Display all changes an application does during install?

[Dirki]

Is it possible to see / watch all changes / modifications done after / doing while installing an application in a box, which are done by this application?

E.g. see the modification of the registry, display all added folders, files, entries in files etc.

Nice greetings, Dirk

[MKhaos7]

VirtualBox itself can't really help you in this issue, since it doesn't know/care about what happens inside the VM (so to say).
I'm sure there are some apps out there that can keep track of this, just try googling for them.

[Dirki]

Okay, many thaks for your fast answer, MKhaos7,

So it behaves (of course) in the same way (in this point) as the real OS / the primary operating system does.

Nice greetings, Dirk

[mpack]

So it behaves in the same way as the real OS does.

Only the guest hardware is virtual. The OS running inside the guest is real, so of course it behaves exactly like it would on any other hardware, and the things you can do with that guest OS inside a VM are the same as the things you can do with the same OS on physical hardware.

The only additional opportunity a VM provides is the ability to easily snoop on transactions at a hardware level. Snooping is possible with physical hardware too, but requires special, and probably expensive, equipment. So it would be possible (say) to log all sector writes to a virtual hard disk. Turning this into a log of Windows XP registry changes would be (er...) somewhat harder.

[Dirki]

Thank you for the understandable explanation, mpack,

But I can (manually) transfer (at least I hope so) files (e.g. docx, jpg, wav etc.) folders, data from a VM to the primary system and vice versa (or from one VM to another). And I can edit files being in the VN and then copy, move to the none virtual system and vice versa (or from one VM to another). And if I see right, I can not edit data, files being on the VM with programs being on my real, the primary system (or being on another VM) and vice versa.

Thanks again, nice greetings, Dirk

[mpack]

The topic of conversation seems to be deviating, so I'm not sure what you're getting at. Yes, the two systems are distinct, except where they meet (inside the VBox application). Like any two separate PCs, if you establish communications between them, with a network connnection for example, then it would be possible for one system to access the others files.

However if you are still talking about probing the low level activities of the guest from the outside then that would require assistance from the VBox app, in the form of logs, callbacks etc. Possible, but not what VBox is currently designed for - and the information gained would be very low level as I mentioned before (meaning things like access to specific hardware registers, not the relatively high level operations that you mentioned at the start).

[Dirki]

Ah yes, sorry for my poor information and causing a bit irritation, mpack.

However if you are still talking about probing the low level activities of the guest from the outside then that would require assistance from the VBox app, in the form of logs, callbacks etc. Possible, but not what VBox is currently designed for - and the information gained would be very low level as I mentioned before (meaning things like access to specific hardware registers, not the relatively high level operations that you mentioned at the start).

Alas, I do not know what "low level activities" or "high level operations" are and what for callbacks are etc. I would like to use VMs not because of simulating / testing hardware or something like that, but to have a further OS to install applications for testing (e.g. without the drawback of having remains after uninstalling or getting [or if gotten just to delete the VM in the worst case] a virus / Trojan / malware on the host OS / disk), to (on demand) more securely surf using e.g. Firefox, to open suspicious e-mails (e.g. containing attachments) and many more.

But more and more I see, it doesn't seem to work like I would like it have to work, you cannot easily, conveniently transfer data / files between the VMs / primary OS. It seems to turn out to be not that sencefull using a VM in this way, unless establishing communications between the VMs / the host disk as you say, could make it work properly. Just an example: to just store an image (or any other file) with Firefox while surfing on a VM would mean - as far as I see it now - you cannot just move this image conveniently to the primary OS (or of course store it just there in the first place).

Thanks for your help, nice greetings, Dirk

[mpack]

I would like to use VMs ... to have a further OS to install applications for testing

That is what a lot of people want to use VMs for, including myself. In effect, the VM is a spare machine I can experiment on, which I don't mind if it gets trashed by bad software, just so long as my main PC can never be affected - at least not until I decide otherwise.

But more and more I see, it doesn't seem to work like I would like it have to work, you cannot easily, conveniently transfer data / files between the VMs / primary OS.

Umm... if it was easy for the guest to access the hosts files then the setup wouldn't be very secure, would it? It would no longer be fit for the purpose just described.

