Symbolic links in shared folders

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
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dglsquaid
Posts: 4
Joined: 8. Jan 2011, 19:08
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: linux

Symbolic links in shared folders

Post by dglsquaid »

Hi all !

Virtualbox 4.0.0
windows host, linux guest.

If I made with windows a simlink from folder c:\Documents to d:\shared_folder\documents... under linux this symlink doesn't works... is not accessible ( red color 0 byte )... linux can't access to c:\Documents.
In the past releases 3.2.8 e.g. this symlink worked.
Can you confirm ?
Sasquatch
Volunteer
Posts: 17798
Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
Location: /dev/random

Re: Symbolic links in shared folders

Post by Sasquatch »

Windows symlinks are different from Linux symlinks. The support that was added, was for Linux symlinks. It apparently breaks Windows symlinks. In the past, all symlinks were treated like a normal file or folder, now they don't.
I'm also curious as how Linux handles Windows symlinks, because the other way around doesn't work. Windows will just show a file instead that's 0 bytes.
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.
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Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
dglsquaid
Posts: 4
Joined: 8. Jan 2011, 19:08
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: linux

Re: Symbolic links in shared folders

Post by dglsquaid »

Hi Sasquatch,

For testing windows simlinks I used mklink from cmd line and a specific ( awesome ) program like Link Shell Extension (http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshel ... ml#contact ) that allow making different kinds of links... but nothing working...
Sasquatch
Volunteer
Posts: 17798
Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
Location: /dev/random

Re: Symbolic links in shared folders

Post by Sasquatch »

I am aware of that feature in Windows (Vista and newer supports it), as I've used it a few times when I did use Windows. But like I said, the way Windows uses it is different from Linux and the currently supported symlinks are from Linux only. Windows' symlinks are broken because of that. You might want to report this in the Bugtracker (separate account needed). Post the ticket here in case others have the same problem.
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.
dglsquaid
Posts: 4
Joined: 8. Jan 2011, 19:08
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: OSE other
Guest OSses: linux

Re: Symbolic links in shared folders

Post by dglsquaid »

Sasquatch wrote:I am aware of that feature in Windows (Vista and newer supports it), as I've used it a few times when I did use Windows. But like I said, the way Windows uses it is different from Linux and the currently supported symlinks are from Linux only. Windows' symlinks are broken because of that. You might want to report this in the Bugtracker (separate account needed). Post the ticket here in case others have the same problem.
Bugtracker ticket here :
http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/8038#preview
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