USB over IP for Raspberry Pi

[zerocol]

Hello,

Will this work for custom USB devices, that require a custom windoes driver on the host pc? If yes we will try to beta test this with some of our custom USB products

have anyone tested what bandwiths can be achieved?

Thanks

[msbroadf]

It does not require special usb drivers, it will use existing drivers unchanged.

VirtualHere emulates the physical layer so high level drivers dont know the difference.

BTW, next week a MacOSX client will be released to beta

[forenbenutzer]

Hi there,

two more things that would lead me to a purchase:

- client as windows service (without dirty srvany hacks)
- select devices/usb ports to share instead of blacklistig all the others

Thank you.

[forenbenutzer]

One more thing (sorry for double post):

I have several identical HASP USB devices (dongles for CAM software) which all appear with the same name in the list.
The problem is: They have different features "inside". I always have to "try and error" before finding the right one.

Is it possible to "name" the devices serverside by their USB port on the hub (e.g. "Dongle at port 1", "Dongle at port 2")?

[nickr54]

Hi I'm trying to get 1.3.1 for Raspberry Pi working, but when I execute vhusbdpi I get an Error dialog:
'Failed to execute child process "/home/pi/vhusbdpi" (no such file or directory)'

[nickr54]

update on my prev post:
After loading latest "wheezy" on my pi (which is an early revision so it's a bit sluggish) VirtualHere now works, and what's more, my USB device works via the Windows client as well - unlike all those useless psm.dll based far eastern USB IP Server clones from Lindy, StarTech etc etc.

Thanks for restoring a bit of sanity to real world IT.

[msbroadf]

One more thing (sorry for double post):

I have several identical HASP USB devices (dongles for CAM software) which all appear with the same name in the list.
The problem is: They have different features "inside". I always have to "try and error" before finding the right one.

Is it possible to "name" the devices serverside by their USB port on the hub (e.g. "Dongle at port 1", "Dongle at port 2")?

Please download version 1.3.5 of the server AND version 1.3.9 (or later) of the client. You can now name and auto-connect qualified by PORT.

[forenbenutzer]

Thanks a lot. Today I started a test in my company with one usb dongle. At first, two co-workers will try to do their daily work by sharing one dongle. In about one or two weeks we will see, if that is a reliant solution.

One more thing: Is it possible to do an unattended installation of the drivers?
The exe is started by Windows Server domain policy after the user login, the ini file is distributed automatically per computer to the current user's %appdata% directory. Only the driver's installation needs my local interaction. For the test on two computers, this is not a big problem. Distributing it for 20 or 30 machines WILL be.

[msbroadf]

Yes unattended installation of the drivers is available. The drivers install using the standard microsoft driver installer.

There are multiple options when installing the driver unattended

Code: Select all

/Q quiet mode
/T:<full path> - specify temp working folder
/C extract only (use with /T)
/C: <cmd> override install command by author.

To extract the driver you need to run the client on a machine without drivers (or uninstall the drivers and reboot on a machine with drivers) then when the client trys to install the driver take a look in the temp directory. You will see a file vhdrivers32.exe or vhdrivers64.exe. Run that with a /H option and it will show the options above.

[forenbenutzer]

Experienced just 5 minutes ago:

Code: Select all

usbserver vhusbdpi: >>> Starting vhusbd 1.3.5 <<<
usbserver vhusbdpi: Using default configuration /opt/vh/config.ini
usbserver vhusbdpi: Serial:000000003dfa2518
usbserver vhusbdpi: Server licensed to=unlicensed max_devices=1
usbserver vhusbdpi: /opt/vh/vhusbdpi(crashHandler+0x34) [0x13d68]
usbserver vhusbdpi: /lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libc.so.6(__default_sa_restorer_v2+0) [0xb632be40]
usbserver vhusbdpi: /lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libc.so.6(+0x3349c) [0xb633149c]
usbserver vhusbdpi: End backtrace, vhusbd exiting...

Maybe this log is helpful.
The raspberry was running since yesterday, today I tried to connect from a client and no server was available, so I had to look what was wrong with it.

