Linux Host with Windows guest on SAME PC - speed up file transfer

[jimbo45]

Hi there.

I have a Windows VM on a Linux Host BOTH ON THE SAME PHYSICAL MACHINE -- however if I want to transfer data from a folder say on the Windows "C" drive to the Linux drive -- no problem - but it seems to go through the NETWORK device (vnet) slowing it down considerably to 2 - 3 Mb/s. The file is shared with Windows via samba and the Linux folder is mounted as a Network drive. Copying from "C" users --user--downloads ==>samba share ==>downloads

Now obviously this isn't the best way to do this -- is there some sort of Desktop integration that can treat either the windows disk from Linux or the Linux disk from windows as LOCAL avoiding going through the vnet virtual network adapter.

(The system is installed on an internal SSD so HUGELY faster transfers should be possible -- the slowness is obviously by using a networking protocol and limited by the speed of the internal NIC).

I'd imagine same problem arises if you have a WINDOWS GUEST on a WINDOWS HOST too -- so the Linux HOST shouldn't matter either - Windows will still do the data transfer via a network protocoll.

Working also in UNITY mode I can't see anything that would speed up the transfer either.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[BJB]

In VMWare Player Unity mode you can move data freely and speedily in both directions - host to VM and VM to host - as far as I can see without using the network. It's certainly pretty fast between my VM on SSD and data files on the host's HDD. You can also set shared folders in the VM allowing you to map a host folder as a network drive.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there.

It's getting data FROM the VM to the host. There's no problems getting HOST data TO the VM -- simple Cut and Paste also works !!!

Don't forget that the drive I want to get data FROM is not a "discrete separate disk" e.g an attached USB drive or similar but it's data on a "Virtual" disk (one of the vmdk data areas which is handled by the VM software so it "looks" like a Windows drive).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[BJB]

I guess the problem is having a Linux host. Mine is XP on the VM, Win 7 on the host, and cut and paste works fine in both directions.