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Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 15. Jul 2010, 22:06
by yast
There could be one useful thing to include which in fact wouldn't be to hard to implement. It should be possible that you can open any file on guest side using host process.

Use case:
  • User has Windows guest. We wants to open one mp3 file using vlc player on linux.
To do so:
  • User right clicks on file
    Clicks "Open file with host process"
    Writes/selects "vlc".
    Vlc is started and playing music on host side
Work flow when user wants to open a file with host:
  • Guest file is copied to temporary shared folder by guest additions
    According process is called on host side to open a file
    When process is closed, file might be copied back to guest side (to support writing)

Re: Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 16. Jul 2010, 11:02
by mpack
They are separate PCs - one PC can't open files on another PCs drives. However you can already set up a network share of the guest drive, which will make it appear like that's what's happening.

Re: Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 17. Jul 2010, 02:32
by Technologov
Is your VM on or off ?

If off, then you can loop mount your VDI image, if on you can try to share files on your (virtual) network.

I have opened a feature request, Wish #7185

-Technologov

Re: Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 17. Jul 2010, 22:38
by Uzume
Methinks this mostly boils down to launching a host process from a guest (vs. the opposite which has recently been added). As for file sharing thing that is already accomplished with shared folders and other methods.

Re: Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 20. Jul 2010, 23:01
by yast
VM is on. It's meant that you in virtualbox automate task of opening the guest files using host process. Ie:

I have some files in Windows guest. I want to open one file (in example a movie on c:\move.avi) using program linux.

To do this I must copy a file (C:\movie.avi) to shared folder (Z:movie.avi -> /home/user/Shared/movie.avi) and open the file inside the host (vlc /home/user/Shared/movie.avi). So this might be automated and it's really not hard to do. It might speed up everyday operations.

For example I sometimes get images to Windows. On windows no good image editor is present. So only way is to use gimp on linux.

Needed changes to do:
* append guest additions:
* that guest can trigger a process
* shell extensions (easier access to this feature)
* support for temporary shared folders
* shell extensions on host (Vbox finds default file editor for any file)

Re: Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 22. Jul 2010, 16:13
by pbusque
I too could use remote execute on host from the guest.

In my case, I'm running Linux, but since the entreprise rely on Outlook for mail and 1-2 other software that require Windows, I must run a light session just for Outlook.

When someone send me an email with an URL, Outlook will open that URL in the Guest's Firefox.

What I would like to do, with remote host execution, is to have a script that will launch Firefox on the host with the url specified, and have that script mapped in windows for URL.

Right now, I must copy/past a link from the guest to the host if I want to open those.

Re: Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 11. Jun 2012, 13:33
by jbe
I also posted this Idea here: http://superuser.com/questions/140234/i ... 221#435221


I want the excat same thing, and was thinking it would be possilbe by having a windowsprogram to handle URLs, this program can eg. save the URL in a text document in the shared folder between guest and host.

then in Linux, you will have to run a background process that scan that folder for new documents, and open URLs in text documents in here.

the text documents can then be deleted. And the functiolality we all want is added!

There might be tons of other and better solutions, this is just an idea, that I can easily visualize :)

hope someone have the skills to work on this !!!

Re: Suggestion: Open a guest file using host process

Posted: 27. Aug 2013, 20:16
by ConcertoGR
This feature is supported in at least one of the pay-to-play VM products. I'm considering switching all my VMs to VB, but without automatic opening of a guest file with a host app......, dunno. Like many, my job requires I run W$ frequently. I often open a file in my host app from my W7 hosted by that other product. (Haven't mentioned the product, not supposed to use bad language here. ;)