Host 64bit uninstalled drivers for usb device used by guest

Post by **vbox4me2** » 26. Jan 2009, 21:00

Suppose you have some USB devices on a 64bit host without specific drivers installed but these USB ports are passed to a guest who has drivers installed, will this then work??

For example a usb label printer connected to xp64 host, 2 guests(who have been converted from real to vm) have drivers installed.

If this doesn't work, any ideas about workaround?

Post by **ghr** » 26. Jan 2009, 21:12

Just from theory: this should work; two reasons:
- VB is supposed to mimic hardware and related low level 'protocols'
- USB standards.
In practice it comes down to any (modern USB equipped) computer being able to identify USB accessories; next step is in deciding if it (the computer) has a driver or not. But by then communication is already enabled. Admitted: I never found myself in your situation....

Post by **vbox4me2** » 30. Jan 2009, 22:46

And here's the answer, it works!
xp64 host, all sorts of guests, xp64 has a nice question mark for the usb label printer but the guest driver works as it should.

Post by **ghr** » 31. Jan 2009, 14:48

Nice to see that this works indeed

Post by **vbox4me2** » 31. Jan 2009, 20:25

Yes it is

however, I have a feeling that VB will pass and use ANYTHING the host doesn't recognize, but as soon as the host see's it the guest either hangs or can't use it. So its a possitive thing with a negative issue

KSquared · Post by **KSquared** » 6. Feb 2009, 14:51

vbox4me2 wrote:And here's the answer, it works!
xp64 host, all sorts of guests, xp64 has a nice question mark for the usb label printer but the guest driver works as it should.

Was there anything special that you had to do to get it to work?

I'm trying to VM an application (Calibre - for a Sony eBook PRS-500) that uses a 32 bit USB device driver. My VMBox host OS is Windows 7 64 (Beta) and the guest OS is XP 32.

- The host OS see's the device and it's listed in device manager with a yellow question mark.
- Running the command "VBoxManage list usbhost" on the host OS gives me this . . .

VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 2.1.2
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Host USB Devices:

UUID: dbbffaf2-6b67-447a-aca7-2bfc8c5a4053
VendorId: 0x054c (054C)
ProductId: 0x029b (029B)
Revision: 1.0 (0100)
Manufacturer: Sony
Product: Sony Portable Reader System
Address: \\?\usb#vid_80ee&pid_cafe#6&ed52b26&0&2#{00873fdf-cafe-80ee-aa5e-00c04fb1720b}

So at least VMBox is seeing the device.

But when I run two diagnostic command from the Calibre software ("prs500 info" and "prs500 df") both report not finding a connected reader.

Just wondering if there was any voodoo magic you did to get it to work.

Thx
-K2

Post by **vbox4me2** » 6. Feb 2009, 15:12

Sometimes you need voodoo yes

I had this running for awhile but all of a sudden VB had problems passing the device or the guest hung completely, so I tossed all VB sharing stuff overboard and use Host sharing instead which works flawlessly. For printers you can use the unix print service from windows(lpd) and for the rest simple file/printsharing. I also have a multi reader on the host available to guests via a simple share.

KSquared · Post by **KSquared** » 6. Feb 2009, 17:08

vbox4me2 wrote:. . . so I tossed all VB sharing stuff overboard and use Host sharing instead which works flawlessly.

Is the host sharing something within the VB application or is it another application?

Obviously a Google search on "host sharing" give 4 gazillion hits on everything but what I'm looking for.

Thx
-K2

Post by **vbox4me2** » 6. Feb 2009, 17:22

Its as old as the road to Rome

>click<