[vbox-dev] Change setting with java Main API

Tue Jun 10 13:00:42 GMT 2014

On 30.05.2014 14:24, Maxime Dor wrote:
> You are correct, lunchVMPRocess() starts a front-end, so the Write lock
> (which is exclusive) is not owned by you, but by the process of the
> front end.

Technically the VM process holds a VM lock, which is slightly different 
than a Write lock. When something holds a Write lock then no one should 
be able to get a Shared lock (which probably isn't true, the session 
locking logic is still quirky).

> Some settings can be changed during runtime, and you only need a Shared
> Lock for those (network interface attachment per exemple). Last time I
> asked the devs, there was no exhaustive list of the settings that can be
> changed with Shared lock. So you need to rely on the existing behaviour
> of the Virtualbox Manager to know.

Actually you can always try (and VBoxManage in most cases doesn't check 
either) to change some setting at VM run time, worst case you'll get the 
error message about "not mutable". We try our best to allow changing 
everything at run time, but it's not possible for everything. It must be 
possible to make the change immediately visible to the VM.

> Be aware that a bug exist that allow you to still save all the settings
> with the Java API (at least) : https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/12164 -
> so you can't just try & see which settings fails, they will all succeed.
> Writing your own front-end will not help because the limitation of
> changing the settings at runtime is because some are simply not taken
> into account until you start the VM, like the amount of CPU or the
> amount of RAM. Even if you wrote your own front-end and changed the
> values, they wouldn't be taken into account before a poweroff & poweron
> of the VM.

Updated that bug - don't yet know what's going wrong, but I have this 
feeling that it has something to do with reusing the session object for 
launching a VM and changing its settings. Shouldn't be the case as you 
unlock it, but those are famous last words :)

> I would not recommend writting your own front-end since you can use the
> Shared lock to save settings.

Yes, there's no need to hack up a new VM front end simply to allow 
changing settings at run time. This can be done by a normal API client.

Klaus
>
>
> On 30 May 2014 11:59, Federica Renzi <renzi.fede at gmail.com
> <mailto:renzi.fede at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Errata corrige: I use launchVMProcess() method to start up the
>     machine with a frontend, so It will be that frontend the lock owner
>     on machine, isn't it?
>     Let me see if I completely understood:
>     The only way to change setting (and make them effective) during
>     runtime is to have write lock on my machine and I can't do it
>     starting up the machine using an existing frontend...right?
>     If it is correct, I will have to write my own frontend...
>
>     Sorry for these questions but I'm newbie and VirtualBox is...huge!:-)
>
>
>     2014-05-30 9:07 GMT+02:00 Federica Renzi <renzi.fede at gmail.com
>     <mailto:renzi.fede at gmail.com>>:
>
>         thanks for your response!
>         Well...I tried to use LockType.Shared but It doesn't let me to
>         save setting ( The function "saveSettings" returned an error
>         condition: "The machine is not mutable (state is Running)")
>
>         Yes, The machine is running under my control (in theory),
>         because I started it up using java Main Api.
>         I really would like to change some setting while it is running
>         but I don't understand if it's possible.
>
>
>
>         2014-05-29 22:07 GMT+02:00 Maxime Dor <maxime.dor at altherian.org
>         <mailto:maxime.dor at altherian.org>>:
>
>             Use LockType.Shared instead - some other process must
>             already be using the VM (is it running?)
>
>
>             On 29 May 2014 10:12, Federica Renzi <renzi.fede at gmail.com
>             <mailto:renzi.fede at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>                 Hi everyone,
>                 I'm trying to change some VM setting during the
>                 execution of virtualbox. I read in SDK documentation
>                 that it's possible only locking the machine and saving
>                 its state, otherwise no change will be performed.
>
>                 I tried to achieve it using java api (com-xpcom glue)
>                 and custumize TestVBox.java, but I fall into these errors:
>
>                   * if I write
>                     m.lockMachine(sess, LockType.fromValue(2)); // lock
>                     write
>                     The function "lockMachine" returned an error
>                     condition: "The machine 'NAME' is already locked for
>                     a session (or being unlocked)" (0x80bb0007)
>
>                   * if I write
>                     sess.unlockMachine();
>                     The function "unlockMachine" returned an error
>                     condition: "The session is not locked (session
>                     state: Unlocked)" (0x8000ffff)
>
>                   * if I write directly (without any lock command)
>                     m.saveSettings();
>                     The function "saveSettings" returned an error
>                     condition: "The machine is not mutable (state is
>                     Running)" (0x80bb0002)
>
>
>                 How could I solve it?
>
>                 Thanks
>
>                 --
>                 Federica Renzi
>
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>
>
>
>
>
>         --
>         Federica Renzi
>
>
>
>
>     --
>     Federica Renzi
>
>