I found out, that this config file was the reason:

Code: Select all

ServerName=USB Server
License=unlicensed,1,MCACDkn0jww6R5WOIjFqU/apAg4Um+mDkU2TBcC7fA1FrA==
DeviceNicknames=NUMROTO PP
TraceMsgs=0
UseAVAHI=1
Ignores=ID_MODEL,WLAN
TcpPort=7575
CompressionLimit=1024
HubTimeout=3000

I removed it and virtualhere service started again. I renamed the dongle again, and the config file looked like this:

Code: Select all

ServerName=Raspberry Hub
License=unlicensed,1,MCACDkn0jww6R5WOIjFqU/apAg4Um+mDkU2TBcC7fA1FrA==
DeviceNicknames=NUMROTO PP,0529,0001,1131
TraceMsgs=0
UseAVAHI=1
Ignores=ID_MODEL,WLAN
TcpPort=7575
CompressionLimit=1024

How is it possible, that the line for "DeviceNicknames" lost its usb device's information?

Thank you in advance.

[forenbenutzer]

Yes unattended installation of the drivers is available. The drivers install using the standard microsoft driver installer.

There are multiple options when installing the driver unattended

Code: Select all

/Q quiet mode
/T:<full path> - specify temp working folder
/C extract only (use with /T)
/C: <cmd> override install command by author.

To extract the driver you need to run the client on a machine without drivers (or uninstall the drivers and reboot on a machine with drivers) then when the client trys to install the driver take a look in the temp directory. You will see a file vhdrivers32.exe or vhdrivers64.exe. Run that with a /H option and it will show the options above.

Maybe you could give some more advice. I managed to extract the inf files, but dpinst fails because of missing driver signing. I do not understand what is wrong here, because the manual installation clearly shows that your drivers are signed.

[msbroadf]

1. Sounds like a bug, I will take a look at why the server is losing the nicknames settings....

2. Sounds like you somehow are are missing the cat file. That contains the signatures of the drivers and must be in the same directory as the drivers during installation. I thought you were just doing to run the driver exe in quiet mode. If you are trying to extract the individual files and install those that is more complicated because its not the same as a standard windows hardware driver because there is no hardware to trigger the driver to load. The driver needs to be triggered to load by another program vhenum.exe so its no good just installing the driver files manually.

[forenbenutzer]

1. Sounds like a bug, I will take a look at why the server is losing the nicknames settings....

2. Sounds like you somehow are are missing the cat file. That contains the signatures of the drivers and must be in the same directory as the drivers during installation. I thought you were just doing to run the driver exe in quiet mode. If you are trying to extract the individual files and install those that is more complicated because its not the same as a standard windows hardware driver because there is no hardware to trigger the driver to load. The driver needs to be triggered to load by another program vhenum.exe so its no good just installing the driver files manually.

2. -> I already tried the quiet mode "/Q" directly, but still it asks for my interaction, so i extracted the files to test if that works. Am I doing something wrong?

[msbroadf]

2. -> I already tried the quiet mode "/Q" directly, but still it asks for my interaction, so i extracted the files to test if that works. Am I doing something wrong?

OK i figured it out, you need to do it this way:

1. Extract drivers with /C first
2. Then run dpinst.exe /Q

Also please download version 1.3.6 of the server as that will pin point your nickname issue.

P.S email me at mail@virtualhere.com to continue this as we are clogging up this thread with specific issues unreleated to most users.

[forenbenutzer]

I managed to install in /Q mode now, still, this message appears and starts the manual installation process again:

http://s21.postimg.org/5jg8bh791/Unbenannt.png

[msbroadf]

In the client have a look at the system messages (right click Virtual USB Hubs -> System Messages)

That will have a message saying why it is installing the drivers. e.g "No drivers found", "Installed drivers corrupted", "Drivers are old they will be upgraded" etc. What does it say?

[forenbenutzer]

Strange...

Code: Select all

09:59:32 INFO  :No drivers found, they will be installed

Even more strange:

If i execute dpinst manually with clicking through the dialogs, it sais the drivers ARE installed.

[msbroadf]

My suggestion:

1. Close virtualhere completely on the client.
2. Reboot the client computer
3. Go to Programs and Features (or Add/Remove Programs) and uninstall all the virtualhere related drivers in there
4. Reboot your computer
5. At this point we can assume you have a clean machine
6. Run the dpinst.exe /q etc that we discussed before
7. Run the client and see if it runs without installing drivers again.

