No files in shared_folder (a PC computer)

[kelvinfrog]

Hi I am a molecular biologist and trying to run genetic analysis using UNIX Ubuntu 64bit system in VB. I did the guest addition and restarted the VB. Then, in VM VirtualBox Manager I created a shared_folder linking to a folder on my desktop. I checked the shared_folder_setting in VB and I saw the filepath for the folder I want to share and make permanent box is checked. However, I do not see any files in the shared folder and there are files in that folder. Does anyone know what is going wrong? I tried several times but still have no files in the shared_folder. Thanks a lot.

Kelvin

[Perryg]

Did you use the auto-mount or are you manually mounting the shared folder in Ubuntu?

[kelvinfrog]

The instruction told me to use run this script after I created the shared_folder (sudo mount -a), so I think I manually mount it.

[Perryg]

Use this instead:

• 1) use the device tab at the top to access the shared folder option.
  2) select the folder on the host that you want to share and give it a simple name, such as shared
  3) mark it permanent.
  4) open a terminal on the guest
  5) create a mount point using shared as the name and mounting in the default folder /mnt

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  sudo mkdir /mnt/shared

  6) now mount the shared folder with the following:

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  sudo mount -t vboxsf -o rw,uid=1000,gid=1000 shared /mnt/shared
  

  If the mount works then do the following:

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  sudo gedit /etc/rc.local

  a) add the same line as above without the sudo and above the exit 0 (last line)

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  mount -t vboxsf -o rw,uid=1000,gid=1000 shared /mnt/shared

Note1: the 1000 should be the default for Ubuntu in the uid and gid, but you can check to be sure by typing id in the terminal to see what you uid and gid are.
Note2: After this you will find your shared files in /mnt/shared

[kelvinfrog]

Hey,
I tried your suggestion. Here how it went:

After sudo mkdir /mnt/shared, it asked for the password and I entered

After sudo mount -t vboxsf -o rw,uid=1000,gid=1000 shared /mnt/shared, it said "mount: Protocol error".

After mount -t vboxsf -o rw,uid=1000,gid=1000 shared /mnt/shared, it said "mount: only root can do that".

Any idea how to fix that? Thanks!

[Perryg]

From the hosts terminal/command window type VBoxManage showvminfo <VM Name> --details and post here. Replace <VM Name> with the actual name of the VM. Use " " if the name has a space in it.

Note if the host is Windows you need to be in the directory that has VBoxManage.exe for the command to work.

[socratis]

I think you may also have hit ticket #12879. Look in there for the workaround or the temporary guest additions ISO.

[kelvinfrog]

Hey socratis,
I looked at the ticket. Since I am not very skilled in understanding the command lines. Just want to ask you couple question before I try. Should I try "sudo ln -s /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-4.3.10/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions \
/usr/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions" to install guest addition?

or using the virtual box downloaded from "https://www.virtualbox.org/download/tes ... -93070.iso" instead of the one from virtual box website?

Thanks

[Perryg]

Moving to Linux guest since that is what you really have questions about and not a Windows guest.

Also had you provided the information I requested I would have been able to tell you whether or not you even have the bug that socratis is referring to.

[kelvinfrog]

Perry,
I found the VBoxManage.exe file but it is under "computer>C:>Program Files....." but the base folder of the genetic software that I uploaded into the virtual box is under "computer>C:>Users>..... So how can I move to the VBoxManage.exe? Thanks.

[kelvinfrog]

Perry,
When you say "Moving to Linux guest since that is what you really have questions about and not a Windows guest", do you mean that is what this command (sudo ln -s /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-4.3.10/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions....) will do?

[loukingjr]

Perry,
When you say "Moving to Linux guest since that is what you really have questions about and not a Windows guest", do you mean that is what this command (sudo ln -s /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-4.3.10/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions....) will do?

no. it means he moved your post to a different section of the forum.

[kelvinfrog]

FYI, this is the bioinformatic software (http://qiime.org/install/virtual_box.html) that I use. I downloaded the QIIME software and then uploaded to the VB. Then, I open the VB by opening the QIIME window.

[Perryg]

Yes I moved your topic to the appropriate location.

So assuming that you actually are confronted with the vboxsf mount bug. Open a terminal on the guest and paste the following in the terminal and press enter.

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sudo ln -s /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-4.3.10/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions \
/usr/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions

reboot the guest to be sure and then try to mount the shared folders as indicated above.

[kelvinfrog]

Hey, I tried "sudo ln -s /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-4.3.10/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions \
/usr/lib/VBoxGuestAdditions" to install the guest addition and it did asked for the password. After I provided the password, I did not see any "activities" that I usually see in guest addition such as installing XXX ...... done. Anyway, I shutdown the VB and established a shared folder link to a folder called "shared". But when I tried to mount using "udo mount -t vboxsf -o rw,uid=1000,gid=1000 shared /mnt/shared" and it said "mount: unknown filesystem type "vboxsf".