Hi All,

i am just started to use elementary os in a virtualbox environment. The version of Virtualbox is: 5.1.8 r111374 (Qt5.5.1)

The version of ElementaryOS is 0.4 Loki (64 bits)

Since I want to share files between the host and guest system I've created a shared folder in Virtualbox. I checked both the options mount automatically and make permanent. After that I rebooted the guest system to be sure the shared folder will be available.

Ok, so now I do see at the right bottom of the (virtualbox) screen an icon of a folder, which displays the activity of the shared folder.

But, my question is: where do I find the shared folder in ElementaryOS and how am I able to access the shared folder.

Ugh, I had typed a reply and the thing got borked. Let's try again, shall we?

IIRC Elementary is Ubuntu based. So, if you haven't already, install guest additions. On my Debian system, it's virtualbox-guest-dkms. Yours should be similar, if not the same.

as root.

Log off and back in. That share may now be available in your file manager, but I doubt it.

If not, as is likely, then,

again as root, with <share name> and <mount point> replaced as appropriate. Unfortunately VBox's option has a misleading name, it only automatically makes that share point available, it does not automatically mount it, last I used VBox.

Hello Goumba,

thanks for your reply.

I succesfully installed the guest additions and rebooted the system. Now I see the shared folder in my file manager.
There is sf_share in the devices section. (I named the folder in my windows environment: share).
Unfortunately when I click on the folder I get the following message: This folder does not belong to you. You don't have permission to view this folder.

Will this be solved with the second command which you placed before? I didn't execute that one, because I'm not sure what to use as mount point. And I assume that <share> will be the name, so this can be just a name, right?

This: sudo usermod -a -G vboxsf <user> (Log out and in again to pickup the change!)

Ok, I executed the last command and now I do see the share and have access.

But...

I did a test and made a test.txt file. I can see and open the file in both windows and Elementary, however on my Windows host I am able to change the file and see the changes in te Linux guest. When I open the file in Elementary and make a change, this change is not saved to the file. (also tested this in the folder Documents and there I can create and change files).

I am wondering what the solution to this would be.

Strange... 'shouldn't happen' Here's some ideas to try in a terminal (Ctrl-Alt-T):
(Your directory will be different from mine!)The `df myfile` is 'unorthodox' but an important 'sanity check' (of: PC disk for sure?)!

Ok, now I am confused

I followed your steps and it works out fine:

jay@Elementary:/media$ cd sf_share/
jay@Elementary:/media/sf_share$ echo hi > myfile
jay@Elementary:/media/sf_share$ ls -l myfile
-rwxrwx--- 1 root vboxsf 3 nov 19 07:45 myfile
jay@Elementary:/media/sf_share$ df myfile
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
share 123706364 87131284 36575080 71% /media/sf_share
jay@Elementary:/media/sf_share$

--------------------------
And on the host:
--------------------------

Directory of D:\70 VirtualBox\share

19-11-2016 07:45 <DIR> .
19-11-2016 07:45 <DIR> ..
13-11-2016 12:29 46 .goutputstream-UFUOQY
19-11-2016 07:45 3 myfile
19-11-2016 07:43 <DIR> temp
2 File(s) 49 bytes
3 Dir(s) 37.452.881.920 bytes free

D:\70 VirtualBox\share>type myfile
hi

D:\70 VirtualBox\share>


----------------------------------------
So when I use the elementaryOS app scratch to create or edit a file on my guest system in the shared directory the changes are not saved (it works fine at standard user directories such as /Home/Documents/ )

The VBox sf stuff is working. (maybe try running scratch&all as root)

I don't use the Linux 'GUI' (like scratch), so I wouldn't be able to help there.
Maybe there's another (other than scratch) program that you could try.
(maybe there's something about scratch that doesn't work over vboxsf)

A workaround would be to: edit files in your home, then `cp` them to /media/sf_share

Since this 'should' work, there's probably something we're overlooking.
Sorry that I don't have a better answer. Best wishes...

Obscure thought: just before you save/write, strace -f -o junkfile -p <PID of scratch>
Ctrl-C, then look for write to sf in junkfile

Are you getting any error messages? Have you done so with a text editor in a terminal? Perhaps the GUI is hiding any error or warning, so try with something like:

And see if the problem happens with this file, and note any errors.

from a terminal session this works fine. But from the app scratch not.
Maybe this is something with rights?

Perhaps. There are some apps that have problems with things like network shares and the like. Perhaps the way VB's shared folders are implemented may produce similar behavior.