sharing VMs

[kapeman]

Just installed the latest version of Virtualbox on Ubuntu (also latest version) and I am wondering if I should create a new VM in a shared folder so multiple users can access the same VM.

I have tried moving/copying the files around and the permissions are biting me big-time.

Any suggestions on the best/easiest way to do this would be greatly appreciated.

[Perryg]

Are you talking about a lot of people that use the same computer or are you talking about sharing this over a network?

[majoob]

Ubuntu 9.04 host with XP guest.

I'd like to do the same thing: install VirtualBox in one place where it is accessible by two, maybe three users on the same computer (no networking).

I had VirtualBox installed and running nicely on my old ubuntu desktop, but only from my profile.... if my wife wanted to run a Windows app, she had to log on to my profile and fire up my VirtualBox. It worked, but was inelegant.

Some time ago I read (on this forum I think) that sharing a VirtualBox host between two linux users is difficult due to linux's strict permissions. I'm hoping there is a solution now.

[Perryg]

Have you tried adding the other users login name to the vboxusers group?

[kapeman]

Have you tried adding the other users login name to the vboxusers group?

Yes, to no avail.

I have even tried moving all the files to a shared directory and changing the permissions.

None of which worked.

And for the record this is for multiple users on a single PC.

[Sasquatch]

What you're asking has been covered several times already. Please use the search trick in the Forum Posting Guide to find the answer. I've written extensive instructions on how to do it before. Digging through my 9000+ posts is something I don't recommend .

http://www.google.com/search?client=ope ... 8&oe=utf-8
for example will give you this as answer:
http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16894

[kapeman]

What you're asking has been covered several times already. Please use the search trick in the Forum Posting Guide to find the answer. I've written extensive instructions on how to do it before. Digging through my 9000+ posts is something I don't recommend .

http://www.google.com/search?client=ope ... 8&oe=utf-8
for example will give you this as answer:
http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16894

Thanks, I think.

It seems to me you just copy/paste this canned response and never look at any followup messages.
To quote one another poster:

"Also note, that I've done searches for "multiple accounts" "multiple users" "user account" "WinXP Guest" "Linux Host" and more, and every combination of these that I could think of. Also just now I did a search using [+VM +settings +user +accounts], all of which turned up no helpful information. So clearly searching for the answer doesn't work, which is exactly why I have no choice but to post the question. You might be able to find the answer, but that also isn't helpful to me unless 1 of 3 things happen. 1) you give the answer to me, or 2) you point me exactly to the information I'm looking for or 3) you suggest the un-guessable magic search query that by some miracle actually returns a solution."

I DID try a forum search and the results were, obviously, not successful.

I also DID try a Google search that (like the one you linked) only included hits that discussed how to setup drive shares.

Neither of those provided an answer, hence my new thread.

To be fair, a possible solution was presented at the bottom of page two the forum link you sent.

I still take issue with the general tone of your post. I am not blaming you for the failure of the search, but if the phpBB search was a little better, maybe this issue wouldn't come up so often.

Anyway, tone not withstanding, you did provide a potential solution so, thanks for that.

[Sasquatch]

The forum link was one of the many results I got. If you opened the Google link, you would have found more topics about the same subject (some to the same topic). I specifically noted the trick we have in the rules, as we know that the forum search itself doesn't work properly. Hence the link to Google, instead of the Forum Search. Maybe I should change my signature search URL for it.

[kapeman]

The forum link was one of the many results I got. If you opened the Google link, you would have found more topics about the same subject (some to the same topic). I specifically noted the trick we have in the rules, as we know that the forum search itself doesn't work properly. Hence the link to Google, instead of the Forum Search. Maybe I should change my signature search URL for it.

Understood.

Thanks for the info!

[majoob]

I searched the forums quite a bit before posting also, but didn't have much luck until I found this thread.
Sasquatch: thanks for the information
kapeman: thanks for standing up