How to make a shared folder on VirtualBox. Shared folder on Ubuntu

VirtualBox is a virtualization system that can work with a large number of well-known operating systems. In short, it can install and run the OS in another OS. For example, Windows in Ubuntu. It may be necessary for a test, review or safe surfing on the Web. To exchange data between operating systems, there is a method for creating public folders.

A bit of theory

VirtualBox is a cross-platform program for virtualization, that is, there are versions for all known OS. Distributed under the GNU GPL 2 license, which allows you to use it for absolutely any purpose. This is a very handy tool for creating a trial version of the operating system. For example, a person decided to switch to Linux, but for the time being I would not like to part with a simple Windows. Therefore, he can install himself any Linux distribution and slowly study it.

Also, the virtual environment has another important advantage - it is very easy and simple to reinstall. This can be used to test various programs, visit insecure sites, and other actions that may violate the integrity of the OS. In the event of a failure, the system can be quickly reinstalled. The only inconvenience is that you can not store personal data in it. But for this, there is a basic OS.

Most often this approach is used by Linux OS users. Since many kinds of Windows software are not available in Linux, you can create a virtual environment for the ability to run them. Data exchange between the OS occurs using a shared folder in VirtualBox.

The terms

When working with VirtualBox, the terms "Home" and "Guest" operating systems are used. "Home" is the one in which the program is installed, and "Guest" is another OS in VirtualBox.

In this article, we will consider two options for using public folders. The first is the Ubuntu home OS, the guest OS is Windows 7. And then vice versa.

Before you make a VirtualBox shared folder, you need to install the program itself. In Ubuntu, this can be done in the middle of applications by typing VirtualBox in the search. After a successful installation, you need to download the guest operating system image.

Installing the Windows 7 operating system

Before you begin to manipulate the configuration of the VirtualBox shared folder, you need to install a working system in it. You can do this in two ways: download an image from the Internet or use the original disk.

Find Windows 7 on the web is not a problem. After downloading, you need to go to VirtualBox and click on the button "Create a new virtual machine". The wizard window opens, in which you want to enter its name. It can be arbitrary, for example, "Windows 7". The system type is Microsoft Windows. Version - 7, depending on the bit depth of the downloaded image, you must select the number of bits. You can specify 1 GB of RAM. For the simplest tasks, this is enough.

The choice of a hard disk is possible from an existing one or by creating a new one. When you point to the last item, the wizard will be called up. It will help create a new virtual disk. It is better to choose a dynamic type, as this will automatically expand it if necessary.

Working with image

After clicking the "Finish" button, the virtual system can be considered almost configured. However, you need to adjust it a little. Therefore, in the list of systems it is necessary to select it and click on the "Configure" button. In the settings you are interested in the item "Media". Go to it, in the "Media" section, click on the button to add a new device and select "Add an optical drive". The system prompts you to immediately connect the image. He needs to show that file with the system that was downloaded. It is worth noting that in the latest versions of VirtualBox there is already a ready device for connecting images, so for him just specify the path.

Now it's time to start the virtual machine. There should be a bootable system installation window, as if it is being put on a real computer. All settings are simple and should not cause questions. In addition, many people already know how to install the operating system.

How to make public folders in VirtualBox on Ubuntu

When everything is ready for use, you need to start the guest OS. In it, you must first install a set of add-ons specifically for this operating system. This is necessary for the integration in the OS of the necessary drivers for graphics, the Network and other components. To do this, in the virtual machine window, go to the device menu and select "Mount the guest OS image of the add-on disk". After a while, a window will appear with the ability to install. In the process, the system can warn that some drivers are not suitable, which you need to click on "Continue" or "All the same install."

Now, while still in the guest OS, you need to go to Devices and select "Shared Folders" and then "Configure Shared Folders". In the appeared window, clicking on the button with the image of the folder and the plus sign, call the window with the entry of the path. Optionally, you can check the "Auto-connect" and "Create permanent folder" checkboxes. This will not allow you to mount this shared folder each time.

Now you need to configure the VirtualBox shared folder in your home OS, in this case Ubuntu. You can create it in the terminal or in the Nautilus shell. Now, by right clicking on the "My Computer" icon, you must select "Map Network Drive". The required folder is indicated in the path, and everything is saved. After rebooting the operating system, a directory should appear, which can be used between the guest OS and the home OS. This is how the data transfer via the VirtualBox shared folders in Windows 7 is implemented.

Using the Windows 7 operating system as a home

To install VirtualBox in a Windows environment, you will have to visit the official website of the project and download the latest version of the program. The installation is no different from any other applications. Then, the guest operating system Ubuntu is installed in the virtual machine.

The Ubuntu image can be downloaded free of charge from the official site. The process of installing the operating system was described in detail in the example above, using the example of Windows 7. However, configuring at the initial stage one of the systems of the Linux family can cause some questions. For those who first encounter Ubuntu, it's worth to tell a little about how the process is going on.

After starting the disk image in the virtual machine, a window will appear before the user, approximately the same as in the image below.

Virtually any image of Ubuntu is a Live CD. That is, you can already start using it without installing the system, so to speak, try. Here you can select the language in the first window. Then the installation wizard will start its work. It will check if the PC configuration for the system is suitable and will offer download updates at boot time, and also use third-party software. It is recommended to put both checkmarks.

In order not to bother with manually creating partitions on the disk, beginners should specify the upper type of installation. After clicking the "Continue" button, the procedure will start. As a result, VirtualBox will have a new virtual machine with Ubuntu on board.

Setting up a shared folder

Just like in the previous case, to create a shared folder in VirtualBox, you need to start Ubuntu and select the "Devices" menu in the window. There, find "Attach an image of the guest OS add-on disk". It will be mounted as a CD-ROM. However, in order to run it, you need superuser rights. Therefore, we must go to the terminal. In Ubuntu, this can be done using the combination Crtl + Alt + t. In the terminal, enter sudo / media / cdrom / mount_disk_name. Then you need to reboot the guest OS.

After the restart, you can create a shared folder in VirtualBox. It's worth starting with a home OS. In the device menu of the running virtual machine window, there is the item "Shared Folders". In it, select "Configure shared folders". This window specifies the path to the existing directory in the home OS, which will be used as a general directory. Now you need to configure the VirtualBox shared folder in Ubuntu. To do this, the sudo mkdir / media / share command is run in the terminal. To set recording rights, you need to use sudo chmod 777 / media / share. And now all you need to do is connect - sudo mount -t vboxsf shared_folder_name_of_domestic_OS / media / share. From this point on, a new folder is available in both the guest and home OS.

Conclusion

This article discussed how to configure the VirtualBox shared folders on Windows and Ubuntu. On the examples of these two operating systems, you can also configure VirtualBox in other versions of the OS. The differences between the actions in setting up the VirtualBox shared folder in Winwows 7 are not much different from XP, 8 or 10 versions.

More complex will be installation on systems such as CentOS, Fedora and the like. However, there are a lot of instructions aimed at solving the problem in these operating systems.