4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Windows hosts.
bhamail
Posts: 22
Joined: 23. Jan 2009, 04:30

4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by bhamail »

Using VirtualBox 3.x on Mac OSX, I exported an appliance containing Ubuntu linux.

On a Win7, 64bit machine, I attempted to import this appliance using Virtual Box 4.0.
The import runs for a while, then shows the error dialog:

"Failed to import appliance:...<parth to .ovf>.

Shared folder path:
'/Users/<username>/Documents/vbox-shared' is not absolute.

Image below:
error dialog
error dialog
VBoxImportErrorShareNotAbslt.png (16.08 KiB) Viewed 26673 times
How can I import this appliance? Should exporting warn about such 'relative' shares, and/or should importing allow me to take some corrective action? Thanks.
Sasquatch
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by Sasquatch »

The path does not exist on Windows, because it's a *NIX path, OSX as you said this time. What you can do is open the OVF file and remove the Shared Folder definition (backup first!), then try to import it again.
If you have the latest VB version, 4.0.0, then you can add the machine directly without the need to export it. From the main GUI, click on Machine, then Add. Select the XML file of the VM that you transferred from OSX to Windows and you're done. You might need to manually add the VDI file too through the VM settings > Storage section, but it should go better than the OVF transfer.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
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Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
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bhamail
Posts: 22
Joined: 23. Jan 2009, 04:30

Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by bhamail »

Thanks for the suggestions. I will give them a try.

Still, it feels like this is a bug -> I think VB 4 should give me some way to disregard the non-existent Shared Folder (and/or to point it to a new, valid path) during the import.
bhamail
Posts: 22
Joined: 23. Jan 2009, 04:30

Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by bhamail »

FWIW, a straight add of the vm.xml also fails with a similar error about the path to the Shared Folder not existing.

I manually edited the vm.xml, and removed the tag for the Shared Folder. Then I get an error about not finding the Hard Disk with UUID...
This is fine, BUT, when I attempt to add the .vmdk disk image via Media Manager I can not, because you can not create a new disk (at least not in an empty, fresh install of VB 4.0).

I next manually edited the vm.xml file again, and removed the tag for the 'Attached Device'. Then when I add the VM, I am prompted to create a new disk or select an existing image. I was able to select the image created by the original failed import operation. This succeeded.

This workaround is clunky at best, and I still think 'Import' and 'Add' should allow me to fix/ignore/remove the invalid Shared Folder path.
I my case I had to juggle a 6+gb over the network (as it's too big for FAT32 thumb drives), and then do the whole thing again to try it with the .vmdk.
When the root issue was the invalid share. (And re-exporting the original VM w/out the Shared Folder would have involved the same re-do of a 6+gb transfer).
Not whining, but just want to mention that the user experience for this case could be much improved by allowing the user to take corrective action during import/add of a VM.
wgregori
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Primary OS: MS Windows XP
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by wgregori »

I'll have to agree with bhamail that this is a bug. I have not succeeded in importing my Win2k image due to the "shared folder" conflict. I have take the steps recommended but have not succeeded in recreating my VM. Migration path stopped.
Technologov
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by Technologov »

Known bug #7941

Please add more comments to my bug, if necessary.
rootzilla
Posts: 9
Joined: 18. Sep 2010, 08:25
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by rootzilla »

For me, this is a big problem.
VBox 4.0.6
Host : Windows 7 Guest: Debian Lenny
I would import Debian Lenny in an other pc Linux Debian Lenny (Debian Lenny host - Debian Lenny Guest), but it's impossible to import with this error.
Is there a solution to go on ? I cannot wait to fix the bug, my boss is going to kill me.
thank's
Technologov
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by Technologov »

Yes, you can manually edit VM XML file. In v4.x it is easy. (since no global registry)
rootzilla
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by rootzilla »

Technologov wrote:Yes, you can manually edit VM XML file. In v4.x it is easy. (since no global registry)
With the export I have 2 output files :
1) vmdk
2) ovf (this file seems an XML file)
I have only a xml file in .Virtualbox etc etc but this xml file there isn't in the export files
Can you explain me ?
Thank's
Technologov
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by Technologov »

You can just copy whole directory of VirtualBox VM (provided you created VM with VBox 4.x).

