virtualbox.org

Hi.

How can you make a "shared" host folder (e.g. \\vboxsrv\share - E:) accessable on the network.

The properties window doesnt show the sharing tab? The host is not part of the network, the guest is.
Still I want to be able to access a folder on the host through the network.

Thanks

Sorry, if I missed the topic while searching.

That isn't what GA shared folders are designed for. The GA shared folders are not really on any publicly visible network, they just appear that way to a guest, provided the guest has the Guest Additions drivers installed.

You should set up a proper network shared folder instead. In that case the fact that one or more PCs on the network are virtual will not be relevant. Use Google to find out how to configure a real network share.

Thank you, but thats not it. Of course I could setup a "real" network share, but I would have to copy the data into it, right?
Host is not on the network. Guest is on the network using a usb device!

For simplicity: Host is offline - Guest is online!

What I want to do is the following:

I want to expose data that is not on the virtual machine, but on the host, to the network. (Pass it through the vm)
I could manually copy the data from a (vbox)-shared folder to a "real" folder on the guest and share that, but thats two steps. Is there no other way?

I think I need something along the lines of a soft/hardlink (that points to "\\vboxsrv\hostfolder") that I then can (windows)-share on the network.

a symbolic link has the option to share it, but when I try to apply it fails ("cant be created"). Junction needs local volumes!

Any thoughts, I know its not very straightforward, but I need just that...

coppertoe wrote:I want to expose data that is not on the virtual machine, but on the host, to the network. (Pass it through the vm)
I could manually copy the data from a (vbox)-shared folder to a "real" folder on the guest and share that, but thats two steps. Is there no other way?

Not that I'm aware of. A virtual PC is just like any other PC. It has no magical powers. The limitation for example about sharing shared folders is not specific to virtual PCs.

Well, now that you put it that way, you're completely right.

I just assumed the vbox shares are something special, like a local drive or something. Of course they're just another network share. How deeply unclever of me, sigh.

Thank you. I will just search for a solution that "bridges" a network share between two different networks, or something along those lines...

Coppertoe,

Did you ever figure out how to achieve this? I am looking to do the exact same thing right now.

Please let me know if you ever did find a solution, thank you

This post is one year old, and the OP never came back in one year to this forum (at the time of writing).
Also, this post concluded by the answer that you basically can't, since the shared folders are simply a network share of a HOST folder. So if you need that particular folder to be shared, implement a network share in the host (be in CIFS or NFS).