virtualbox.org

My goal: use USB remote devices (Xilinx cable USB) which are supported under RHEL 5.

Host system: Xubuntu 12.04
Installed VirtualBox 4.1.12_Ubuntu without problems (from the Ubuntu softwer center).
Downloaded rhel-server-5.8-i386-dvd-iso from redhat website. Installed it directly from the disk of the host.
During installation, I have not provided a Red Hat Installation Number, I got a message about updates non available.
The installation completes, apparently ok.

According to the VirtualBox User Manual Version 4.2.2 (section 2.3.4):
“The Linux installers create the system user group vboxusers during installation. Any system
user who is going to use USB devices from VirtualBox guests must be a member of that group. A
user can be made a member of the group vboxusers through the GUI user/group management
or at the command line with
sudo usermod -a -G vboxusers username
“

On a RHEL5 terminal , I type:
# sudo usermod -a -G vboxusers root
but I get:
usermod: unknown group vboxusers

I type:
# grep -ln vbox /etc/udev/rules.d/*
but I get nothing. It is like if the group vboxusers does not exist at all. So it is different from what stated in the User Manual.
I am not a linux expert, don't know how to create and setup groups (I would prefer to reinstall stuff in a way that works without manual tweaks).

Thanks

The vboxusers group is on the host, not the guest.

Note: Its a bad idea to run as root. Use normal user and sudo.

Perryg wrote:The vboxusers group is on the host, not the guest.

Note: Its a bad idea to run as root. Use normal user and sudo.

Thanks, now it works (at least with a USB memory stick): after starting the VM, on the bottom side of its window there is a symbol of a USB connector, I have to right-click and select the USB device. In this way the USB device disappears from the host system and appears under the guest system. When I do a proper shutdown of the VM, the USB device reappears automatically under the host system. This procedure workr either plugging the USB device before or after starting the VM.