How to access windows host shared folders from ubuntu guest in Virtualbox

From http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-access-windows-host-shared-folders-from-ubuntu-guest-in-virtualbox.html


This tutorial will explain How to access windows host shared folders from ubuntu guest in Virtualbox.
Procedure to follow

Step 1 : Install Guest Additions

You can install Guest Additions from From the VirtualBox's menu Devices ? Install Guest Additions...

This will mount a virtual CD on your /media/cdrom.Now open terminal (Applications menu -> Accessories -> Terminal) and run the following command

sudo sh VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run

After completing installation you need to restart your virtualbox guest machine

Step2: Define Share folders

From the VirtualBox's menu go to Devices ? Shared Folders

A dialog will show up as below. In this dialog you can specify which folder from your Windows system you want to share with your Ubuntu system.Press the button with the + symbol to add a new shared folder in the list.

You will have to specify a Folder Name for each folder you add.You need to note down this folder name click ok

Step 3: Mount windows folders in ubuntu

First you need to create mount point using the following command from your terminal (Applications menu -> Accessories -> Terminal)

sudo mkdir/media/windows

Note :- Folder name windows can be changes to anything

Mount you shared folder using the following comamnd

sudo mount -t vboxsf Shared /media/windows

Note:- Shared folder is our windows folder

Step 4: Make it automatically mount every time you reboot

If you want to make it automatically mount every time you reboot edit /etc/init.d/rc.local file

gksudo gedit /etc/init.d/rc.local

add the following line

sudo mount -t vboxsf Shared /media/windows

Save and exit the file

Windows folder Browser in Ubuntu

How to Resize VirtualBox Hard Disk (Ubuntu guest OS)

Very useful tutorial on resizing the HD of a virtualbox hard-drive for an Ubuntu Guest OS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Resize VirtualBox Hard Disk (Ubuntu guest OS)

BY 

RODRIGO NASCIMENTO

 – JANUARY 25, 2011POSTED IN: LINUX, VIRTUAL MACHINE

I was creating a new virtual machine to install the latest Oracle SOA Suite (11.1.1.4) and, during my biased next/next/finish routine, forgot to configure the hard disk size. After installing almost everything, I realised that the VM was running out of space.

Instead of installing everything again, I’ve asked my friend Google to help me. Among a diversity of creative, complex, weird and dodgy ideas I could compile the solution described below (which can also be creative, complex, weird or/and dodgy for you!).

The procedure described below was tested with Oracle VirtualBox 4.0.2 and Ubuntu 10.04, so I’m not sure if it will work with older versions.

Because Ubuntu default installation uses a single partition layout (so you cannot “unmount” the partition to be extended), you will need the Ubuntu Live CD (installation media or image) to do the trick.

Resize VirtualBox hard disk

The following steps describe how to resize VirtualBox hard disk with Ubuntu:

1. Extend the VM hard disk file using VBoxManage.exe

Go to the VM hard disk folder and use the VBoxManage.exe tool to extend the hard disk file. For example:

“C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe” modifyhd testvm.vdi –resize 20480

2. Change the VM boot order

Go to the VM settings and set CD/DVD drive as the first device (make sure the CD/DVD drive for this VM is pointing to Ubuntu Live CD).

3. Choose the ‘Try Ubuntu’ and start the GParted tool

4. Remove swap partition (only if you have one)

The Ubuntu install wizard usually creates a swap partition and I couldn’t resize the main partition because the swap partition was in the middle (I am open for suggestions here!).

5. Resize partition

Right click on the partition that you want to extend and choose ‘Resize/Remove’ .

Choose the new size for your hard disk.

In this case I left 3Gb unallocated to be used by the swap partition

6. Create a swap partition

Create a extended partition with all the remaining space

Now create a logical partition and set ‘linux-swap’ as the file system.

Don’t forget to enable your swap partition by updating/adding the following line to the /etc/fstab file with the correct partition position. For example, if your swap partition position is /def/hda8:

/dev/hda8       none            swap    sw              0       0