VirtualBox Sharing (Host = Vista)(Guest = Kubuntu)

[Guest]

I want to begin by saying that I love the Kubuntu OS, and wish it future success.

In this post, I ask both a question and present what I have done.

QUESTION:
Does anyone know how to set up a share folder between a Windows Vista Host and Kubuntu Guest?


WHAT I HAVE DONE:
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The virtualization software I am using is called VirtualBox.
I have the latest versions of Virtualbox & Kubuntu.
I have also Installed Guest Additions, which I hear permits folder sharing.
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In my research I came across an important VirtualBox manual:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3770854/Vi...serManual-2008

I found what seems to be a solution on page 60 of the manual.

It basically describes what the Guest should do to set up a share folder in the following situations:
[1] Any Host with Windows Guest
[2] Any Host with Linux Guest

I'm interested in the second one (since Kubuntu is a Linux distro).
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The problem is that I do not understand what the solution means, or what to do with it.
I trust it is a credible solution.

The solution says something along the lines of:

mount -t vboxsf [-o OPTIONS] sharename mountpoint

"sharename" refers to the Sharefolder name
"mountpoint" refers to the directory.
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Now, what I did was opened up the Kubuntu command-line interface (CLI) called Konsole.
I then typed:

mount -t vboxsf [-o OPTIONS] Desktop /home/user/Desktop

I replaced "sharename" with "Desktop" because I wish the sharefolder to be my Windows Vista Desktop.
I wish to be able to access it through Kubuntu Virtual Machine. The problem is I do not know how Kubuntu could understand this.

I replaced "mountpoint" with "/home/user/Desktop".
This does not explain how Kubuntu and Vista may "read each other", so to speak. I do not understand how they may converge into one folder.

As far as I'm concerned, the two Operating Systems are blind to each other in regards to sharing (after all, I have no firewall that could intercept communication).

Anyhow, I still typed the above to see what information I would receive (even an error tells you something - that you're doing wrong lol)
I tried doing that and all it gave me was:

mount: only root can do that

As such, I typed exactly the same phrase, except with "sudo" in the beginning (although I have no idea what "sudo" is, I know it asks for a password, which I know - so testing it can't hurt).

After typing in the password, it merely gave me a whole list of things with the "mount" command in it.




I'm pretty desperate. I'm fully willing to test things around, but as a newbie I am at the end of my rope.
Help?

[Troberg]

Re: VirtualBox Sharing (Host = Vista)(Guest = Kubuntu)

The square brackets around "[-o OPTIONS]" means that they are optional, and that OPTIONS should be replaced by specific options. Remove the entire bracket part and it will probably work better.

If that fails, try mounting it as a network share instead. It's simpler.

[Telengard]

Re: VirtualBox Sharing (Host = Vista)(Guest = Kubuntu)

VirtualBox for Windows comes with a very detailed user manual which you can read by pulling down the Help menu and clicking Contents. If for any reason you cannot open the user manual with this method, you may download a PDF of the Sun VirtualBox User Manual (version 2.1.2, updated 2009-01-19) from the official VirutalBox site.

QUESTION: Does anyone know how to set up a share folder between a Windows Vista Host and Kubuntu Guest?

Yes. I do and so do most people in the [u]End user forums for VirtualBox[u].

Now, what I did was opened up the Kubuntu command-line interface (CLI) called Konsole. I then typed:

mount -t vboxsf [-o OPTIONS] Desktop /home/user/Desktop

I replaced "sharename" with "Desktop" because I wish the sharefolder to be my Windows Vista Desktop.

As Troberg said, you're supposed to replace the text between square brackets with specific options to tell mount what kind of thing to mount and how to mount it. Whenever you encounter an unfamiliar command in Linux, you should read the fine manual. While you are in the Konsole, you should use this command to learn how to use the mount command.

man mount

If the man page is too heavy for you, Qqmike's epic thread Commands at Konsole: Beginners contains a quick overview with examples.

When I mount my VirtualBox shares, I typically use a line like this, but there are many different ways to mount many different things. YMMV and RTFM to increase your understanding.

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

I tried doing that and all it gave me was:

mount: only root can do that

As it says, you need the power of root to perform the mount.

As such, I typed exactly the same phrase, except with "sudo" in the beginning (although I have no idea what "sudo" is, I know it asks for a password, which I know - so testing it can't hurt).

Sudo temporarily gives you the power of root for the one command following it. Once again, I invite you to read the fine manual:

man sudo

Again, Commands at Konsole: Beginners explains it well enough.

After typing in the password, it merely gave me a whole list of things with the "mount" command in it.

That was probably mount explaining correct usage of the command, because you tried to feed it bogus syntax.

Now, if you have read my reply this far, I will ask you three very important questions:

1. Did you create a folder to be shared on the Windows host?

2. Did you add the share to the Shared Folders section of the guest settings in the VirtualBox window?

3. Did you create a folder for the share to be mounted to on the Kubuntu guest?

Unless you do these three things first, you won't be able to mount any VirtualBox shares from Kubuntu.

If you need more information, your first resource should be the manuals. You should also observe the Storage related Questions section of the VirutalBox FAQ, since it provides invaluable guidance. Of course you can also benefit greatly by perusing the Useful Tips for newbies thread.

I sincerely hope this post helps you. Please do let us know how you fare.