[Bug]: vboxmanage guestproperty does not show interface name for FreeBSD guest

[dreibh]

Version

7.2.4

Host OS Type

Linux

Host OS name + version

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Host Architecture

x86

Guest OS Type

Linux

Guest Architecture

x86

Guest OS name + version

FreeBSD 14.3 RELEASE

Component

Guest Additions/Other

What happened?

vboxmanage guestproperty enumerate does not provide interface names for the network settings of FreeBSD guests. That is, /VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/[0-9]*/Name is missing.

Example:

$ vboxmanage guestproperty enumerate HiPerConTracer-FreeBSD-14.3-RELEASE
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/GuiOnFocus            = '0'                            @ 2025-11-20T10:54:47.167Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/Revision              = '161033'                       @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.849Z
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/Version               = '6.1.50'                       @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.849Z
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/VersionExt            = '6.1.50'                       @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.849Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/MAC            = '08002767E8B0'                 @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.999Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/Status         = 'Up'                           @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.999Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/V4/Broadcast   = '10.0.2.255'                   @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.999Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/V4/IP          = '10.0.2.15'                    @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.999Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/V4/Netmask     = '255.255.255.0'                @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.999Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/Count            = '1'                            @ 2025-11-20T10:54:52.608Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/LoggedInUsers     = '1'                            @ 2025-11-20T10:54:27.571Z TRANSIENT, TRANSRESET
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/LoggedInUsersList = 'nornetpp'                     @ 2025-11-20T10:54:27.571Z TRANSIENT, TRANSRESET
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/NoLoggedInUsers   = 'false'                        @ 2025-11-20T10:54:27.571Z TRANSIENT, TRANSRESET
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/Product           = 'FreeBSD'                      @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.849Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/Release           = '14.3-RELEASE'                 @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.849Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/ServicePack       = ''                             @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.849Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/Version           = 'FreeBSD 14.3-RELEASE releng/14.3-n271432-8c9ce319fef7 GENERIC' @ 2025-11-20T10:49:21.849Z
/VirtualBox/HostGuest/SysprepArgs          = ''                             @ 2025-11-20T10:48:54.728Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostGuest/SysprepExec          = ''                             @ 2025-11-20T10:48:54.728Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/GUI/LanguageID        = 'C'                            @ 2025-11-20T10:54:31.644Z RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/VBoxRev               = '170995'                       @ 2025-11-20T10:48:54.830Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/VBoxVer               = '7.2.4'                        @ 2025-11-20T10:48:54.830Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/VBoxVerExt            = '7.2.4'                        @ 2025-11-20T10:48:54.830Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/VMInfo/ResetCounter            = '1'                            @ 2025-11-19T08:10:46.621Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/VMInfo/ResumeCounter           = '0'                            @ 2025-11-20T10:48:54.728Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST

How can we reproduce this?

Call vboxmanage guestproperty enumerate for a FreeBSD guest.

Did you upload all of your necessary log files, screenshots, etc.?

• Yes, I've uploaded all pertinent files to this issue.

[dreibh]

The bug is probably somewhere in this function: https://github.com/VirtualBox/virtualbox/blob/main/src/VBox/Additions/common/VBoxService/VBoxServiceVMInfo.cpp#L1349

[AlexanderEichner]

The FreeBSD guest additions are not officially supported, I assume you have the packages from the ports tree installed? The FreeBSD maintainers have quite an extensive list of patches accumulated. Reporting the bug at https://www.freshports.org/emulators/virtualbox-ose-additions is probably a better place. And you might mention that we are interested in upstreaming their patches. :) (our past contact attempts were not that successful).

[AlexanderEichner]

In case you are adventurous and can compile your own FreeBSD guest additions you might want to try:

Index: src/VBox/Additions/common/VBoxService/VBoxServiceVMInfo.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/VBox/Additions/common/VBoxService/VBoxServiceVMInfo.cpp	(Revision 171417)
+++ src/VBox/Additions/common/VBoxService/VBoxServiceVMInfo.cpp	(Arbeitskopie)
@@ -1579,6 +1579,13 @@
             RTStrPrintf(szPropPath, sizeof(szPropPath), "/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/%RU32/Status", cIfsReported);
             VGSvcPropCacheUpdate(&g_VMInfoPropCache, szPropPath, pIfCurr->ifa_flags & IFF_UP ? "Up" : "Down");
 
+            RTStrPrintf(szPropPath, sizeof(szPropPath), "/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/%RU32/Name", cIfsReported);
+            int rc2 = RTStrValidateEncoding(pIfCurr->ifa_name);
+            if (RT_SUCCESS(rc2))
+                VGSvcPropCacheUpdateF(&g_VMInfoPropCache, szPropPath, "%s", pIfCurr->ifa_name);
+            else
+                VGSvcPropCacheUpdate(&g_VMInfoPropCache, szPropPath, NULL);
+
             cIfsReported++;
         }
     }

Completely untested however as I don't have a FreeBSD build environment handy currently.

