Path length

[caspertone]

Hi,
My configuration is:

Host Windows 7, VB 4.3.10
Guest Windows XP, guest additions installed.

I share folders host-guest.

Some guest applications malfunction, I traced down to a point that looks an issue of path length being too long:
- guest almost just uses the drive letter mapped to the shared folder, so guest local path is short, but files have a very long name
- it looks that, even if the files fit in the maximum 256 characters in the guest, host path + guest path + file name is bigger that 256 characters, then looks that the guest is probably receiving an error from the host or alike.

If so, looks that max path+filename length in guest is limited to (256 - host folder path length), but did not find anything at the manual.

I tried to find a workaround and remembered section 4.3 of the manual, stating:
"Starting with version 4.0, VirtualBox shared folders also support symbolic links (symlinks), under the following conditions:
The host operating system must support symlinks (i.e. a Mac, Linux or Solaris host is required).
Currently only Linux and Solaris Guest Additions support symlinks."

I am unable to properly understand that;


Questions:
Would you please confirm/deny this guest path+file length constraint?
Above referred symlinks are junctions under windows 7?
Shared folder support of symlinks means that a Windows 7 host can share a folder that is a junction of another host folder?
Shared folder support of symlinks means that a Windows (XP or 7) guest can set up guest-junctions inside its view of the shared folder?
If junctions can be used at the host to base shared folders, would this be a workaround for my too long path issues in the guest?

Thanks in advance,
CT

[socratis]

Would you please confirm/deny this guest path+file length constraint?

It's Windows. Long time known problem. Search 256 character limit windows.

Above referred symlinks are junctions under windows 7?
Shared folder support of symlinks means that a Windows 7 host can share a folder that is a junction of another host folder?
Shared folder support of symlinks means that a Windows (XP or 7) guest can set up guest-junctions inside its view of the shared folder?
If junctions can be used at the host to base shared folders, would this be a workaround for my too long path issues in the guest?

No. Junctions are symlink-like, but not symlink. Does not work on Windows, as the manual states, neither for host nor for guest.

[caspertone]

I know path length limitation, but this is not answering my doubt.
I will try restate my question ...

Host Windows 7, VB 4.3.10; Link Shell Extension installed.
Guest Windows XP, guest additions installed; Masatoshi Kimura XP filter for symlinks installed.

I share folders host-guest.

Section 4.3 of the manual of states:
"Starting with version 4.0, VirtualBox shared folders also support symbolic links (symlinks), under the following conditions:
The host operating system must support symlinks (i.e. a Mac, Linux or Solaris host is required).
Currently only Linux and Solaris Guest Additions support symlinks."

So, my host is supporting symlinks (Windows7).

Questions:
Do current windows Guest Additions support symlinks?

Shared folder support of symlinks means that host can share a folder that is a symlink of another host folder?
Shared folder support of symlinks means that guest can set up guest symlinks inside its view of the shared folder?

TIA
CT

[loukingjr]

Currently only Linux and Solaris Guest Additions support symlinks.
CT

I think that answers your question.

[socratis]

Does not work on Windows, as the manual states, neither for host nor for guest.

[caspertone]

I know I talk ESL(EaaSL). IMHO my question is clear. Obviously I read what you read in the manual; but I already found some obsolete items in the manual, so my question is related to current sw and not to written manual.

Withing that context, I am unable to understand this -> https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/5631
Ticket was "Windows guests don't follow symlinks on shared folders" and claims it was "Fixed in SVN/3.1.4"
It looks that 3.1.2 was able to support symlinks in windows guests (at least with linux hosts).

Once again:
Section 4.3 of the manual of states:
"Starting with version 4.0, VirtualBox shared folders also support symbolic links (symlinks), under the following conditions:
The host operating system must support symlinks (i.e. a Mac, Linux or Solaris host is required).
Currently only Linux and Solaris Guest Additions support symlinks."

Looks not correct:
3.1.2 already had Windows guests GA handling symlinks (at least with Linux hosts), so "starting with version 4.0" ? "Currently only Linux and Solaris GA support symlinks" ?

On the other hand, Windows 7 supports symlinks, so, as per the manual words (The host operating system must support symlinks) there should not be any problem with a Windows 7 host, and as per ticket/5631, there should not be any problem with a windows guest ...

CT

[loukingjr]

I guess if it were me I would create a shared folder with a shorter path length and see if symlinks work.