Install Vbox 2.2.4 Guest additions for shared folders on Ubuntu 8.04 x32 server, Winxp Host.

One of my posts written in English, for obvious reasons 🙂

I resorted to this actions because when I wanted to install the Vbox Guest Additions to use a shared folder between the hose and the guest i got a Kernel error, suggesting the my kernel is too old and i should update it. This is the workaround the kernel update. The guide is designated for Ubuntu 8.04 server without X (GUI).

1. Mount the vbox guest additions image from the vbox menus.

2. Create a folder on which you have r/w rights, I created /home/<my_user_name>/vboxadd

3. Create a folder for the ISO mount point, I used /mnt/cdrom, the command was   sudo mkdir /mnt/cdrom

4. Mounted the CD to that folder with the following command: sudo mount -t auto /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

5. Extracted the install files of the VBoxLinux guest additions. The file is VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run. The command used to extract it into a folder is sudo ./VboxLinuxAdditions-x86.run –target /home/<my_user_name>/vboxadd

After this command we will have the installer unpacked in the /home/<my_user_name>/vboxadd folder.

6. At this moment we will have to make sure that the system is up to date and run the following command: sudo apt-get update.  When this command finishes running, the system will be up to date.

7. Now we need the compiler for the installer and the latest linux headers for our kernel. Use the following command to install them : sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-`uname -r`

8. Now we are ready to install the Vbox Shared Folders (vboxsf) guest addition form the folder I unpacked the installer in. The command to do this is :   sudo /home/<my_user_name>/vboxadd/install.sh vfs-module. After you run this command you will see that the guest additions will begin installing. When the install is done, you may delete the folder /home/<my_user_name>/vboxadd if you do not want to waste any virtual drive space.

9. Congratulations, now you have installed your VBox shared folder! use the command sudo mount -t auto vboxsf <shared_folder_name> <mount_point> . Note that you have to have different shared folder name and mount point folder name to avoid a Protocol Error.