Guest Additions refuses to mount - Win7 Host, Ubuntu Guest

[AlexK]

Hi,

Tried everything to get the guest additions ISO to mount on a fresh clean install of 32-bit Ubuntu 13.04 Server as a guest, on a Win7 Ultimate 32-bit host.
Followed official help docs. Using latest VirtualBox with the included guest additions ISO, and latest Ubuntu server.

I have done the Ubuntu package updates as advised in VirtualBox help, bit I am stuck on is steps 2 and 3 under Installing the Linux Guest Additions:(sorry Forum not allowing me to post URLs) www [dot] virtualbox [dot] org/manual/ch04.html#idp12039536

I have tried manually mounting the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso in the Settings->Storage section for my VM before booting it, no cdrom is mounted or accessible from the command line in Ubuntu. In /media I see 'cdrom' but it's empty. Nothing else in /mnt or /dev that is relevant or accessible.

I have also tried booting VM without the ISO manually mounted in settings, and then selecting Install Guest Additions from Host window's Devices menu. First time I try it absolutely nothing happens. Then I try it again and I get an error box up saying VERR_PDM_MEDIA_LOCKED as per: blog [dot] plicatibu [dot] com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/verr_pdm_media_locked.png

Anyone got any ideas at all please? I have googled of course but to no avail - still no way to mount the CD rom and access the .run file as per official guides

Many thanks,
Alex

[Perryg]

This should help Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions

Keep in mind that when you run this you need to add --nox11 to the end of the install statement because you don't have "X". You will still get a warning but it will install.
Also the only thing that this will actually give you is shared folders and IIRC time sync.

[AlexK]

Great, thanks very much, that worked. For anyone else struggling in future:

Specifically the things I now also did that I had not done before were:

apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-generic (I had done dkms already)

and then manually mounted via the command line. The notes say do:

mount /dev/scd0 /media/cdrom

But my fresh install of Ubuntu 13.04 had no /dev/scd0 only /dev/cdrom so I changed the command to:

mount /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom

and that worked. I was then able to cd to /media/cdrom and do the: sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run
as advised in the official Help (Virtual Box Manager -> Help menu -> Contents)

I then went into the settings for the running machine in the Manager, Shared Folder settings, and set up a new shared folder. Rebooted virtual machine and all working fine.

Real shame the official help does not have complete or accurate instructions for this, or a pointer to the help file you directed me to (which itself was wrong - no scd0 and required guesswork to correct). Do things HAVE to be this difficult in the world of Linux??

Thanks again,
Alex

[Perryg]

Do things HAVE to be this difficult in the world of Linux??

Nope it could be bloated and cost a ton of money.

I will see that the instructions are updated for the CD mount to reflect /dev/sr0.