Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
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pendraggon87
Posts: 5
Joined: 19. Apr 2010, 23:47
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: Ubuntu

Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by pendraggon87 »

Hi. So first of all, I have perused this site extensively while searching for a solution.

My Goal: I have two partitions, C: and D:. I also have an external hard drive with three partitions, E:, F: and G:. I would like ALL of these partitions to be readable at the very least by the Ubuntu VM.

Here is my config:

VirtualBox 3.1.6 running on my Windows 7 Host. I am running Ubuntu Desktop 9.10 as a guest. I right clicked on the shared folder, and created a share called "cdrive" and "DOCS" which map to "C:\" and "D:\Backup\Documents." I have tried the following commands to no avail:

sudo mkdir /home/****/sfmount_point
sudo mount -t vboxsf cdrive /home/*****/sfmount_point

And I receive the famous "No such device" error. Any tips would be appreciated.
Perryg
Site Moderator
Posts: 34369
Joined: 6. Sep 2008, 22:55
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: *NIX

Re: Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by Perryg »

The guest additions must be installed (on the guest)
The share and mount point should not have spaces, caps, or characters.
But I suspect that the first line is what you are missing.
See Chapter 4.7. Folder sharing in your VirtualBox Users Guide.
pendraggon87
Posts: 5
Joined: 19. Apr 2010, 23:47
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: Ubuntu

Re: Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by pendraggon87 »

Guest additions are installed.

I even tried that suggestion about "modprobe vboxvsf" but get an error.
pendraggon87
Posts: 5
Joined: 19. Apr 2010, 23:47
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: Ubuntu

Re: Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by pendraggon87 »

I got this to work - ONCE! Then all of a sudden it no longer works the next time I booted into the VM. Is there a way to ensure it is not this flaky?!
Perryg
Site Moderator
Posts: 34369
Joined: 6. Sep 2008, 22:55
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: *NIX

Re: Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by Perryg »

You must be doing something wrong or it would be working.
Are you sure that you are setting up the shared folder properly in the guest settings of the guest?
You select the folder that you want to share from the drop down window, and give it a share name that does not contain any caps, spaces, or characters.
You do not need to actually click on the folder in the host file manager and share it from there.
pendraggon87
Posts: 5
Joined: 19. Apr 2010, 23:47
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: Ubuntu

Re: Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by pendraggon87 »

Yup, I right click on the shared folder icon on the bottom right, set up the share, and usually get an error. I've discovered that if I reinstall the Guest Additions it temporarily fixes the problem, but I need to do this every time I boot the VM. Especially if I change where a share points to.
Perryg
Site Moderator
Posts: 34369
Joined: 6. Sep 2008, 22:55
Primary OS: Linux other
VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
Guest OSses: *NIX

Re: Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by Perryg »

Shut down the guest and set up the share from the settings area. Then start the guest and see if it stays.

If this works once and is not persistent then file a ticket with bugtracker. You will need to setup an account there as it is on a different system.
It would also help if you can post the ticket number here so other can see the progress, add information, or see the final results.
carlill
Posts: 9
Joined: 25. Oct 2007, 16:01

Re: Shared Folders - vboxsf no such device - YES, I read posts

Post by carlill »

I struggled with this exact same error, read all the posts and couldn't work out what was going on (Win7 64 bit host, Ubuntu guest).

EVENTUALLY, I fixed it by simply reinstalling the guest additions - it seems that some Ubuntu updates in the guest have the effect of killing the shared folder functionality (no idea why - this is just an observation of the end result).

See if it works for you. If so, is this a bug? And if so, is it in the guest additions or in Ubuntu?

Ceri
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