Adding an "interface" parameter for storage controllers

[ManWithNoName]

Hello,

I'm working with command lines via vboxmanage and I have found one thing which is not clear (also in GUI) concerning the storage controller parameters.

Actually, this is defined as following :

List of Storage controller (Storage Treeview in GUI)
- Controller : "Controller 1 Name"
- Controller : "Controller 2 Name"

and for each controller (Attributes View in GUI)
- "IDE Controller" :

• Name
  Type
  Using host IO cache (Check box in GUI)

- "SATA Controller" :

• Name
  Type
  Port Number
  Using host IO cache (Check box in GUI)

I can see that there is no "interface" parameter in the list, the only way we have to know which interface is used is by using the controller's name.
By default, it seems that VirtualBox give a storage controller's name with the name of the interface which is used.
Per example, an IDE controller will have IDE as name.

I think controller's name and their interface are not the same thing, we shouldn't mix them.

I think it would be usefull adding a parameter named as "interface" to display/change the interface used by the storage controller (IDE, SATA, SCSI, etc.) in the GUI.

With command line via vboxmanage, I didn't find too any way to get/set the interface used by a storage controller. Neither with the vboxmanage list, neither with vboxmanage showvminfo or with vboxmanage storagectl commands.

Rem. : I think too, the "type" word used in GUI for the "type" attribute is not very clear too and may be confused. For IDE storage controller, this is not really a "type" but rather a "chipset" or a "die". In GUI, we speak about a "type" and with vboxmanage storagectl, we speak about --controller so in my mind this is not easy to understand.

Regards

[socratis]

I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but if you hover over the controller the tooltip gives you the information that you're looking for. Name, Bus, Type. Of course you cannot change it on the fly, but I don't think that this was ever meant to be. You'll have to destroy the one type of controller and add a new one.

[ManWithNoName]

Yes, you're right the tiptool give us this information.
But is there a way with CLI (Vboxmanage) to get it ?

Regards

[socratis]

You could use "VBoxManage showvminfo <VM_Name>" and indirectly deduce the information. Example where the IDE controller was renamed to 'lala' and the SATA to 'mama':

• Storage Controller Name (0):            lala
  Storage Controller Type (0):            PIIX4
  Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
  Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
  Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
  Storage Controller Bootable (0):        on
  Storage Controller Name (1):            mama
  Storage Controller Type (1):            IntelAhci
  Storage Controller Instance Number (1): 0
  Storage Controller Max Port Count (1):  30
  Storage Controller Port Count (1):      1
  Storage Controller Bootable (1):        on

The IDE controller type can be "PIIX3", "PIIX4" or "ICH6". The SATA controller type on the other hand can only be "IntelAhci". Just for completion the SCSI controller type can be "LsiLogic" or "BusLogic" and the SAS can only be "LsiLogicSas".

I completely agree with you that the information could be made easier to see. It's already there, it's just a matter of adding the information in the GUI and in the CLI. So +1 from me.

[ManWithNoName]

OK, Thanks for your answer !!!
I think it would be usefull adding these precisions in the documentation too.
By resume, with informations you answered me :

IDE : PIIX3, PIIX4 or ICH6
SATA : IntelAHCI
SCSI : LsiLogic or BusLogic
SAS : LsiLogicSas
Floppy : I82078
USB : USB

In the documentation (PDF) for VBox v5.1.6, I think some "types" have been forgotten in the Vboxmanage storagectl section :
I can read :
[--add <ide/sata/scsi/floppy>]
What about sas and usb types ?

and by typing vboxmanage --help (with Vbox v5.0.26), I can read :
[--add ide|sata|scsi|floppy|sas]
What about usb type ?

Regards

[socratis]

Yeap, you're absolutely right! I went a step further and here's a comparison between the "VBoxManage storagectl" command and the user manual (both from 5.1.7 r110731 (Qt5.5.1). The reds are missing from one or the other, the purples are mismatches which apparently do not affect the commands (case insensitive), but still could be addressed:

• VBoxManage storagectl
  <uuid|vmname>
  --name <name>
  [--add ide|sata|scsi|floppy|sas|pcie]
  [--controller LSILogic|LSILogicSAS|BusLogic|
                IntelAHCI|PIIX3|PIIX4|ICH6|I82078|NVMe]
  [--portcount <1-n>]
  [--hostiocache on|off]
  [--bootable on|off]
  [--rename <name>]
  [--remove]
  
  User Manual
  <uuid|vmname>
  --name <name>
  [--add <ide/sata/scsi/floppy>]
  [--controller <LsiLogic|LSILogicSAS|BusLogic|
                IntelAhci|PIIX3|PIIX4|ICH6|I82078|usb>]
  [--portcount <1-30>]
  [--hostiocache on|off]
  [--bootable on|off]
  [--rename <name>]
  [--remove]

Based on some tests that I did, the following combinations work and should be included in both the User Manual and the help output of VBoxManage:

• VBoxManage storagectl <uuid|name> --name <name> --add usb [--controller usb]
  VBoxManage storagectl <uuid|name> --name <name> --add pcie [--controller NVMe]
  VBoxManage storagectl <uuid|name> --name <name> --add sas --controller LSILogisSAS

If you add a USB or a PCIe interface you do not have to specify the controller since there is only one.

However, there is an additional bug in the SAS case, where if you do not specify the controller, the command is perfectly accepted, the interface is created but the controller type is set to USB (?!?) both in the tooltip and in the "VBoxManage showvminfo", but not in the GUI (?!?).

I'm filing a bug report on this one and I will post the ticket number.

[socratis]

OK, filed two bug reports; one documentation (trivial) and one VM control (major):

• #15971: "VBoxManage storagectl" missing options in the documentation.
• #15972: "VBoxManage storagectl --add sas" gets USB controller.

[ManWithNoName]

Great Job !!!
Thanks

Regards

[socratis]

OK, filed two bug reports; one documentation (trivial) and one VM control (major):

• #15971: "VBoxManage storagectl" missing options in the documentation.
• #15972: "VBoxManage storagectl --add sas" gets USB controller.

#15972 was fixed as part of the 5.1.8 release.
#15971 will be fixed in a later release.