[dreibh]

There was a typo: VGSvcPropCacheUpdateF -> VGSvcPropCacheUpdate.

That is:

            RTStrPrintf(szPropPath, sizeof(szPropPath), "/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/%RU32/Name", cIfsReported);
            int rc2 = RTStrValidateEncoding(pIfCurr->ifa_name);
            if (RT_SUCCESS(rc2))
                VGSvcPropCacheUpdate(&g_VMInfoPropCache, szPropPath, "%s", pIfCurr->ifa_name);
            else
                VGSvcPropCacheUpdate(&g_VMInfoPropCache, szPropPath, NULL);

And it works:

$ vboxmanage guestproperty enumerate HiPerConTracer-FreeBSD-14.3-RELEASE
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/GuiOnFocus            = '0'                            @ 2025-11-20T14:12:13.813Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/HostVerLastChecked    = '7.2.4'                        @ 2025-11-20T11:44:34.833Z
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/Revision              = '170995'                       @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.964Z
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/Version               = '7.2.4'                        @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.964Z
/VirtualBox/GuestAdd/VersionExt            = '7.2.4'                        @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.964Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/MAC            = '08002767E8B0'                 @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.965Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/Name           = 'vtnet0'                       @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.966Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/Status         = 'Up'                           @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.965Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/V4/Broadcast   = '10.44.43.255'                 @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.965Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/V4/IP          = '10.44.40.188'                 @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.965Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/V4/Netmask     = '255.255.252.0'                @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.965Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/Count            = '1'                            @ 2025-11-20T14:14:28.230Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/LoggedInUsers     = '1'                            @ 2025-11-20T14:12:28.113Z TRANSIENT, TRANSRESET
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/LoggedInUsersList = 'nornetpp'                     @ 2025-11-20T14:12:28.113Z TRANSIENT, TRANSRESET
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/NoLoggedInUsers   = 'false'                        @ 2025-11-20T14:12:28.114Z TRANSIENT, TRANSRESET
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/Product           = 'FreeBSD'                      @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.962Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/Release           = '14.3-RELEASE'                 @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.963Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/ServicePack       = ''                             @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.963Z
/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/OS/Version           = 'FreeBSD 14.3-RELEASE releng/14.3-n271432-8c9ce319fef7 GENERIC' @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.963Z
/VirtualBox/HostGuest/SysprepArgs          = ''                             @ 2025-11-20T11:40:57.142Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostGuest/SysprepExec          = ''                             @ 2025-11-20T11:40:57.142Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/GUI/LanguageID        = 'C'                            @ 2025-11-20T14:11:21.367Z RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/VBoxRev               = '170995'                       @ 2025-11-20T11:40:57.262Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/VBoxVer               = '7.2.4'                        @ 2025-11-20T11:40:57.262Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/HostInfo/VBoxVerExt            = '7.2.4'                        @ 2025-11-20T11:40:57.262Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/VMInfo/ResetCounter            = '2'                            @ 2025-11-20T14:11:40.248Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST
/VirtualBox/VMInfo/ResumeCounter           = '0'                            @ 2025-11-20T11:40:57.142Z TRANSIENT, RDONLYGUEST

That is, the previously missing property is now there:

/VirtualBox/GuestInfo/Net/0/Name           = 'vtnet0'                       @ 2025-11-20T14:12:08.966Z

Tested with /usr/ports/emulators/virtualbox-ose-additions-nox11-72 under FreeBSD 14.3-RELEASE.

[AlexanderEichner]

Thanks for testing. I committed the fix to trunk and the 7.2 branch, will be part of the next maintenance release but I don't know when the FreeBSD ports maintainers will pick it up.

[dreibh]

For reference: I opened a ticket in the FreeBSD bug tracker, to notify the FreeBSD port maintainers: https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=291128 .

[VVD]

(our past contact attempts were not that successful)

I'm here! 😮