The VirtualBox Kernel Driver Is Tainted Crap

[deanjo]

Stop fucking the forums with these uber-long code blocks. Seriously, it's fucking annoying.

That it is.

[deanjo]

I realise that IOMMU is still work in progress and that USB is not always problem-less (USB devices tend to be finicky creatures, just ask some of the people writing drivers for device classes!).

There is an understatement. Unless you are using it for USB storage, printer, or HID it is virtually useless (and on storage it is very slow).

[baryluk]

Strange. I am using VirtualBox moderatly often for 3 years now, and I'm always working on bleding edge kernel versions. I had never, ever had crash because of VirtualBox. Hover I had reported lots of problems with kernel itself (about 30 genuine new bugs), and it was always problem in kernel, not vboxdrv. So, now what, if I have loaded vboxdrv, developers will reject my bug reports automatically (even If I do nothing with virtualbox or guest system, beside loading module itself)? This is some bullshit.

[michael-vb]

Strange. I am using VirtualBox moderatly often for 3 years now, and I'm always working on bleding edge kernel versions. I had never, ever had crash because of VirtualBox. Hover I had reported lots of problems with kernel itself (about 30 genuine new bugs), and it was always problem in kernel, not vboxdrv. So, now what, if I have loaded vboxdrv, developers will reject my bug reports automatically (even If I do nothing with virtualbox or guest system, beside loading module itself)? This is some bullshit.

While I don't like the names that the kernel developers use, I can sympathise with them if they ask people to reproduce problems without vboxdrv loaded. Both the kernel and VirtualBox are highly complex pieces of software, and even if VirtualBox is entirely innocent of a particular issue (presumably most cases) it will make their life much harder if they have to debug the issue while understanding all potential interactions between VirtualBox (which they presumably are not familiar with) and the kernel.

[Kano]

Well vbox was not innocent with its 4.1.0 - there vbox broke suspend. But apart from that usually i dont see so huge problems.

[nepwk]

The guest additions have been a big no-no in Linux for about a year or so. Virtualbox-ose works well for me, and the Windows guest additions work well, but I don't even waste my time on the Linux guest additions anymore.

Having said that, I still prefer Virtualbox to VMWare, unless you intend to use some of VMWare's more exotic features. Some of VMWare's tools are unbelievably buggy, like vCenter Converter, which has the feel of something that was developed in one day by one person, with no regard for making it polished.

[Kano]

vboxdrv is on the HOST.

[Vadi]

I use VB mostly without problems. Tried VMware, it gave me headaches, plus it's not free.

[tweak42]

I've been using vbox on Ubuntu for those occasions I need a windows xp machine. I probably would not trust it in a production environment, but as a handy work around tool for a desktop user it serves well. I do use the non-free windows guest tools and they work fine.

I do hope development continues and quality improves, because as a user it's always nice to have more choices and less lock in.

[not.sure]

I've been using vbox on Ubuntu for those occasions I need a windows xp machine.

For that, I found qemu-kvm a much better choice. Sure, doesn't have a nice native gui, but once it's set up, it works forever.