantastic news! I have just tested as at 6.1.28 and the guest additions are no longer taking over the clipboard.
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