How to access share folder in virtualbox. Host Win7, Guest Fedora 16?

Question

I'm a newbie in linux. I installed Fedora 16 OS as guest in virtualbox on Window 7. Now, I want to access share folder from Fedora. Here is something I did:

Install guest addtion [OK]
Make share folder link to virtualbox [OK]. Share folder path in Window 7: D:\share_folder_vm

In terminal program in fedora, I just run some commands:

[hoangphi@localhost ~]$ su
Password: 
[root@localhost hoangphi]# cd Desktop/
[root@localhost Desktop]# mkdir share_folder
[root@localhost Desktop]# sudo mount -t vboxsf D:\share_folder_vm \share_folder
/sbin/mount.vboxsf: mounting failed with the error: Protocol error
[root@localhost Desktop]#

I got this message: /sbin/mount.vboxsf: mounting failed with the error: Protocol error

share_folder_vm is the folder in Win7 Host and share_folder is the folder in Fedora Guest.

My question: How can I fix this problem?

score 40 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 17 '13 at 13:03

40

Install Oracle Guest Additions:

[host-hotkey (usually right Ctrl)] + [d],

Then:

sudo /media/VBOXADDITIONS_4.*/VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

You can now enjoy:

A guest that can run at native screen resolution
Ability to share files between host and guest
Share the clipboard (allowing you to copy and paste between host and guest).

To share folders set them up to be shared. Consider the permissions. Note that the host file permissions are transient. IOW if you can't write to file on host, the guest can't either.

After setting up the file to be shared create a destination if you don't have one: mkdir -p ~/destination

Now mount it under the name you configured it with:

sudo mount -t vboxsf myFileName ~/destination

As an extra tip you can really exploit this feature to do things like: - Use guest subversion client to create repository to mounted directory (you won't have a full svn client but the repo can be used in an IDE on the host). - I personally use my guest to download and unpack binaries like Tomcat to a targeted mount. Yes you can use Linux to install things on Windows!

To unmount all shares:

sudo umount -f -a -t vboxsf

edited Jun 17 '13 at 13:03

APC

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answered Jun 07 '12 at 16:56

thejartender

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`mkdir -p /media/cd` then `sudo mount /etc/cdrom1 /media/cd` if the image isn't automatically mounted (Fedora 12). – Bleeding Fingers Mar 11 '14 at 10:26
And yeah if you do not have the kernel source `sudo yum install kernel-devel`. And `sudo echo "proxy=http://address:port">>/etc/yum.conf` if you don't have system wide internet access. – Bleeding Fingers Mar 11 '14 at 10:33
@BleedingFingers: "/etc/cdrom1" is wrong. You probably meant /dev/cdrom1 (the exact location varies, but it's always /dev/) – dequis Mar 20 '14 at 02:19
@dequis You are right. Don't know what was I thinking. – Bleeding Fingers Mar 20 '14 at 04:29

score 11 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 27 '16 at 14:34

11

For accessing a shared folder, YOU have to have "Oracle VM extension pack" installed.

Look at the bottom of this link, you can download it from there.

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/virtualbox/downloads/index.html

edited Oct 27 '16 at 14:34

mtb

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answered Apr 08 '12 at 10:29

snow04

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It's also worth noting that you will have to be a part of the VBOXSF group. You can add your self to the group using sudo usermod -a -G vboxsf your_user_name You will have to log in again before the changes take place. – tomoguisuru Dec 10 '13 at 17:51
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Girish, I don't think the VM Extension Pack is what you mean. You need to install the "Guest Additions" as per the "bartender" post. – Andrew Wolfe Apr 06 '14 at 15:09

score 11 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 06 '14 at 15:31

This thread has some great tips. However....

@GirishB's answer isn't correct - sorry. Jartender's is best.

Also, every post in here seems to assume you're logging in to the Linux guest as root, except for @tomoguisuru. Yuck! Don't use root, use a separate user account and "sudo" when you need root privileges. Then this user (or any other user who needs the shared folder) should have membership in the vboxsf group, and @tomoguisuru's command is perfect, even terser than what I use.

Forget running mount yourself. Set up the shared folder to auto mount and you'll find the shared folder - it's under /media in my OEL (RH and Centos probably the same). If it's not there, just run "mount" with no arguments and look for the mounted directory of type vboxsf.

