[SOLVED]Need to recognize a Windows-only driver with my virtual machine on Linux. How?

[Jacopo97]

Hello,

On my Mint host system, I have a Windows 10 VirtualBox installed. Here I have downloaded the app that is needed for my Sony digital paper tablet, since unfortunately it is available for Windows only.
Now, to setup the tablet I need to connect it to my PC with a USB cable, which in my case means connecting it to my linux system and then passing the connection to the VirtualBox. The problem is that my mint system does not recognize any device even when the USB cable is connected, since there must be some sort of block that allows only Windows systems to recognize the tablet (I have tried it on a different computer and it works on Windows OS).
Is there any way I can force my mint system to "see" the tablet, so to be able to eventually pass the connection to the virtual machine?

I don't know if it is of any help, but this is the output of the dmesg for the tablet device I am talking about:

Code: Select all

 [  531.034118] input: Sony DPT-RP1 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.2/0003:054C:0BE5.0004/input/input23
[  531.092697] hid-generic 0003:054C:0BE5.0004: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.11 Device [Sony DPT-RP1] on usb-0000:00:14.0-2/input2
[  585.403354] SUPR0GipMap: fGetGipCpu=0x1b
[  586.129740] vboxdrv: 0000000000000000 VMMR0.r0
[  586.217046] vboxdrv: 0000000000000000 VBoxDDR0.r0
[  586.278875] VMMR0InitVM: eflags=246 fKernelFeatures=0x0 (SUPKERNELFEATURES_SMAP=0)
[ 1735.653287] ACPI Error: No handler for Region [CMS0] (00000000ffb7c702) [SystemCMOS] (20190816/evregion-127)
[ 1735.653301] ACPI Error: Region SystemCMOS (ID=5) has no handler (20190816/exfldio-261)
[ 1735.653317] No Local Variables are initialized for Method [_Q33]
[ 1735.653320] No Arguments are initialized for method [_Q33]
[ 1735.653328] ACPI Error: Aborting method \_SB.PCI0.LPCB.EC0._Q33 due to previous error (AE_NOT_EXIST) (20190816/psparse-529)

[Moonstone Man]

... I need to connect it to my PC with a USB cable, which in my case means connecting it to my linux system and then passing the connection to the VirtualBox.

You don't say what steps you are taking to establish pass-through so it's anyone's guess as to what's going on. Because of the lack of information, the only thing I can suggest is that you review your steps against this: viewtopic.php?t=344380

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

Is your Sony paper tablet recognized by Linux Mint when Windows is off ?

Normally, once your USB tablet is detected under Mint, the guest additions should allow to disconnect the tablet from the host and connect it to the guest.

Then, a driver for the tablet needs to be installed on Windows.

Did you install the guest additions ?

Regards,

MN

[Jacopo97]

Sorry for the late reply but I was gone for the weekend.

Thank you for your answers, I am going to try to respond to both of you in one post.

The problem is actually that Mint does not detect at all my USB tablet at all. When I plug in the USB cable nothing happens, and therefore I have no way to pass-through the connection at all.
I tried to plug in the tablet on a different computer with a Windows OS, and it recognizes the device right away. For this reason I think that there is probably some sort of mechanism that allows the computer to "see" the tablet only if a Windows OS is installed, and hides it otherwise. I was wondering if there was any way to circumvent this mechanism and have my linux OS "see" the tablet anyways.

P.s. Regarding the method that I count on using for passing through the connection I was hoping to see the device on my desktop, unmount it, and then add it to the windows virtual machine with Devices --> USB on VirtualBox

[Moonstone Man]

The problem is actually that Mint does not detect at all my USB tablet at all.

Did you try the steps at the link I gave you or not? What happened at what step where it did not work?

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

Insert your USB tablet, then, in a terminal:

Code: Select all

lsusb

The output will show you the devices recognized by your system.

Try to see if you recognize your tablet in the list, and copy the output in an answer to this message.

Regards,

MN

[Jacopo97]

The problem is actually that Mint does not detect at all my USB tablet at all.

Did you try the steps at the link I gave you or not? What happened at what step where it did not work?

I did just try those steps. The first thing that does not match the tutorial is that I do not have any USB 3.0 (xHCI) Controller option in my USB tab, but only USB 1.1 (OHCI) Controller.
Then when I go to the usb stick with the green plus sign it just says <no devices available> even if the tablet is connected and I can see it through lsusb

[Jacopo97]

Hi,

Insert your USB tablet, then, in a terminal:

Code: Select all

lsusb

The output will show you the devices recognized by your system.

Try to see if you recognize your tablet in the list, and copy the output in an answer to this message.

Regards,

MN

Here it is:

Code: Select all

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 04ca:7086 Lite-On Technology Corp. HP Wide Vision FHD Camera
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:b00a Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Bluetooth Radio 
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 054c:0be5 Sony Corp. DPT-RP1
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

I can recognize my tablet, which is the device 007, but this still does not solve my problem because the VirtualBox does not see it.

[AndyMH]

With win running in your VM, on the virtualbox devices menu > usb and select it.

Did you install the extension pack in VB and guest additions in win?

[Jacopo97]

With win running in your VM, on the virtualbox devices menu > usb and select it.

Did you install the extension pack in VB and guest additions in win?

I think I did not. Can you please give me a link or some instructions to do that?

[AndyMH]

Did you install VB from software manager or direct from oracle? Note - best from oracle.

