Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Linux hosts.
...don
Posts: 33
Joined: 24. May 2012, 18:00
Primary OS: openSUSE
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Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by ...don »

Calling FSTAT from Linux against one of the shared folders did not return an error:
54 258 770 1 root smbgrp 706 Directory (Device Number, Inode Number, Permissions, Number of Links, User, Group, Size, Type)
fth0
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Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by fth0 »

...don wrote:However, this had been working for over a year with this exact same configuration.
What did you (not) change? ;)
fth0 wrote:PS: If you provide another strace.log file, please accompany it with the matching VBox.log file.
For the moment, I'm nearly (*) out of ideas. Maybe correlating an strace.log and a VBox.log file gives me some new ideas ...

(*) I was wondering if using the LSI Logic controller plays a role, because it can have up to 128 * 3 drives attached, according to the VBox.log file. But I haven't any concrete theory based on that.
...don
Posts: 33
Joined: 24. May 2012, 18:00
Primary OS: openSUSE
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by ...don »

It stopped working on a Tuesday, and other than normal system activity, I am not aware of any software/hardware changes. There were, of course, things like security definition updates, but I tried uninstalling the security software, and that did not help. Windows does accumulate a lot of bloat over time, so I used the disk cleanup tool to remove a lot of crud which also did not help.

I will generate another log later this evening.
...don
Posts: 33
Joined: 24. May 2012, 18:00
Primary OS: openSUSE
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by ...don »

New upload: https://app.box.com/s/x3f08lo02pdjgx7lw5z43xt1bry7tr3v with strace and VB log.

VM has two shares: /Fileshare which is now a Samba share and which is the same folder that was originally a VB shared folder.
/Anonymous which is a VB shared folder with 1 file in it and Automounted to Z:

I rebooted the Linux host and I restarted the VM and let it quiesce. I then opened MS File Explorer and opened the /Fileshare folder which worked. I then tried to open /Anonymous at around 10:07 which failed.
fth0
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Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by fth0 »

strace.log file wrote:
3071  09:53:32.920285 write(27, "00:00:03.180364 SharedFolders ho"..., 64) = 64
3071  09:53:32.920384 write(27, "00:00:03.180448     Host path '/"..., 143) = 143
[...]
3062  09:55:06.490004 write(27, "00:01:36.750053 VMMDev: Guest Lo"..., 127) = 127
3062  09:55:14.027668 write(27, "00:01:44.287729 VMMDev: Guest Lo"..., 232 <unfinished ...>
[...]
3071  09:55:34.566967 open("/Anonymous/", O_RDONLY|O_NONBLOCK|O_CLOEXEC|O_DIRECTORY <unfinished ...>
3071  09:55:34.567014 <... open resumed>) = 24
[...]
3071  10:05:58.451054 open("/Anonymous/", O_RDONLY|O_NONBLOCK|O_CLOEXEC|O_DIRECTORY) = -1 EMFILE (Too many open files)
3071  10:05:58.451096 stat("/Anonymous/Desktop.ini",  <unfinished ...>
3071  10:05:58.451118 <... stat resumed>0x7f14b373baf0) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
3071  10:05:58.451138 openat(AT_FDCWD, "/Anonymous/Desktop.ini", O_RDONLY|O_CLOEXEC <unfinished ...>
3071  10:05:58.451160 <... openat resumed>) = -1 EMFILE (Too many open files)
3071  10:05:58.451189 write(27, "00:12:28.711298 SharedFolders ho"..., 105 <unfinished ...>
3071  10:05:58.451212 <... write resumed>) = 105
3071  10:05:58.451229 write(27, "00:12:28.711346 SharedFolders ho"..., 97) = 97
VBox.log file wrote:
00:00:03.180364 SharedFolders host service: Adding host mapping
00:00:03.180448     Host path '/Anonymous', map name 'Anonymous', writable, automount=true, automntpnt=Z, create_symlinks=false, missing=false
[...]
00:01:36.750053 VMMDev: Guest Log: 14:55:06.467167 automount vbsvcAutomounterMountIt: Successfully mounted 'Anonymous' on 'Z:'
00:01:44.287729 VMMDev: Guest Log: 14:55:14.015241 timesync vgsvcTimeSyncWorker: Radical guest time change: -17 988 440 487 200ns (GuestNow=1 604 415 314 015 241 700 ns GuestLast=1 604 433 302 455 728 900 ns fSetTimeLastLoop=true )
00:02:32.093475 VMMDev: Guest Log: VBOXNP: DLL loaded.
[...]
00:12:28.711298 SharedFolders host service: Cannot open '/Anonymous/Desktop.ini' -- too many open files.
I've analyzed the strace.log file together with the VBox.log file for more than an hour, but couldn't find anything revealing the cause of the rapid file accesses. They start about 20 seconds after the time shift from UTC to EST (UTC-5), in one of the time gaps inside the VBox.log file (09:55:34.566967 -> 00:02:04.826).

I guess my strategy has failed here. :-( Perhaps some other users around have some additional ideas ...
...don
Posts: 33
Joined: 24. May 2012, 18:00
Primary OS: openSUSE
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by ...don »

I disabled all Windows date/time synchronization options and verified that the VB UTC option was unchecked, so that Windows was using the host's time. Same error.

However, if, after the guest has started, I use ctl-home to bring up the settings menu and then go to Devices/Shared Folders, and add a shared folder here, it works.
...don
Posts: 33
Joined: 24. May 2012, 18:00
Primary OS: openSUSE
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: Windows

Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by ...don »

fth0
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Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by fth0 »

Ok, there is no time shift taking place any more (as expected). The rapid file accesses still occur, but at a much slower rate of only a few per second, and with a total of only a few hundred, so the open file limit isn't reached any more.

In general, I'm wondering about the time gaps, which are long even without using strace. For example, it takes up to 7 minutes until the guest has really finished starting. What is the guest (or host) doing in those time gaps (e.g. 00:01:31 - 00:06:32)?

Another topic: The LSI Logic controller is rarely used in VMs. For a test, can you eliminate this controller from the VM (and maybe some of the 4 virtual disks) and check the time gaps and the shared folder problem?
fth0
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Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by fth0 »

I'm curious: Did you find out anything about the time gaps?
...don
Posts: 33
Joined: 24. May 2012, 18:00
Primary OS: openSUSE
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Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by ...don »

I never did find any additional information on the file access, but as of VB 6.1.22 I can again use Shared Folders.
fth0
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Re: Shared Folder is not accessible, parameter is incorrect

Post by fth0 »

Thanks for reporting back. Does it still take several minutes for the guest OS to boot?
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