Just an example: to just store an image (or any other file) with Firefox while surfing on a VM would mean - as far as I see it now - you cannot just move this image conveniently to the primary OS (or of course store it just there in the first place).

What's wrong with using shared folders for this? You could download files from a browser directly into a shared folder, if that's what you want.

[Dirki]

Many thanks, mpack.

Umm... if it was easy for the guest to access the hosts files then the setup wouldn't be very secure, would it? It would no longer be fit for the purpose just described.

Yes, you are right with that of course.

What's wrong with using shared folders for this? You could download files from a browser directly into a shared folder, if that's what you want.

Yes okay, indeed, it seems to be exactly what I want (I assume, it can be done by right clicking on any marked folder(s) and just click in the context menu on "Shared folder" or something like that and there is not any further set up necessary), I will try it (on another new PC / system I will install Vista, that's why I ask for all that, before having set it up there and I am considering how to build up the new system the best, to avoid each kind of security issues etc.): So I could set e.g. the folder "My Files" (including all sub folders) being on the primary system or on another hard disk to be a shared folder and would have a similar (or actually the same) effect as if an application (on a VM) would be installed on the primary system. Or I could set an entire hard disk containing all my files / data to be a shared folder. And in this way I could separate all my own data / settings / files (being on the real system, e.g. address book data, .pst file, settings file of e.g. Office 2007) from the program files (being on the VM belonging to e.g. Office 2007 installed on a VM). And that would even work, when my primary system e.g. is Vista and the VM system (or one of them) is XP. If that really would work this way, it would be great.

Many thanks again, nice greetings, Dirk

[fixedwheel]

e.g. the folder "My Files" (including all sub folders) being on the primary system or on another hard disk to be a shared folder and would have a similar (or actually the same) effect as if an application (on a VM) would be installed on the primary system.

thats calling for trouble: use shared folder(s) for data exchange but dont let applications from guest work (read/write, e.g.database ...) on shared folder

[Dirki]

Thanks fixedwheel,

thats calling for trouble

Why? Because of malware / viruses? Or other reasons?

use shared folder(s) for data exchange but dont let applications from guest work (read/write, e.g.database ...) on shared folder

But how else could I use my personal data / settings / files (and keeping them secure, protecting them for corruption) using programs installed on a VM?

Nice greetings, Dirk

[mpack]

I think what fixedwheel means is: do not give the VM access to folders containing data you would not like to see trashed, otherwise it would again defeat the purpose of having an isolated test environment. Give the VM access to it's own distinct shared folder, perhaps containing a copy of any data required.

[Dirki]

Thanks mpack,

Okay, I understand. So then the using of at least some applications like Office, which needs permanently data exchange (with your personal data, files), running on a VM to do the daily work with, seems to be a bit circumstantial, inconvenient especially when all of your own, personal data, files are stored on the primary system. I assume there will not be a better way.

May be the best could be to just use e.g. one shared folder to store your own data, files for each of such programs like MS Office installed on a VM. So e.g. all personal files, settings, data of MS Office are stored / managed in one single shared folder may be containing sub folders, which will be backed up permanently.

Thanks again, nice greetings, Dirk

[fixedwheel]

I think what fixedwheel means is: do not give the VM access to folders containing data you would not like to see trashed, otherwise it would again defeat the purpose of having an isolated test environment.

no, thats another story and to be also considered ... i did mean problems with programs working from guest with repeated open/close file for write operation making corrupt output file ... e.g. http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18112
i suspect compiler, database and maybe mail-client, browser to fail too

[Dirki]

Thanks fixedwheel,

I am not quite sure to understand right (I assume I don't): does that mean to better create shared folders on the VM instead of doing it on the primary system when writing / reading processes are executed permanently in them? So in this example the shared folder containing the personal data / files should be on the same VM as the application (in this example Office) is accessing these shared folders (I guess that would defeat almost all purposes of using a VM) :

May be the best could be to just use e.g. one shared folder to store your own data, files for each of such programs like MS Office installed on a VM. So e.g. all personal files, settings, data of MS Office are stored / managed in one single shared folder may be containing sub folders, which will be backed up permanently.

Nice greetings, Dirk