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Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 6. Apr 2012, 11:14
by cnxsoft
I'm using VirtualBox 4.1.12 in a Windows XP host and running Ubuntu 11.10.

Recently the shared clipboard has stopped working and I cannot Copy/Paste between the host and guest OS.
I have tried to uninstall the Guest Additions (I deleted VBoxGuestAdditions.iso), then reinstalled it, but it still does not work.

In the settings, Shared Clipboard is set to bidirectional.

I'm not sure where to go from here to fix this issue.

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 6. Apr 2012, 11:17
by mpack
What are you trying to copy/paste?

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 7. Apr 2012, 04:17
by cnxsoft
Some text in a terminal window in Ubuntu to Windows XP (notepad).
This type of operation worked before, but I cannot make it work anymore.

By the way, I move the virtual machine image to another disk, I wonder if this could be the issue.
When I move the mouse cursor to the CDROM icon on the bottom right, it shows VBoxGuestAdditions_4.1.12.iso is mounted.

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 7. Apr 2012, 10:19
by mpack
Does copying from the terminal window work inside Ubuntu? I.e. can you copy from the terminal into a text editor window inside Ubuntu?

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 10. Apr 2012, 05:16
by cnxsoft
Yes, I can copy text within Ubuntu (e.g. Firefox to Terminal and vice versa), but I can't paste the text to any applications running in Windows XP, it will just paste the text previously copied in Windows XP.

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 10. Apr 2012, 11:33
by cnxsoft
I've also noticed Seamless Mode is disabled, so although the VirtualBox additions are installed and mounted, they do not appear to be enabled.

My Vbox.log file (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45842273/VBox.log) shows no extension are enabled (Should the Guest additions be shown there?):
00:00:00.612 Installed Extension Packs:
00:00:00.612 None installed!
but at the same time the VBoxGuestAdditions ISO is mounted:
00:00:01.437 [/Devices/piix3ide/0/LUN#2/AttachedDriver/Config/] (level 6)
00:00:01.437 Format <string> = "RAW" (cb=4)
00:00:01.437 Path <string> = "C:\Documents and Settings\Jean-Luc\.VirtualBox\VBoxGuestAdditions_4.1.12.iso" (cb=77)
00:00:01.437 ReadOnly <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)
00:00:01.437 Type <string> = "DVD" (cb=4)
When I click on Devices->Install Guest Additions while Ubuntu 11.10 is running nothing happens.

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 10. Apr 2012, 13:20
by mpack
No, extension packs are not related to guest additions, and will not be shown in that position in the log.

It sounds like you have not installed the guest additions correctly. You should read the user manual, section 4.2.2, which describes how to correctly install the Guest Additions in a Linux guest - although if you are serious when you say that you deleted VBoxGuestAdditions.iso from the host then it would be small wonder that you can no longer install the GAs. You would need to restore that file first, e.g. by reinstalling VBox on the host.

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 10. Apr 2012, 15:02
by cnxsoft
Thanks. Based on http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch04.html#idp5801200, I fixed the issue.

For some reasons the VirtualBox Addition ISO was mounted, but appeared empty in Ubuntu.
It was actually not possible to unmount it with VirtualBox (VERR_PDM_MEDIA_LOCKED).

But within a terminal windows in Ubuntu I could unmount it. Then right clicked on the CD icon and selected "Remove disk from virtual drive".
Clicked "Install Guest Additions" again and this time the ISO was mounted correctly and I just had to run sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run to install the GA (I had version 4.1.6 installed which was replaced by 4.1.12)

Restarted Ubuntu and it works again, I can copy text between the host and the guest.

I cannot remember I had to follow these steps when I installed the GA previously.

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 6. Sep 2012, 16:03
by nidla
Go to VirtualMachine's Settings->General->Advanced->Shared Clipboard (Bidirectional)

Reboot your virtual machine.

for me it solved the problem (it was set on Disabled), I had some machines working some not, so i checked settings in working ones they had bidirectional clipboard. Dont know if this was upgrade issue or... just double check your shared clipboard options.

Hope this helps someone.

VirtualBox V 4.1.20

p.s.

dont forget to "install guest additionss"

Re: Shared Clipboard Stopped Working

Posted: 22. Jan 2015, 22:34
by tbc0
I have had this problem off and on for over a year. My configuration is Windows host, Xubuntu guest. I was rebooting my guest to get my clipboard back. Today I Googled and found a long discussion about [1]. The leading recommendation is kill VBoxClient and restart it on the guest. That worked for me. Here's the command log:
$ ps -fe|grep -i clip
tbc       1400     1  0 Jan18 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --clipboard
$
$ p=1400;kill -int $p;ps -fp $p
$ /usr/bin/VBoxClient --clipboard
$ ps -fe|grep -i clip
tbc      30555  1281  0 13:01 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/VBoxClient --clipboard
$ pstree -sp 30555
init(1)---lightdm(1094)---lightdm(1261)---init(1281)---VBoxClient(30555)---{VBoxClient}(30556)
$
Note it runs in the background by default. I'm not familiar with processes that are automatically adopted, but I think that's quite clever.

[1] virtualbox dot org/ticket/5266 [I'm too new to post URLs]