Linux host with VirtualBox and no USB's on VM's

Discussion in 'sandboxing & virtualization' started by Palancar, Jun 5, 2014.

  1. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2011
    Posts:
    2,402
    I have recently added 14.04 bare metal to my computer. I am running VirtualBox (called VB from now on) and have several VM's that work exceptionally well except for one thing: I cannot get my VM's to see any USB flash drives.

    Stats: VB 4.3.12 linux. Host and VM are both 14.04 and are fully updated. Guest additions and extension pack are installed. I can verify that guest additions is working fine since I am using the VM to type this post. I really only want guest additions for the full screen and no other additional features are needed.

    I installed extension pack (for usb support) but I don't know how to verify all is well.

    Background: I also have 7 Pro on this machine and the windows side of the house works fine with VB. I have three or four VM's and all of them see and use usb without any issues at all when in "windows world". I mention this to eliminate the computer from the equation. My computer has 3 USB3 ports and 1 USB2 port. Not even the usb2 sees any flash within the VM's while running the linux host.

    The host 14.04 OS sees flash drives perfectly fine.


    Looking for suggestions on what I may try to capture usb flash drives from within linux on the VM'so_Oo_Oo_Oo_O??

    Should I delete and reload extension pack?
     
  2. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2011
    Posts:
    2,402
    FYI

    I just re-installed extension pack but NO difference. Sort of dead in the water.

    Anybody?

    I may link this thread over in Unix hoping somebody will see this and give me some thoughts.
     
  3. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

    Joined:
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    I forgot to mention that I of course also installed the username to vbox. The user was added without any issues at all. Still no joy!!!!

    i. e. ---- sudo adduser XXXXX vboxusers


    Any ideas at all??
     
  4. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2011
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    Progress. I discovered that I needed to download the extension pack to my desktop and re-install it instead of via the software repo. Who would of thought?

    So after re-installing extension pack in that manner the usb devices all come up - mostly. I am able to capture the usb flash drives perfectly in the VM's ---- BUT --- I can't capture any of the usb external drives in the VM's. Hmmmmmm? I can see the devices in the usb section under devices but they won't come up in explorer on the windows VM or they won't mount to the launchbar on the linux VM's. The static flash drives all work perfectly on any of my systems.

    Strange that it all works perfectly on the windows host platform. I am getting there.

    Any advice or experiences with large external drives on a VM?? My external drives are supposed to work on usb2, although they are mainly usb3 if the hardware supports it. Again, my VM's all work on the windows host without exception.
     
  5. azuer88

    azuer88 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2015
    Posts:
    1
    I had the same problem, until I update VirtualBox (using their repository listed at https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads under "Debian-based Linux Distributions", the one with `trusty`).

    After I updated the extension pack (downloaded also), I enabled the USB2.0 controller. I was able to use my usb drives without any problems.
     
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