Windows 8 host, Ubuntu guest, share host folders not mountin

[raananb]

I created a shared file property using command-line command:

vboxmanage sharedfolder add "Ubuntu 12.04" --name "HProjets" --hostpath "D:\ProjetsDB" -- automount

The "Shared files" entry in the Ubuntu VM displays (original in French), under Permanent folders, "HProjecs", under Path "D:\ProjetsDB", under Auto mount "Yes" and under access "Full".

The VM Ubuntu 12.04 boots with no problems.

I expected to find sf_HProjets in Media folder, but Media folder only contains VBOXADDITIONS_4.2.12_84980

Were is the shared folder?

[Perryg]

Did you actually install the guest additions (in the guest)?
Also if you are going to use the automount you are going to need to add the guests logon user to the vboxsf group.
Explained at 4.3 Shared folders in the manual.

[raananb]

When I try to install the guest additions in the guest VM ("Ubuntu 12.04"), I get the 2-pieces message below (translated form French):

"Impossible to insert the virtual DVD C:\Program Files\VirtualBox\VBoxGuestAdditions.iso in the virtual machine "Ubuntu 12.04". Do you want to force the insertion of this media?

Could not mount the media/drive 'C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxGuestAdditions.iso (VERR_PDM_MEDIA_LOCKED)."

The buttons display "Force ejection" and "Cancel"

If I click on "Force ejection" the message panel goes away and nothing else happens.

There is a VBoxGuestAdditions.iso at c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox.

ps: this is the first time I use Virtual Box - I have a two-days experience with this tool.

[Perryg]

Probably the easiest way for you to overcome this is to follow the instructions below:

• Shut down the guest (not saved state)
  Goto the storage section in the guest settings and select the CD/DVD drive.
  Look to the right and you should see the small CD icon.
  Click that and select to remove the disk from mthe drive.
  Start the guest and then click the devise tab and install guest additions.

You should also read the following:
This should help Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions

[raananb]

1. Shut down the guest (not saved state)
2. Goto the storage section in the guest settings and select the CD/DVD drive.
3. Look to the right and you should see the small CD icon.
4. Click that and select to remove the disk from mthe drive.
5. Start the guest and then click the devise tab and install guest additions.

after step 4 is executed, the dvd unit is empty.

Step 5 displays the following warning:

"This medium contains software intended to be automatically started. Would you like to run it?

The software will run directly from the medium "VBOXADDITIONS_4.2.12_84980".
You should never run software that you don't trust.

If in doubt, press Cancel."

What I don't get is what the medium "VBOXADDITIONS_4.2.12_84980" does here, since the DVD is loaded with "VBoxGuestAdditions.iso" which is a file on its own.

Should the warning be disregarded?

[Perryg]

If you want to install you would. You can cancel it but then you would need to install it manually and of course need to know how.

[raananb]

Thanks for keeping me company.

One step forward, but not yet there: Installation of additions was completed correctly, but now I am againt "The system is running in low-graphics mode" as well as a disappearing mouse. Clicking OK with the x11 mouse displays a screen with options I have no idea how to handle, and the documentation is too skimpy to be helpful.

The display memory for the VM is 128M, which was sufficient for a full HD display before additions were installed on the VM.

This is getting a bit hairy. I was just trying to get access to files on the host, and maybe this road is not the one to be taken.

I can continue to use ftp to move files from the host to a website and then move them to the VM, but this is not very elegant.

Any ideas on how to proceed from here?

[Perryg]

You need to download a different guest addition I am afraid
http://www.virtualbox.org/download/test ... -85720.iso

There was a regression in 4.2.12 that affected some users.

You will need to mount the additions manually though.
Shut the guest down and open the storage section of the guest and remove the additions that you have mounted now. Then mount the additions there manually, start the guest and if the additions don't auto start you can open the file manager in the guest and a terminal window.
Type sudo -i in the terminal and give it your password. Now drag the VBoxLinuxGuest additions to the terminal window and drop it.
click the window to get focus and hit enter.
Reboot the guest and see if it fixed the issue.

[raananb]

Thanks for trying, but problem not solved:

1. downloaded 4.2.13_85720.iso
2. ejected file from dvd
3. mounted 4.2.13_85720.iso
4. clicked Install guest additions - got the same message as on 4. Jun 2013, 18:57
5. closed the VM
6. ejected 4.2.13_85720.iso
7. started VM (still with low-graphics, x-mouse): clicked Install guest additions but VM stuck in low-res situation (stand by one minute while the display restarts...) clicked ok after one minute, and ended up with a screen displaying:

...done
Starting Virtual Guest Addition service ...done
saned disabled: edit /etc/default/saned
* Checking bettery state... [ OK ]

and the only available issue is to shut down the VM

It looks like the previous guest additions is still there and mounted, but since the VM is stuck, no way to start a terminal and clean things.

I tried to uninstall from the host terminal (vboxmanage extpack uninstall "VBoxGuestAdditions"). Uninstall was successful, but that did not solve the problem either.

By now the situation seems hopeless to me. I'll probably have to discard the VM and recreate on from scratch.

[raananb]

I finally discarded the VM and created a new one.
With version 4.2.13-85720 everything went fine. I now have a 1920x1080 screen, a mouse, and a shared folder.

I found two pages quite pertinent for this issue:
http://helpdeskgeek.com/virtualization/ ... ost-guest/
http://www.maketecheasier.com/set-ubunt ... 2011/05/11

Thanks for your help.