USB 3.0 Support

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lobo
Posts: 1
Joined: 15. Aug 2012, 16:14

USB 3.0 Support

Post by lobo »

Hi Folks,

First of all, thanks for a great product.

Today, many new laptops are shipping with USB3.0 ports only. Currently VirtualBox does not support USB3.0 which makes it impossible to use any USB devices with a guests OS.

I use VirtualBox extensively on laptops and this has become more and more of an issue, to the point where I have had to switch to VMWare to run my guests until we catch up.

I haven't found any indication of whether this is being worked on, or better still an ETA. Any information would be fantastic!

Thanks in advance.
Andre.Ziegler
Posts: 62
Joined: 17. Jul 2007, 13:45
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows Embedded Standard 7, Windows Vista Sp2, Linux (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Zorin)

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by Andre.Ziegler »

Try VMware Player Version 5, it looks like the new version supports USB 3.0
kevcal
Posts: 8
Joined: 2. Jun 2008, 23:21
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Fedora
Location: UK

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by kevcal »

USB3 support is getting quite urgent amongst people I know using Virtualbox.

Did try uninstalling Intel extensible usb 3 host controller as per some other forum posts, but to no avail - it just disabled all my USB3 ports.

Would guess this is getting urgent for people with new hardware; my laptop only has USB3 ports.
furymaster
Posts: 4
Joined: 9. Oct 2012, 11:37

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by furymaster »

Yes, indeed, it gets urgent. Most current hardware is using USB 3.0, and more and more notebooks solely support USB 3.0 - the complete MacBook Series runs USB 3.0 exclusively, so starting with the late 2012 models USB support on these notebooks is unusable. I need USB for syncing PocketPCs with my guest XP/Win7, therefore I can't use actual MacBooks anymore.

As other virtualization hosts do support USB 3.0, please don't fall back by not supporting USB 3.0 - I'm even willing to pay for that...
sej7278
Volunteer
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Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by sej7278 »

surely usb3 can fallback to usb2 mode anyway?

i'm pretty sure the usb controller on your hardware is irrelevant to virtualbox, it might just display it as usb2 to your guests, but it should still work.

have you actually tried it with vb 4.2 and the guest additions/extpack installed?

seems odd that everyone who finds it incredibly urgent has almost no post count.
furymaster
Posts: 4
Joined: 9. Oct 2012, 11:37

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by furymaster »

If it would fall back to USB 2.0 - well, the world would be paradise for me. But instead, nothing on these ports is recognized at all. No matter what. Even using USB 2.0 Hub and connecting through this device help. The USB devices are grayed out and trigger errors when attached to a virtual machine. :evil:

It is NOT urgent to use USB 3.0 devices (as all of them work on 2.0 also), but the USB 3.0 controllers... :!:

USB 3.0 is around for years, so what's the matter with supporting this technology? :roll:
sej7278
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Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by sej7278 »

furymaster wrote:USB 3.0 is around for years, so what's the matter with supporting this technology? :roll:
nothing wrong with supporting it eventually, but its hardly been around for years - months maybe but its hardly mainstream.
furymaster
Posts: 4
Joined: 9. Oct 2012, 11:37

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by furymaster »

USB 3.0 was released in November 2008...
f456
Posts: 54
Joined: 2. Sep 2012, 16:42

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by f456 »

it`s because of these details that customers switch software. And once they do, they are unlikely to go back, unless there`s a good reason.
If you want to keep your userbase, you dont want to implement features that your competition added month ago "eventually" - you will want to catch up asap.
DNS
Posts: 107
Joined: 2. May 2011, 00:16
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: xp win7

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by DNS »

Either wait patiently or contribute the code for it yourself.
f456 wrote:it`s because of these details that customers switch software. And once they do, they are unlikely to go back, unless there`s a good reason.
If you want to keep your userbase, you dont want to implement features that your competition added month ago "eventually" - you will want to catch up asap.
Says the free loader user who believes he is entitled to bark orders and disparage a FOSS product. If thats the type of userbase you are representing and alluding to, then nothing of value was lost.
f456
Posts: 54
Joined: 2. Sep 2012, 16:42

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by f456 »

who believes he is entitled to bark orders and disparage a FOSS product
c`mon that`s not fair.
I love opensource and have the greatest respect for the people maintaining vbox, or any other OS project for that matter.
In fact, i am on the developing teams of some (granted, smaller and less complex) OS projects myself.

I need USB3, too, but you dont see me wandering off to (free, as in $$$) vmware products, do you?

Example:
At our company, departments can choose between using virtualbox or the companies vmware license (and there`s no monetary motivation behind that).
But once you are set up, it`s obviously hard to switch. Means, if vbox falls behind vmware in some frequently used features, some may consider a switch to vmware - and are unlikely to ever go back.

peace.
frankyx
Posts: 1
Joined: 5. Nov 2012, 19:25

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by frankyx »

Dear vbox developers,

Just started using virtualbox and I can only a agree to the first poster, it is a great product.
Unfortunatetly I am also stuck with a notebook offering only USB3 ports.
I would like to come back to initially politely asked question if there are already plans to work on USB 3 port support.
Supporting the ports in USB2 mode would be sufficient.

Best regards,

Frank
wjunior
Posts: 1
Joined: 6. May 2013, 22:01

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by wjunior »

So, when is USB 3 be supported on VirtualBox?
noteirak
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Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by noteirak »

Short version : nobody knows and the devs' moto is not to tell a soul.
So your guess is as good as mine :D
Hyperbox - Virtual Infrastructure Manager - https://apps.kamax.lu/hyperbox/
Manage your VirtualBox infrastructure the free way!
Ramshankar
Oracle Corporation
Posts: 792
Joined: 7. Jan 2008, 16:17

Re: USB 3.0 Support

Post by Ramshankar »

noteirak wrote:Short version : nobody knows and the devs' moto is not to tell a soul.
It's actually more of an Oracle policy thing than the individual attitude of us developers. Also, remember the OSE version is pretty transparent and if someone was really interested they're free to look at what we've committed :)
Oracle Corp.
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