Virtualbox Guest Shared Folders (Partial Solution)

[Scott(0)]

[size=1em]This is not a permanent solution see last step below.[/size]

[size=1em]My test environment[/size]
[size=1em]Host: Win10 (sorry, I'm at work)[/size]
[size=1em]VM: LL4[/size]
[size=1em]Software on host/Win10: Virtualbox 5.2[/size]
[size=1em]Software/guest additions on VM: pre-installed/stock version[/size]


[size=1em]Let's begin[/size]

[size=1em]Add a shared folder in the LL4 virtual machine[/size]

[size=1em]Start the virtual machine[/size]

[size=1em]On a working system these two services should be running[/size]
[size=1em](systemctl | grep vbox)[/size]
[size=1em]--------------------------[/size]
[size=1em]vboxadd-service.service[/size]
[size=1em]vboxadd.service[/size]

[size=1em]On LL4 only one is running[/size]
[size=1em]-----------------------------[/size]
[size=1em]vboxadd.service[/size]

[size=1em]We need to start the additional service[/size]
[size=1em]-------------------------------------------[/size]
[size=1em]sudo systemctl start vboxadd-service.service[/size]
[size=1em]sudo systemctl enable vboxadd-service.service[/size]

[size=1em]If user is already a member of vboxsf group sharing should now be working:[/size]
[size=1em]> For me the share is listed in Thunar as sf_Downloads (/media/sf_Downloads/)[/size]
[size=1em]> An icon was not placed on the desktop[/size]


[size=1em]If user is NOT a member of vboxsf group they can be added to the group as follows:[/size]
[size=1em](Note, you generally only need to do this step one time)[/size]
[size=1em]We need to add user to the vboxsf group (cli)[/size]
[size=1em]sudo adduser scott vboxsf[/size]
[size=1em]OR[/size]
[size=1em]We need to add user to vboxsf group (graphical)[/size]
[size=1em]start > All > Linux Lite User Manager[/size]

[size=1em]Last step[/size]
[size=1em]Logout out and Log back in.[/size]



[size=1em]Note this will even work for the LL4 Live CD environment[/size]
[size=1em]Run terminal cmd[/size]
[size=1em]whoami[/size]

[size=1em]The answer on my system is - linux[/size]

[size=1em]Now just go through the steps above with user linux[/size]

[size=1em]When logging in/out the user is linux and the password is left empty (i.e. there is no password.)[/size]



[size=1em]Not a permanent solution:[/size]
[size=1em]For some reason this service is not starting automatically and these commands need to be run again after a reboot.[/size]
[size=1em]sudo systemctl start vboxadd-service.service[/size]
[size=1em]sudo systemctl enable vboxadd-service.service[/size]

[sobermadman]

[member=47]Scott[/member] - I've found that only the first of those two lines (sudo systemctl start vboxadd-service.service)
seems to be required, everything works fine without adding the second one (sudo systemctl enable vboxadd-service.service).

So it's even less trouble 

[Scott(0)]

[member=7658]sobermadman[/member]

Hello

[size=1em]The purpose of the enable command is to start a service automatically at boot, it's just not working in this situation. That's why I left the comment about this not being a permanent solution. I left it in the instructions hoping that as Ubuntu-18.04/LL4 improve over time it will start working on its own, eventually. In theory without issuing the enable command it will *never* start automatically and we might never know this even when any underlying issue has been fixed.[/size]

[sobermadman]

[member=47]Scott[/member] - Oh okay so I think I'll include the enable command too - thanks for your explanation, perhaps the 18.04 team(s) will fix this eventually. I'm just glad you pointed towards this no-hassle temporary fix, it allows me to make full use of LL4 which has been running flawlessly so far.