virtualbox.org

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

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.

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

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.