This is a new problem. I was attempting to transfer files from a VM, to my USB stick. In doing so, looks like one of the things was an erronious fstab entry. I bet that's where the actual problem is. The line looks a bit like this, from memory:

Spaces may be off, but you get the gist. Now it only boots into maintenence mode, and still won't let me actually type commands. With system rescue disk Linux, perhaps on a USB, as this has no dvd drive built in, though I have some at home, can this be easily fixed? What if I remove the offending line? Do you think it will boot normally? Turning it off the hard way doesn't seem to be very good for it, but I bet the whole system isn't gone yet. I don't think it's an ssd.

I was oddly enough, just about to ask about my origional problem and that was my last try, as it wasn't mounting the disk.

Fstab entries to /mnt/* don't belong. /mnt/ is supposed to be a place for transient mounts, occasional and temporary. I suggest either moving to a different mount point, or removing the line. If moving to another mount point, be sure to include both filesystem type and mounting option(s), as vbox /mnt/vbox vboxsf 0 0 lacks one. Normally there are 6 populated columns per line in fstab.

I guess I could try my booting from USB thing... I confirmed I have the live enviroments I need, and I could try to remove the fstab. My only worry, is I'll be too late to save the data because of reboots by shutting off power (not pulling plug, no shutdown command). Maybe the check will succeed. I would guess ext3 or 4 fs type, for /. I'll think about getting a better troubleshooting process going after this. Sometimes when it's my problem, I panic and ask, when I really am smart enough 99% of the time to solve the problem. Then there's the times I'm not, when asking is great! Hopefully this helps someone else though.

I'll try to remove it for now. I only need the line, it if it's only way my origional problem will work. I hope I didn't break too much! I'm from a different erra, where using fstab and automount was not bogus behavior, and before the ubuntu hype.

Yes, thanks though. Getting syntax wrong is probably why it choked.

I removed the line, and all is well. I used easy 2 boot, which I created some time ago, even though there's not much room. I booted system rescue cd linux, and then mounted the partition /dev/sda2, then I removed the line with vi, which must be regular vi or something, because it didn't seem to work the way I wanted, then I removed the offending line, the next boot, everything was OK. I'll study a bit before attempting to do what I was trying to do in the first place, then if needed, come back here.

It is possible the vbox modules are loading after the system mounts the filesystems via fstab which could be another reason it didn't boot normally. There are various ways to workaround the problem.

Well, I couldn't get it to mount, whether there or not. It tells me that it can't understand the filesystem type or something to that effect.

I'm being more careful, but I really want to transfer my files from the vm to the other machine. Can't seem to be able to get it on the usb either. The only difference in docking stations though, is simply (I think), one is v2, other is v3. Both diamond brand. Probably ubuntu drivers.

I could either address here, or like I think, end and find elsewhere. Not done researching it quite yet.

Shared folders requires the installation of guest additions and then you need to configure a shared directory on the host using vboxmanager or from the VM devices menu.

You have to connect a USB device to the guest via the devices menu. A USB device can only be connected to the host or a single VM at a time. For USB 2 and 3 you need to install the extension pack.

USB should be working, but doesn't. I guess it's some sort of bug from being moved back and forth between home docking station and work docking station, same model, but work is newer v3, instead of v2, I think. drivers still work.

I'll try to use the devices page or vboxmanager to create the shared drive. I did the GUI interface under shared folders before. Maybe these two errors are related?

Did yiu install guest additions in the vm?

I got the network working. Then, I put the files on the network share, and downloaded them again onto the physical machine. From there, I can transfer them to the other machine.

Further discussion of the vm specific problem:

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...70#post6458270