Sun xVM VirtualBox v. 2.2: USB support on {Open}Solaris works and HP's multifunction printers work like a charm.

As I told you on another post I had some problems with VirtualBox on a Solaris host: missing USB support not only meant that USB devices were unmanageable, it also meant that other software (such as HP's solution center for multifunction printers) wouldn't even install because of that missing feature. I planned to use my printer though the Ethernet interface but the software wouldn't install.

Until I installed Sun xVM VirtualBox v. 2.2. Experimental USB support was sufficient for HP's software to install and the printer worked perfectly both from Windows and Linux guests. Direct access to the printer by setting up a filter was straight forward.

A note about networking configuration: HP's solution center uses a certain number of TCP and UDP ports to communicate with the multifunction device. The printer documentation was detailed and setting up a firewall or a set of NAT rules wouldn't be hard. By the way, once I realized that the problems I was experiencing with the scanner were due to VirtualBox's default network configuration, I decided to change the guest's network settings.

If you're a Solaris Express user who regularly updates its system, you'd probably read about Crossbow project. Crossbow project, which was integrated in Nevada build 105, aims to provide the building blocks for network virtualization on Solaris hosts. The first thing I thought about was, indeed, creating a virtual NIC. But the solution was easier than that and it's called "Bridged networks" on VirtualBox's jargon. You simply change the adapter configuration for you VirtualBox host from NAT to Bridged and you optionally choose the physical NIC you want to bridge upon, in the case your system has more than one. Boot your guest OS and you'll have a virtual NIC at your disposal, without the limitations of the NAT configuration. And if you are communicating with the "outside world", such as a network multifunction printer or some CIFS client, your guest OS' NIC will appear just as a physical NIC.

The only caveat to use this technique is that, on Solaris hosts, Virtual NICs and VirtualBox bridged networking isn't implemented (yet) on top of a Wireless NIC.

Enjoy,
Grey

Sun xVM VirtualBox 2.2: Experimental USB support for OpenSolaris hosts

I really never had the need of even thinking about USB support on VirtualBox until I bought an HP OfficeJet 6500 multifunction printer at home. I chose that printer because it has a network interface and it was (more or less) supported by HPLIP Linux driver: I thought it could work with some hacking with Solaris as well. Worked indeed in Solaris but there was no hope to have the scanner work with Sane (let alone the fax...). No problem, thought I: I'll run a Linux or a Windows on VirtualBox and use HP's software.

Well: HP Windows software does not install if it detects that the OS doesn't support USB. No way to go, even if at the beginning of the installation I chose "Network attached printer". No way. USB support is good news for everybody and as far as it concerns myself, I hope to be able to launch and perform HP's software installation.

Edited: I finally had the time to setup another Solaris host and, indeed, everything is working fine.

Bridged networking in Sun xVM VirtualBox 2.2

If you're using Sun xVM VirtualBox as your desktop virtualization platform you'll surely be familiar with the default networking options applied when you create a Virtual Machine: the default configuration applied is NAT networking.

NAT networking is surely suitable to basic networking needs (such as surfing the web) but it early shows its limitation as soon as the user tries to use not only P2P programs or VOIP clients: it also shows its limitations using Windows file sharing. I personally experienced many troubles with Windows file sharing oreven being a CIFS client from a Windows guest to a Solaris host. Not mentioning the problems I had while trying to run some propietary piece of software such as HP Solution Centers to run my little home printer. No way.

If you're curious about NAT types and NAT limitations, you can look Wikipedia NAT entry and Sun xVM VirtualBox User Guide, too. If you just want to scratch the surface, think of a host behind router: the host is the host OS and the router is VirtualBox internal NAT engine. The host can see the network through the router and the machine is unreacheable from outside the network. Opening ports on the router so that certain services could be accessible is possible but it requires configurations. Even so, VirtualBox NAT engine introduces some further limitation. Summarizing: even if it's a default zerco-conf option, I would avoid using NAT because you could run into some problems difficult to diagnose.

Bridged networking (formerly known as host networking)
The solution to this problem was formerly known as host networking which have recently been dubbed bridged networking in the recent VirtualBox releases. In the earliest VirtualBox versions this configuration required some work and even if it was pretty easy to accomplish in most guests, such as Linux or Solaris, it was undoubtely a power user configuration. On Solaris, for example, project Crossbow greatly simplified dealing with such issues: not only with VirtualBox but in every use case in which you could benefit a virtual NIC.

Sun xVM VirtualBox 2.2 has just been released and bridged networking has been greatly simplified: you can now choose that option and your guest OS will be assigned a NIC which effectively is a new network interface in software. Your guest OS will not experience any limitations and you'll be able to freely run your software as if the guest OS were a real box connected to your network. This also means that the internal DHCP server you were using with NAT configurations cannot be used and the network adapter must be configured somehow. If you are using a residential gateway with an integrated DHCP server you'll probably have no problems booting your virtual machine, being assigned an IP number and being able to use your network immediately. If you have a more complex network configuration, just configure your NIC.

I just tried this networking option on Linux (including on a wireless NIC) and on Solaris Express Community Edition build 110 and it works like a charm. Every problem I had with Subversion or with the CIFS client has disappeared without the need of creating a TAP interface (on Linux) or a VNIC (on Solaris). Easier than ever!

