virtualbox.org

Hi,
after several searches, I managed to use my native XP as a VB guest using Ubuntu as host.
I've 3 partitions: sda1 with native XP (NTFS)
sda2 with native Ubuntu
sda3 is a NTFS partition I want to use to store data to share between host and guest (possibly in the same time in host and running guest).

All it's working but I'm not sure what is the best way to share data between host and guest using a dedicated partition that I can use also booting XP in "native mode"

I try to explain me better:
case 1) I boot xp in native mode from sda1 and I can use ntfs sda3 partition to see my data: it works fine.
case 2) I boot ubuntu (native mode) from sda2 and I can use ntfs sda3 partition to see my data: it works fine.
case 3) I boot xp in virtualbox from the same sda1 partition using ubuntu as host: it works fine, I can see sda3 ntfs data partition, but if I do some changes in that partition from ubuntu, I can't see the changes from xp guest (and I think also the same if I do the same in viceversa).

UP

3) what if you press F5 from the Guest, do you see the changes then?

No

I think the problem is that I can't mount the same partition in ubuntu and simultaneously in guest XP (as raw partition).

I've found this post that explains the problem:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...59&postcount=2

So I think the only solution is to use data partition from guest, mapping it as a network drive... but I have a "same label problem":

I try to explayn my situation:

When I boot XP "native mode":
- C: WinXP (NTFS)
- D: Data (NTFS)
- E: CDROM

When I use Ubuntu "native mode":
- sda2: Linux (ext3)
- sda3: Data (NTFS)

When I use XP "VBox guest mode":
- C: WinXP (NTFS)
- sda3 Data ntfs partition: mapped as network drive (using VBox guest additions). The disk is mapped as "D:" to keep the same path as in "XP native mode" (for applications to work).

The problem is:
If I use "D:" label to map data partition in XP guest mode, when I boot XP in native mode there is a conflict because "D:" is the same label as the physical data partition and I can't use it. I must disconnect the mapped drive, reboot the sistem and use data partition correctly.

Use a different letter for both, X: or something unused.