virtualbox.org

I set up my Mac with an admin account and several users account.

In VirtualBox Preferences panel, I set the HARD DISKS and the MACHINES folder to be inside users/shared (I did that for all user accounts).

VirtualBox keeps creating folders in user/library and ignores the virtual machines and disks I created in users/shared, i.e., I can't see, and therefore can't enter, the virtual machines I created, even when I log in the account I used to creat the VM (even in my admin account).

I wanted to create one single VM that could be accessed by all the users in the computer (I mean, just like an application in the applications folder can be accessed by all user accounts). I believe it's possible to be done, but I don't know how.

I read in the VirtualBox manual that it's possible to set a VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable, but don't know how or even if this would solve the problem.

Does anybody know how to create one single VM that can be accessed by all user accounts? I would really appreciate any help given.

I case it matters, my OS is Tiger and my computer is a MacBook Pro, Intel based.

Thanks.

The variable sets the configuration folder to the given value, like /user/shared. All VMs and hard drives will be stored there for all users. They will share the same settings and VMs.

If you want to have only ONE VM available for all users while having their own without others seeing it, you can register that VM manually by putting the VM .xml file and VDI in the shared folder, make sure no media is attached to that VM and use VBoxManage registervm <filename> for each user that needs it. Add the media the VM needs like hard drive and check if the change is registered for the other users. If it is, you're done. If it isn't, then it will be tricky to keep the settings all the same, as some could break the VM if one is suddenly disabled.

Thank you for your reply, sasquatch.

What I really want is a single VM created for all users to see (no VMs created for an individual user, that could not be seen by others). If I understood well, the solution is to set the VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable to /user/shared/. Is that correct?

If this is the solution, please tell me how do I set the VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable?

I'm not even close to be a hacker, so I need a somewhat detailed instruction.

Thank you again. I really appreciate your help!

I'm not a hacker either, don't know anything about it. So don't even get started on that. Most 'hackers' these days are just ignorant script-kiddies, thinking they are smart but really aren't.

As for the solution, did you understand my post properly? It seems you didn't, because the variable VBOX_USER_HOME sets the whole VB config folder to that location. So if your user has that variable and create another VM, other users that have the same variable value will see that VM too.

The question was how, seems to asked alot but even google doesn't give a clear cut answer.

vbox4me2 wrote:The question was how, seems to asked alot but even google doesn't give a clear cut answer.

And that how is what I provided.

No you didn't say how, as in, where do you set this variable? is it the same as linux?

Sasquatch wrote:As for the solution, did you understand my post properly? It seems you didn't, because the variable VBOX_USER_HOME sets the whole VB config folder to that location. So if your user has that variable and create another VM, other users that have the same variable value will see that VM too.

Yes, that's exactly what I want! I want every VM created in my computer to be seen by all users!!! If I create a Windows VM and install software there, I want all users to be able to access the VM with the software already installed. Otherwise, I would have to create one VM for each user and install the whole software package in every VM.

But the question is: how to set the VBOX_USER_HOME? Do you know how to do it? I didn't understand how from your post.

Ah, but he doesn't want to use the variable, I explained that just now .

Arggggg.... what he needs is this:

Start a terminal session
Type "edit /user/bin/.start.rc"
add the line "set var VBOX_USER_HOME /user/all/.virtualbox"
save&exit
reboot your Mac.

But then how it really goes with a MAC since I have no idea

Yes, sasquatch, I really want to know how to set the VBOX_USER_HOME variable. Please read my last post, which entered 1 second before yours.

Ahhh google found it:
http://dhptech.com/article/setting-envi ... x-programs

vbox4me2 wrote:Ahhh google found it:
http://dhptech.com/article/setting-envi ... x-programs

Thanks vbox4me2, but I couldn't connect to dhptech.com... Could you please give me the keywords you used to search in Google?

Thanks. I'll try that.