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

Download VirtualBox from here: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
* VirtualBox platform package for Linux,
* VirtualBox extension pack (it gives support for USB 2.0 and 3.0 devices)

VirtualBox user manual is here: https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/; following the manual:
* Install VirtualBox on your Linux host,
* Install extension pack on your Linux host,
* Launch your virtual machine and install guest additions in your windows guest.

Once all this done, you will be able to disconnect your tablet from the host and connect it to the guest.

Regards,

MN

[AndyMH]

The OP already has VB installed, and if they installed VB6.0 from software manager, downloading/installing the extension pack for VB6.1 from oracle is likely to cause problems. Also the version in software manager has guest additions listed as a separate item.

[MikeNovember]

The OP already has VB installed, and if they installed VB6.0 from software manager, downloading/installing the extension pack for VB6.1 from oracle is likely to cause problems. Also the version in software manager has guest additions listed as a separate item.

Since OP is not very precise on what he installed or not, my advice is to uninstall existing VB and extension pack (if installed), then do a fresh and complete install from VB website, with the latest revision (6.1.26 as per today 03 August).

[Jacopo97]

Did you install VB from software manager or direct from oracle? Note - best from oracle.

I did install my VB from oracle, and I now installed also the extension packs. I can now see the option USB 3.0 (xHCI) Controller , in the USB menu for the Win10 virtual machine, but unfortunately it still does not show my device when I click the icon with the USB stick and the green plus sign

[Mick-Cork]

I did install my VB from oracle, and I now installed also the extension packs. I can now see the option USB 3.0 (xHCI) Controller , in the USB menu for the Win10 virtual machine, but unfortunately it still does not show my device when I click the icon with the USB stick and the green plus sign

Did a bit of googling about the Sony DPT-RP1 and it does look like it doesn't support/isn't recognised by Linux systems. Nearest thing I could find in terms of achieving some sort of connectivity was this complicated process : https://blog.victrid.dev/2020/eadwux/.

However I'm not sure this would solve your problem anyway, i.e, getting the device recognised in Virtualbox.

I'm wondering if adding a filter manually in VB would do it:

1. Open Oracle VM Virtualbox Manager
2. With W10 selected, go to Settings/USB
3. On the right side of the USB dialogue box, click on the top icon ('New USB filter with all fields set to zero...')
(You'll then see a new filter which is probably named 'New Filter 1', which should also be highlighted)
4. Now click on the third icon down on the right side ('Edit selected USB filter')

You can now enter a number of parameters:

Name - anything you want to call it (e.g, Sony DPT-RP1)
Vendor ID: 054c
Product ID: 0be5
Revision: Try 0100 (can't find much info about this setting but most of my devices seem to use 0100, alternatively leave blank).
Manufacturer: Sony Corp
Product: DPT-RP1
Serial No: If you have it enter it here, otherwise leave blank.
Port: leave blank

Click on OK to save.
Open W10 in the VM, see if the device is recognised. You might have to plug it in after W10 has booted.

I've no idea if this will work for you, but just thinking it's worth a try anyway.
(More info about VB USB filters here: https://docs.oracle.com/en/virtualizati ... pport.html)

[AndyMH]

I did install my VB from oracle, and I now installed also the extension packs. I can now see the option USB 3.0 (xHCI) Controller , in the USB menu for the Win10 virtual machine, but unfortunately it still does not show my device when I click the icon with the USB stick and the green plus sign

I am not convinced you are doing it correctly.

When you run the win VM you should get something similar to:

At the bottom is the mint panel and above that the VB menu. Right click on the usb symbol and you should get something like:

KIOXIA Transmemory is a 32GB memory stick. If I click on that, ownership is transferred to win (and no longer available to mint). It appears in the win VM in 'my computer' as D:

Note - if you haven't done so already, install guest additions in win.

[Jacopo97]

I did install my VB from oracle, and I now installed also the extension packs. I can now see the option USB 3.0 (xHCI) Controller , in the USB menu for the Win10 virtual machine, but unfortunately it still does not show my device when I click the icon with the USB stick and the green plus sign

I am not convinced you are doing it correctly.

When you run the win VM you should get something similar to:
win.JPG
At the bottom is the mint panel and above that the VB menu. Right click on the usb symbol and you should get something like:
win2.JPG
KIOXIA Transmemory is a 32GB memory stick. If I click on that, ownership is transferred to win (and no longer available to mint). It appears in the win VM in 'my computer' as D:
Screenshot from 2021-08-07 22-58-52.png
Note - if you haven't done so already, install guest additions in win.

The problem was indeed that I was missing the guest additions in windows, and now I can connect the device to the VirtualBox properly, so thank you very much
Unfortunately I have not solved my issue yet, since another problem just came out Let me explain

To setup the tablet I have to connect it with the USB cable to the windows system while the digital paper app (specific for this setup) is running. I am now able to do this with my VM and in fact, as soon as I connect the USB cable, the windows app says that the connection with the tablet is in progress.
However, the connection is never successful because it looks like part of the connection process is for my linux system to recognize the tablet as if it was a wired connection, but it is unable to do so.

Basically what happens is:
1) I connect the tablet to the windows system and start the pairing process
2) At one point, the pairing process in windows automatically pauses and the name of the tablet appears in the "Wired" section of my connections in Linux.
3) Linux tries to connect with the tablet through this wired connection but the process is never successful, it says "Activation of the network connection failed"
4) I am not able to complete the pairing process in windows because I cannot avoid the steps that happen in Linux

Can anyone help me?

[AndyMH]

This might be of interest:
https://blog.victrid.dev/2020/eadwux/

[Jacopo97]

This might be of interest:
https://blog.victrid.dev/2020/eadwux/

It works! Thank you very much!