virtualbox.org

Hey, this is my first post and i fairly new so I appologize in advance for possibly beating a dead horse or not having enough info. So here it goes. Im running windows 7 with a Linux VM(Newest MINT distibution) using the briged network driver. Ive got the VM workin Killer with guest additions. Good fast internet on guest and host, and a shared folder through guest additions, "drag and drop"... Its pretty good right now but i want it a little better.

First off, the shared folder is just o.k. Im using a generic eclipse workspace folder that I created in windows but in order to import projects in linux from it I have to run eclipse in ROOT. So at the least, I want to know how to properly move the shared mount to my regular /home/user/desktop and apply permissions that allow me to use it without ROOT access. I think to move it I just use mount -M but to change permissions Id like a little coaching. Ive made a backup of my VM files but I still dont like messing around in root. What i'd really like to do though is have full access between both filesytems as regular user with password and keep everything all protected.

Ive given up on somehow joining my windows homegroup( Im pretty sure thats just for other windows machines, right?), so Im just focusing on getting in via my workgroup network. Ive got four user accounts, two on windows and two on the VM. One Admin and one regular for both.

I have a "windows share" folder in my network/workgroup in Linux but all I see in there is my Linux machine that has the printershare folder (which i cant seem to access with any of my user profiles) and a workspace folder i tried to share with windows last night and on the Windows end, in my WORKGROUP network theres just the folders that i tried to share with the linux OS. I figure this is because the two machines, being bridged, are the same machine. So where can I find the virtual hard drive and use it in Windows?? That would be real cool. Ive got the "drag and drop" feature woking but that doesnt work with full project folders. It seems to only copy one file at a time. And even though its setup is bi-directional windows aint havin any of that. By "that" I mean it wont copy files that I drag out of linux.

So, is there a way to have full access between filesystem and is it secure?? Now that Ive been trying to get the two OS's together, ive been doing all kinds of sharing option stuff and even though I never allow access for EVERYONE, and am sure to re-check permissions, I still wonder if have a guest account on Windows is a good idea and what happens when I leave my home network with the bridged adaptor attached. Im a pretty decent programmer but a total newbie at securing a networking. I just want a nice secure setup that can come and go as it pleases. If the network bridge is using ethernet than all wireless traffic comes in through the host... Right?? I don't know.... Thats why I'm asking.

Also my windows system uses Norton 360 but im not gonna have that much longer so i'll have to learn how to use my built in security better. In Norton, on my netwok map, ive got my computer and all my devices accounted for accept an IPv6 tunneling device from the xerox corperation.... I dont have a printer but maybe its a leftover from latching onto my buddies printer a few months ago?? I don't know... I'll have to follow up on that. My bridged adaptors using a MAC address, cable connected ethernet and my IPv4 settings are on auto DHCP.

So what can I do? should I just scrap it and use dropbox? I dont have any info or files woth hacking so security is more of a learning experience for me but I do want to learn. So if you've got any good ideas Im all ears. I can provide more info if needed.

Most if not all of your issues are actually answered in your users manual.
Shared folder permissions = add user name to vboxsf group on the guest or use manual mount with options. viewtopic.php?f=29&t=15868
DnD is only one way at the moment and only Linux guests

Your homegroup issue is addressable in samba ( which uses workgroup by default and you need to change it to homegroup ) and yes you can join a Windows network with the proper packages ( nothing to do with VirtualBox )

Cool thanks. I think I'll just mount the SF and apply permissions so anyone can use it. Thats gonna be fine. I do wish the DnD worked from guest to host. I've been trying all kinds of stuff but with little succes. Ive been thumbing around the proc Dir and it seems to me like most of my Initial host configurations were done in there. I think Im just having A) Firewall/Windows security issues and B) Lost links to groups and user profiles probably from when I Bridged the network. I found out what the tsuedo tunneling IPv6 connection is. Its the Printer adaptor from Samba. I took my computer to school today and was checking out the security of the whole thing and its pretty bulletproof. I think less is more right now and a full access Workspace between the two should be plenty. Im purposfully gonna back up everything I create to windows so that I can feel comfortable messing around with some boot scripts and stuff. I think thats the best thing about these VM's. You can totally lunch it and just open a backup and start over. I think the less access to windows I have the better. I cant believe I never found that link with the permissions. I was looking everywhere, I thought. A few years ago I was pretty good at the command line and in VI but these days Im pretty rusty. I can still do some LS's and pipe a couple things around but I totally forgot all the chmod args and permissions and stuff. Also I never used to have ROOT access so Im havin a pretty good time here. Thanks for the info.