Shared folder slow performance

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Linux hosts.
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jluishg
Posts: 6
Joined: 29. May 2021, 19:44

Shared folder slow performance

Post by jluishg »

I use Ubuntu 18.04. I have a VM with windows xp 32b when i work visual foxpro 7 and 9 projects. I just notice that files from shared folders take seconds to be loaded in memory. I copy those files to drive C in VW and they are called in memory very fast. ¿Any idea? I hope you understand this topic. Thx in advance.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Shared folder slow performance

Post by mpack »

In general: VirtualBox Guest Additions shared folders are designed to let you copy files into the VM. They are not well suited to complex tasks, complex permissions, or high performance tasks. For that it would be better to configure a true network share and take full advantage of the heavily optimized network stack used by the guest OS.

However, you may have other problems that we can't diagnose without a VM log. Make sure the VM is fully shut down, then right click it in the manager UI. Select "Show Log" and save "VBox.log" (no other file) to a zip file. Attach the zip here.
jluishg
Posts: 6
Joined: 29. May 2021, 19:44

Re: Shared folder slow performance

Post by jluishg »

I think is something with recent VM upgrade. I have been working with VM and wxp for years. VFP is from old school and does not need to much resources. In this link you can see a video. When I work in drive C the response is automatic, but when I work in share folder the response takes more than 30 seconds.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v9b978s3lw2ql3y/vfp7.mkv?dl=0

Thx again.
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winxp-2021-06-19-17-48-36.zip
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scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Shared folder slow performance

Post by scottgus1 »

The VM mounts the Virtualbox Shared Folder:
00:00:03.624599 SharedFolders host service: Adding host mapping
00:00:03.624654 Host path '/media/jluishg/ms-w', map name 'ms-w', writable, automount=true, automntpnt=, create_symlinks=false, missing=false
00:00:14.830915 VMMDev: Guest Log: 22:01:08.964733 automount vbsvcAutomounterMountIt: Successfully mounted 'ms-w' on
The VM does not show to my eyes any problems in the log.

Forum advice has long been, per Mpack's comments above, to use Virtualbox Shared Folders for nothing else than copying files. No opening, editing, running, databasing, only copying between host and VM. The concept comes from there not being a full 'shared folder' API for the Virtualbox Shared Folder. A real shared folder generated by the host OS (not configured through Virtualbox settings) over a Virtualbox Bridged or Host-Only network gives full shared folder experience.

You can give a post on the Bugtracker if you'd like. The post would be especially helpful if you could pin down the last version the good performance you had existed under. Maybe a bug has crept in. A vbox.log with the older version and good performance, and another vbox.log with the next version and bad performance would be a good Bugtracker post.
jluishg
Posts: 6
Joined: 29. May 2021, 19:44

Re: Shared folder slow performance

Post by jluishg »

Thx for your explication. For now I'm working in drive C of VM and the speed is ok. I'm trying to setup a share folder from host as a network resource. Is it posible using wxp in VM? I think this post is now solved :) ... thx again.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Shared folder slow performance

Post by scottgus1 »

jluishg wrote:I'm trying to setup a share folder from host as a network resource. Is it posible using wxp in VM?
Oops! I'm sorry! I did not notice it was XP. Using a host-OS shared folder could still work, if you're willing to reduce host security a bit.

XP's shared folders service uses only the SMB1 protocol. This protocol has a security hole that the Wannacry virus used. The SMB1 protocol has been disabled in modern OS's. Windows 10 can re-enable it, Ubuntu may be able to as well. The risk is if Wannacry is still out there. Then again, I still have W7 and XP PCs running with SMB1 enabled. Since I don't web-browse on them, I feel that I'm OK. If you practice safe browsing you may be OK enabling SMB1 on your Ubuntu host too, then XP can use the host's shared folder.
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