Enjoy!

GMail has gone down (and it seems I lost some setting...)

It's sort of a news I won't tell you anything new because all of the world is talking about this: GMail has been down for hours and Google hasn't (yet) given any explanation about the service outage. The thing that drives me crazy it's that it seems I lost the labels' configuration: they all reset their color to that pale yellow they had before customizing (each of) them.

Yes, it's not that bad: I could have lost data, who knows... and it wouldn't be the first time for it to happen with GMail. But these little details throw a shadow about the reliability of a service I'm running without any concern or doubt about its stability. I'm acting as if I thought it was absolutely bullet-proof. I do no gmail backup and never store a copy of my emails in any of the computers I use. I don't even backup my contacts or calendar details.

My fault, I admit, but Google service quality and ubiquity made me accustom to them: I know they're there, when I want, wherever I want, whichever device I could be using.

Should think about that very famous beta tag and value my personal data for what they're worth.

Edit on 02/25/2009: Today I opened the browser and discovered that the settings made their way back into my account! Google accustomed us to high levels of service and we tend to magnify the importance of every problem, even though taking into account the critical importance these services have for the tenths of thousands of users that every day log in in Google servers. If I paid for it, I would expect something more from it, especially in terms of post-mortem diagnosis and explanations from Google. Today, I still don't know what happened yesterday to GMail.

Do you pay for the services you use?

And here the word service could mean everything: from software, to music.

This usually start with a dialogue like this:
Somebody: "Use Word. Now!"
Me: "I haven't got a license for Microsoft Word"
S: "I can burn you a DVD"
Me: "Still, I wouldn't have a license for Microsoft Word"

You can change "Word" with whatever you like, I'm sure most of the PC you're using are stacked up with mp3 or software you haven't paid for, even if you should.

I made a living out of programming, that's why I'm more sensitive about software than other things, but the point is the same. A world is really free if somebody wants to be paid for the work he's done. Period.

Don't flame me before reading on. I'm always been a supporter of free software and I couldn't even imagine a world without it! My workstation wouldn't even have an OS installed, in that case. Myself, I gave for free many of the things I've done. But in those case, it was me who wanted that software to be free. Paying for commercial software not only is an obligation; it's also an act of respect and appreciation towards people who worked for that piece of software to be as good for you. You chose it and you paid for it, there's some reason why.

In a world without free software, I wouldn't approve the use of unlicensed software either. But in a world full of alternatives, I cannot understand why some people simply ignore alternatives and stick with illegally hijacking software. On one hand, you're performing an illicity; on the other hand you're also damaging the community you could be member of if you only chose a free software that fitted your needs. Being an user is one of the most valuable ways you can contribute to the community: you could give impressions, spread the software, write documentation and, obviously, report bugs.

A few examples (if you still need them...)

Did you know that you can probably use OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office? Sure, they're not the same thing. But I'm sure that OpenOffice is as much as suitable as Microsoft Office, for the average user. Are you using some complex Visual Basic macro? Are you developing programs using automation? Probably no... And even if you were, OpenOffice could probably be the tool for you. As far as it concerns my own experience, the typical user uses just a small percentage of Microsoft Office functionality. Just the small percentage that made notice no difference, if you just switched.

Or maybe you're burning your CDs and DVDs using some commercial application, while you could use some valid free alternatives.

They're plenty of examples, right there in your PCs.

Music is the same

I always respected every form of art. It's the product of someone else's talent you're glad to enjoy. But many aren't glad to pay for it. Why? I really don't know.

The typical vicious circle I detect is the following reasoning: "CDs are expensive and average low quality (artistically speaking)... That's why I don't pay for them. Producers are losing money so prices continue to rise." Well, who's the guilty? That's an
infinite loop. I just think that, if I like something and I can afford it, I buy it. That's just the compensation I deserve for my own work, why shouldn't I pay for somebody else's? If you don't like it, don't buy it, that's freedom (of choice, too). But why stealing something you don't like?

Another reasoning is driven by envy: "I'm not paying twenty bucks to an incredibly rich guy that could live without them for the following two hundred years." So what? If you like it, that's something good into it, isn't it? And if he's rich, well... in part it could be part of the game (he's a rock star while you're not), in part could a bit of luck (maybe you're as skilled as him, but your glory days hasn't come, yet), in part it could simply be that he deserves the millions he earns, while you don't. It tastes bitter, probably, but those are the rules.

What happens if you don't pay?

Maybe nothing. Maybe a disaster. I can't think about Bruce Springsteen going flat broke because I'm not paying his last CD. Whenever I buy a CD of his, after an usually long and difficult wait, I really feel good! I'm happy that there are some Springsteen or McKennitt out there writing the music I like. That's their job and they earn their livings with it. I have no problem with that. I couldn't even imagine a young Springsteen trying to make his way into 2009 hit parade and giving it up because he's not earning what he expects. Or a Bill Joy opening a restaurant instead of writing software because software is something to steal, and not to pay for.

Shivering? You shouldn't. If you, like I do, wake up every morning and go to an office, you do it because you like it, maybe, but because they pay you for it, too. And you're probably striving to get better conditions or higher responsibility. Every day. Why? Because you think you deserve it.

That's the real point. Don't steal, just choose. And give a reward to somebody who deserves it.