Terminal showing 'mount' and where to find mounted shared folder

Omg, I had it set to automount already, and there the folder is where you say! I looked through all sorts of documentation and questions about this and you are the first person to mention this magic directory! Thanks! — Ben Farmer, Jul 12 '14 at 05:32

score 8 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 18 '13 at 13:23

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I just figured. You need to add a shared folder using VirtualBox before you access it with the guest.

Click "Device" in the menu bar--->Shared File--->add a directory and name it

then in the guest terminal, use:

sudo mount -t vboxsf myFileName ~/destination

Dont directly refer to the host directory

answered Feb 18 '13 at 13:23

Chen Sturmweizen

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In case it wasn't clear, myFileName refers to the label given to the share in the Shared File dialog box in Virtual Box. – stewart99 Jul 24 '14 at 16:47
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I tried with the mount command but I got invalid option '-t' error. I am using Oracle VM virtual box. – Ranjith Reddy Aug 14 '18 at 02:15

score 5 · Answer 5 · edited Apr 25 '13 at 21:23

There's a simpler way I found when running Linux Mint.

Ensure you install the Guest Additions from the command line and that you have the folder(s) shared with "automount" and "make permanent" settings selected within "Shared Folders" tab of the Machine Settings
Launch the User management application from Application/Settings/System Setting/ menu selection (requires sudo) from within the Mint menu
In the "Privileges and Groups" tab, check the box next to the "vboxsf" group, and then apply and ok your way back out.

Any user within the vboxsf group has full access to any shared folders on each boot with no manual mounting or unmounting

I usually do the following in addition to the above just to have quick access

Open the Dolphin file manager and navigate to /media/
Right-Click on the shared folder and click "Add to Places"

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered May 16 '14 at 22:05

You probably need to change your mount command from:

[root@localhost Desktop]# sudo mount -t vboxsf D:\share_folder_vm \share_folder

to:

[root@localhost Desktop]# sudo mount -t vboxsf share_name \share_folder

where share_name is the "Name" of the share in the VirtualBox -> Shared Folders -> Folder List list box. The argument you have ("D:\share_folder_vm") is the "Path" of the share on the host, not the "Name".

score 0 · Answer 7 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:22

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May be this can help other guys: I had the same problem, and after looking with Google I found that can be because of the permissions of the folder... So, you need first to add permissions...

$ chmod 777 share_folder

Then run again

$ sudo mount -t vboxsf D:\share_folder_vm \share_folder

Check the answers here: Error mounting VirtualBox shared folders in an Ubuntu guest...

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:22

Community

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answered Jan 15 '13 at 16:14

Jesfre

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better to add yourself to group vboxsf as mentioned by Michael, jartender et al – Andrew Wolfe Jul 13 '14 at 15:29

Tin Luu · Answer 8 · 2017-12-11T10:21:52.513

VirtualBox version has many uncompatibilities with Linux version, so it's hard to install by using "Guest Addition CD image". For linux distributions it's frequently have a good companion Guest Addition package(equivalent functions to the CD image) which can be installed by:

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-guest-dkms

After that, on the window menu of the Guest, go to Devices->Shared Folders Settings->Shared Folders and add a host window folder to Machine Folders(Mark Auto-mount option) then you can see the shared folder in the Files of Guest Linux.

score -1 · Answer 9 · answered Mar 28 '14 at 13:14

-1

There is a really simple tuturial here : http://my-wd-local.wikidot.com/otherapp:configure-virtualbox-shared-folders-in-a-windows-ho

telling to do:

sudo mkdir /mnt/vbox_share
sudo mount.vboxsf nameAddesAsShared /mnt/vbox_share

answered Mar 28 '14 at 13:14

tf41xc86x7

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score -1 · Answer 10 · edited May 09 '14 at 06:05

These are the steps to share a folder from Windows to Linux Virtual Box

Step 1 : Install Virtual Box Extension Pack from this link

Step 2: Install Oracle Guest Additions:

By pressing -> Right Ctrl and d together

Run the command sudo /media/VBOXADDITIONS_4.*/VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Step 3 : Create Shared Folder by Clicking Settings in Vbox Then Shared Folders -> + and give a name to the folder (e.g. VB_Share) Select the Shared Folder path on Windows (e.g. D:\VBox_Share)

Step 4: Create a folder in named VB_share in home\user-name (e.g. home\satish\VB_share) and share mkdir VB_Share chmod 777 VB_share

Step 5: Run the following command sudo mount –t vboxsf vBox_Share VB_Share

How to access share folder in virtualbox. Host Win7, Guest Fedora 16?

10 Answers10