Im thinking you may have tested a lot on this machine and the drivers are in some sort of corrupted state.

[forenbenutzer]

I already did that, but you are right, I did a lot of tests. So, I will try a clean virtual machine this evening.
Thank you very much for your support. I think VH will be a great product once it is stable and ready for windows domain distribution.

Just an additional idea: Some kind of server-side permission or association functionality? (Host XYZ only gets USB device ABC)

[forenbenutzer]

I am sorry but I have to report that this still does not work. The drivers are installed by dpinst on a clean system. Still, the client asks for installing the drivers.

Code: Select all

C:\Users\***\Desktop\dpinst>dpinst.exe /Q /C
INFO:   Option set: dumping log info to console.
INFO:   Current working directory: 'C:\Users\***\Desktop\dpinst'
INFO:   Running on path 'C:\Users\***\Desktop\dpinst'
INFO:   No valid 'dpinst.xml' file provided.
INFO:   Install option set: Running in quiet mode. Suppressing Wizard and OS popups.
INFO:   Found driver package: 'C:\Users\***\Desktop\dpinst\vhhcd.inf'.
INFO:   Found driver package: 'C:\Users\***\Desktop\dpinst\vhhub.inf'.
INFO:   Preinstalling 'c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhcd.inf' ...
INFO:   ENTER:  DriverPackagePreinstallW
SUCCESS:c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhcd.inf is preinstalled.
INFO:   RETURN: DriverPackagePreinstallW  (0x0)
INFO:   ENTER:  DriverPackageGetPathW
INFO:   RETURN: DriverPackageGetPathW  (0x0)
INFO:   Preinstalling 'c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhub.inf' ...
INFO:   ENTER:  DriverPackagePreinstallW
SUCCESS:c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhub.inf is preinstalled.
INFO:   RETURN: DriverPackagePreinstallW  (0x0)
INFO:   ENTER:  DriverPackageGetPathW
INFO:   RETURN: DriverPackageGetPathW  (0x0)
INFO:   ENTER:  DriverPackageInstallW
INFO:   Installing INF file 'c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhcd.inf' (Plug and Play).
INFO:   Looking for Model Section [Standard.NTamd64]...
INFO:   No matching devices found in INF "C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vhhcd.inf_amd64_neutral_177fd4e6ffed51ba\vhhcd.inf" on the Machine.
INFO:   No drivers installed. No devices found that match driver(s) contained in 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vhhcd.inf_amd64_neutral_177fd4e6ffed51ba\vhhcd.inf'.
INFO:   RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW  (0xE000020B)
INFO:   No matching device was found for 'c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhcd.inf'. Driver will be installed when plugged in.
INFO:   ENTER:  DriverPackageInstallW
INFO:   Installing INF file 'c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhub.inf' (Plug and Play).
INFO:   Looking for Model Section [Standard.NTamd64]...
INFO:   No matching devices found in INF "C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vhhub.inf_amd64_neutral_3c65c3a8cefae385\vhhub.inf" on the Machine.
INFO:   No drivers installed. No devices found that match driver(s) contained in 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vhhub.inf_amd64_neutral_3c65c3a8cefae385\vhhub.inf'.
INFO:   RETURN: DriverPackageInstallW  (0xE000020B)
INFO:   No matching device was found for 'c:\users\***\desktop\dpinst\vhhub.inf'. Driver will be installed when plugged in.
INFO:   Created entry in Add or Remove Programs for 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vhhcd.inf_amd64_neutral_177fd4e6ffed51ba\vhhcd.inf'.
INFO:   Created entry in Add or Remove Programs for 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\vhhub.inf_amd64_neutral_3c65c3a8cefae385\vhhub.inf'.
INFO:   Returning with code 0x200

[msbroadf]

You need to make sure vhenum is run. This should run automatically by the dpinst but seems like it doesnt when the files are expanded into a directory.

In your silent install script when dpinst.exe has finished running, run vhenum.exe

[forenbenutzer]

Finally.

[dkc]

If you like running vhusbdpi in background
type "sudo vhusbdpi -o &" to leave it background in terminal or when setting it run at boot.

[kpcamota]

hello, can your app be used with the Microsoft Kinect Sensor to be connected on my raspberry pi and then process the data on my application running windows 7 desktop?

[forenbenutzer]

Why don't you just try it?