I don't use appliance import/export. I use "Machine->Add" -- as it allows you to import VM together with snapshots.
With OVF appliance import/export method, VM snapshots are lost.
rootzilla
Posts: 9
Joined: 18. Sep 2010, 08:25
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
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Guest OSses: Linux Debian Lenny

Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by rootzilla »

Technologov wrote:You can just copy whole directory of VirtualBox VM (provided you created VM with VBox 4.x).

I don't use appliance import/export. I use "Machine->Add" -- as it allows you to import VM together with snapshots.
With OVF appliance import/export method, VM snapshots are lost.
Ok, thank's I try.
rootzilla
Posts: 9
Joined: 18. Sep 2010, 08:25
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by rootzilla »

Ok.... doesn't work
I have copied in /home/rootzilla/VirtualBox VMs/sigest
Snapshots
{0e5g......}.vmdk

Run VBox
New
without disk
After I hve configured hd dvd ...
and the VM it's ok but there's only {0e5g......}.vmdk since 2010, there aren't Snapshots
Can you help me ?
Sasquatch
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by Sasquatch »

He doesn't say Machine > New, he says Machine > ADD.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org

Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
Kevin Ruddy
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by Kevin Ruddy »

This change in functionality (specifically, changeset 35757) breaks some established useful behavior:

I have shared folders with a Linux guest on a Windows host. Some of the host paths are references to drive letters that are not always available, such as CD/DVD-ROMs and media card readers. These previously (4.0.4 and earlier) worked fine. With the change to ConsoleImpl.cpp:6426 (the addition of the !RTPathExists check), it now checks the validity of the host path at guest startup. If there is no media in these locations, it issues a warning. Further, it stops processing any remaining shared folders, valid or not.

This should recreate the issues:
  • Create a Linux guest on Windows host.
  • Configure two shared folders, one referencing a host CD-ROM and one referencing a valid folder on the host (these may need to be arranged so the valid folder starts with a letter alphabetically later than the CD-ROM drive letter).
  • Start the guest with the host CD-ROM unloaded.
  • A warning box appears regarding the "invalid" CD-ROM.
  • After the guest boots, you cannot access the host's valid folder, because processing of shared folders stops after the warning is issued.
I would prefer:
  • When an error is encountered processing a shared folder, continue processing remaining shared folder records.
  • On Windows hosts, permit drive letters that are not currently loaded with media.
The check is on line 6426 in src/VBox/Main/src-client/ConsoleImpl.cpp in the 4.0.6 tarball.

Here are some relevant lines from my log. There is a successful shared folder added, then a failure adding the E:\ drive, then it moves on (there were more shared folders to be loaded but those do not appear in the log):
00:00:05.699 SharedFolders host service: adding host mapping
00:00:05.699     Host path 'C:\Users\x\Downloads', map name 'sf_downloads', writable
00:00:05.700 ERROR [COM]: aRC=E_INVALIDARG (0x80070057) aIID={515e8e8d-f932-4d8e-9f32-79a52aead882} aComponent={Console} aText={Shared folder path 'E:\' does not exist on the host}, preserve=false
00:00:05.700 Console: VM runtime error: fatal=false, errorID=BrokenSharedFolder message="The shared folder 'sf_e' could not be set up: Shared folder path 'E:\' does not exist on the host.
00:00:05.700 The shared folder setup will not be complete. It is recommended to power down the virtual machine and fix the shared folder settings while the machine is not running."
00:00:05.701 Changing the VM state from 'CREATED' to 'POWERING_ON'.
coliban
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Re: 4.0 Import Appliance fails: shared folder ...is not absolute

Post by coliban »

Hello, i encountered the same error: when i try on windows to import a correct exported ova from a VirtualBox on Linux, it complains about the error with the "shared folder" or something. It seems ridiculous to me, that VirtualBox is not able, to import its *own* exported virtual machines.... (!??)

regards
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