Null, External and Guest question

[MKVCrazy]

I've setup VirtualBox non-OSE on a Linux host with 1 XP guest and 1 Ubuntu Karmic guest. I can connect to both of them fine using the "Null" setting in Remote Display tab. But they don't need you to enter any password in order to access the VMs. So I tried the other two options and I get the following error when I connect to them using GRDP (which was used to connect to VM using Null fine)

send: Broke pipe

What I am trying to do is you know when you have a Windows Server 2003 (dedicated server), no matter Windows is running or not when you connect to the IP you always have to enter the logins of the OS. I want the users to always have to enter the logins of the VM's OS that I set up so that nobody else can use the running VM's just by knowing the IP and port number.

How may I set up VirtualBox operate like this?

[MKVCrazy]

Anyone?

[Perryg]

VirtualBox Users Guide

Chapter 7. Remote virtual machines describes your options for remote connections

Section 7.1.5. RDP authentication describes the authentications available to you

[MKVCrazy]

Hi, I am pretty sure that I mentioned I've tried all three and that they don't make any difference.

[Perryg]

Use the vRdp that is provided with VBox PUEL and the external authentication method.
You will then remote to the host IP and the guest RDP port.
The user must be a valid host account and the you should setup the guest to use a different port then the default because it is more then possible that it is already being used.
The valid user must be in the shadow file (/etc/shadow) of the host since Linux uses PAM for the authentication. If you do not have the shadow file ( you should in Ubuntu) you can add the following to get past this.
Edit /etc/pam.d/common-account (add broken_shadow to the end of pam_unix.so)

Code: Select all

#account required        pam_unix.so (Line changed below)
account required        pam_unix.so broken_shadow

[MKVCrazy]

Uh-oh. I'm stuck in the middle of trying to do what you suggested with this DevATA-DiskFull error 913GB more space available. How can this be happening? I did search and I don't know how to check what type of file system I am using, FAT32 or NTFS. How do I check that on Ubuntu? I can't even move the VM until I do this. SOLVED.

EDIT:

When you say that user must be a valid host account then if the user doesn't use the port of the guest vRDP port then that user will be able to use the host machine using that account then?

EDIT 2:

So my step of the Remote Display on the server machine is as follow.

Port: 5825
Method: External
Timeout: It's the default, I didn't touch this one.

Two users on the host account (Linux Ubuntu Karmic): root & myclone

So I setup the VirtualBox like that and try to connect to my server using Gnome-RDP. My Gnome-RDP settings are as follow.



When I click on Connect. I get a new window pop up with black screen and the IP at the window bar at top then it disappears and nothing happens.

[MarkCranness]

Use the vRdp that is provided with VBox PUEL and the external authentication method.

@MKVCrazy: I think you have to use the rdesktop-vrdp program that VirtualBox provide on the Guest Additions ISO.

[Perryg]

The MS RDP client will work but you must tell it to save the password other wise it does not pass the login and password to the host.
rdesktop works as well.

[MKVCrazy]

@Perryg,

The above screenshot is from Gnome-RDP which is rdesktop. And doesn't connect to the Guest OS when I try to login using the settings you suggested and a valid login of the host OS.

@Mark,

Sorry, linux program namings are very confusing. Is that "rdesktop-vrdp" a program or you meant to say "rdesktop to vrdp"? If the rdesktop you are mentioning is Gnome-RDP that is installed by default on Ubuntu then yes I have been trying to connect to the vRDP enabled Guest OS using Gnome-RDP (rdesktop).

[jcoles]

Do you get the xrdp login screen (see picture)?
The default "Module" setting is vnc, which I am reasonably sure could never work with an RDP server.
Why there is any need to select a "Module"? I don't understand.
I select X11rdp myself. It makes sense, and is the only option that gives me any response.
For some strange reason, you use your host password, not the password on the virtual system.
Perhaps it will work for you. For me, the result is:

connecting to sesman ip 127.0.0.1 port 3350
sesman connect ok
sending login info to sesman
login successful for display 10
starting connecting
some problem

Now isn't that "some problem" message useful? NOT! And why is it changing the port?

The manual is quite confusing.
Why can I not simply RDP to the IP address of my virtual machine and log in to one of the accounts on it? That would actually make sense.

Has anyone been able to make this work?

[jcoles]

VirtualBox Users Guide

Chapter 7. Remote virtual machines describes your options for remote connections

Section 7.1.5. RDP authentication describes the authentications available to you

Perry, which version of VirtualBox do you have? I have v3.0.12 and my manual doesn't have a section 7.1.5. Section 7.1 is "Introduction".

I was trying to connect from the host system to a VM on that host. Is that not possible?

[Perryg]

I am using version 3.1.2 and they did change the chapter numbers when they added some more information.

Condensed login information using external:
1) you use the IP address of the host followed with the port number of the guest to connect. (this is set in the display - remote section of the guest settings)
2) the user name and password is the one that started the VBox session on the host. It used to be any valid host user but I have not been able to get that working properly for the new 3.1.x versions.
3) Linux hosts use PAM and if you do not use a shadow file you must edit the pam.d file as indicated above.
Other than that I don't know what to tell you. It works for me with the exception of multiple users now.
I suggest that if you can not get this to work with the information that I have provided you create a ticket in bugtracker and let the DEVs sort it out.

[MKVCrazy]

Perryg,

I am OK with steps #1 and #3 in your post but I'm stuck at #2. I can never connect using one fo host's valid user accounts. By the way if I do that way, won't the users who use host's valid account be able to connect to the host machine if they don't include the port?

[MarkCranness]

@Mark,
Sorry, linux program namings are very confusing. Is that "rdesktop-vrdp" a program or you meant to say "rdesktop to vrdp"? If the rdesktop you are mentioning is Gnome-RDP that is installed by default on Ubuntu then yes I have been trying to connect to the vRDP enabled Guest OS using Gnome-RDP (rdesktop).

I understand that there is a program named 'rdesktop-vrdp' in the same folder as the other VirtualBox programs. It is installed for Linuxy host OSs.