virtualbox.org

I've been tearing my hair out trying to do this. First, what I need is a slim web server that I can install various web apps like JIRA on to test out. To that end I'm using an existing installation of Virtualbox, version 4.3.26 r98988 on OS X El Capitan 10.11.3. I created a virtual machine running Ubuntu Server 14.04.4 LTS. I need to find a way to copy packages from my host to the guest, but I cannot mount a shared folder without installing guest additions, and I cannot figure out how to install guest additions correctly. I tried installing it as the manual suggested but the guest additions image does not mount (maybe because mounting requires guest additions???). I've tried several other methods and to be honest I cannot remember them all now, save what I read on Stack Exchange has failed as well. (I cannot post links since I just registered.)

How am I supposed to install guest additions? Or how else can I mount a shared folder? Thanks.

rianmueller wrote:but I cannot mount a shared folder without installing guest additions

You can create a true network share (samba). I assume that will work with a OS X host.

rianmueller wrote:I tried installing it as the manual suggested but the guest additions image does not mount (maybe because mounting requires guest additions???).

No, that obviously does not require the Guest Additions, otherwise no one could install them.

Does "slim web server" perhaps mean "does not have any CD-ROM device"? That would certainly be a problem (self-inflicted and easily correctable).