VirtualBox USB with Windows XP guest in Ubuntu Hardy or Intrepid

Hi David,
I hope you don't mind me contacting you about some persisting problems
that I have with getting a USB device mounted under virtualbox (running XP
as the guest OS). The host system is Ubuntu Hardy running on a Thinkpad
T61.

I followed the instructions on your blog and edited
/etc/init.dmountkernfs.sh and created a USB filter for the device under the
Settings/USB in Virtualbox (pressing the USB button with the "+" and then
simply "OK"). However, when I boot XP in Virtualbox the entry for the
device in Devices/USB is still grayed out and I cannot connect to the
device

It also does not make a differences whether the device is mount under
Linux or not (which is does just fine). Furthermore, there is also no
difference whether or not the UBS device is plugged in at the time of the
XP boot in Virtualbox.

I also tried editing /etc/init.d/mountdevusbfs.sh and /etc/fstab as other
posts have suggested, but the problem remains. I cannot mount any USB
devices in Virtualbox.

Do you have any further suggestions of what I could try to get the device
mounted?

Thanks a lot for taking the time.

Best wishes,
Jan

Dave,

thanks a lot for your quick response.

I tried all your suggestions, but I still cannot mount my USB flash drive

I am using Ubuntu Hardy Heron (8.04) and Virtualbox 1.6.6

I commented the lines in /etc/init.d/mountdevusbfs.sh and /etc/fstab that
was sugested by the other posts.

I did reboot before trying all of the below.

output of:

$ mount | grep usb
procbususb on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)

output of:

$ cat /etc/group | grep vbox
vboxusers:x:122:glaescher

(glaescher is my username)

I did already add the next line to /etc/init.d/mountkernfs.sh

domount usbfs usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb -onoexec,nosuid,nodev,devgid=122,devmode=644

just before the comment starting with:

# Mount spufs, if Cell Broadband processor is detected

Here is the output of "VBoxManage list usbhost"

VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.6.6
(C) 2005-2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Host USB Devices:

UUID: 3c7dc59a-6834-428b-8e8f-6d466be2d06a
VendorId: 0x0483 (0483)
ProductId: 0x2016 (2016)
Revision: 0.1 (0001)
Manufacturer: STMicroelectronics
Product: Biometric Coprocessor
Address: /proc/bus/usb/001/003
Current State: Unavailable

UUID: 7249b281-e1e3-4d16-5caa-cb8e4fe1aa36
VendorId: 0x13fe (13FE)
ProductId: 0x1f00 (1F00)
Revision: 1.16 (0116)
Product: Patriot Memory
SerialNumber: 078501AA0001
Address: /proc/bus/usb/007/003
Current State: Unavailable

So it does recognize the Flash Drive (Patriot Memory, no comments on the name, please. It's embarrassing, but a huge and fast drive).

I also tried to set a global USB filter using the command:

VBoxManage usbfilter add 0 -target global -name "Patriot Memory [0110]" -action hold -active yes -vendorid 13FE -productid 1F00 -product "Patriot Memory" -remote no -serialnumber 078501AA0001

but the command produces and syntax error:

"Syntax error: Mandatory options not supplied"

However, I did include all the mandatory options that are listed under VBoxManage --help

As for the local usbfilters, I ran "VBoxManage showvminfo "Windows XP SP3" and got:

VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 1.6.6
(C) 2005-2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Name: Windows XP SP3
Guest OS: Windows XP
UUID: ed4b8461-36f3-417f-46bc-bdd156126fe7
Config file: /home/glaescher/.VirtualBox/Machines/Windows XP SP3/Windows XP SP3.xml
Memory size: 512MB
VRAM size: 16MB
Boot menu mode: message and menu
ACPI: on
IOAPIC: off
PAE: off
Time offset: 0 ms
Hardw. virt.ext: off
State: powered off (since 2008-09-12T06:29:44.090000000)
Monitor count: 1
Floppy: empty
SATA: disabled
Primary master: /home/glaescher/.VirtualBox/VDI/Windows XP SP2.vdi (UUID: 34c3e23a-d42c-42d3-518b-b2bb80e4d1e6)
DVD: Host drive /dev/scd0
NIC 1: MAC: 080027A63E0B, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79C973, Reported speed: 1000 Mbps
NIC 2: disabled
NIC 3: disabled
NIC 4: disabled
UART 1: disabled
UART 2: disabled
Audio: disabled (Driver: Unknown, Controller: Unknown)
Clipboard Mode: Bidirectional
VRDP: disabled
USB: enabled

USB Device Filters:

Index: 0
Active: yes
Name: Patriot Memory [0110]
VendorId: 13FE
ProductId: 1F00
Revision: 0110
Manufacturer:
Product: Patriot Memory
Remote: no
Serial Number: 078501AA0001

Index: 1
Active: yes
Name: COWON SYSTEM, Inc. COWON A3 [0316]
VendorId: 0E21
ProductId: 1020
Revision: 0316
Manufacturer: COWON SYSTEM, Inc.
Product: COWON A3
Remote: no
Serial Number: 3238204E6F76

Shared folders:

Name: 'winshare', Host path: '/home/glaescher/winshare' (machine mapping), writable
Name: 'ppgdata', Host path: '/projects/ppgdata' (machine mapping), writable
Name: 'latlearn', Host path: '/projects/latlearn' (machine mapping), writable
Name: 'home', Host path: '/home/glaescher' (machine mapping), writable

Guest:

Statistics update: disabled

So the 2 USB filters specific to the VM are recognized.

Do you have any other ideas?

Thanks a lot,
Jan

I changed this line
domount usbfs "" usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb -onoexec,nosuid,nodev,devgid=,devmode=664

to

domount usbfs "" /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs -onoexec,nosuid,nodev,devgid=,devmode=664

Maybe you'll be able to help with enabling Wacom Tablets on Intrepid + Vbox, (http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=11423&start=0&postdays=0&po...)
I can't find any useful resource about this problem on Intrepid.

I went through all the suggestions and advices above, but VirtualBox didn't recognise my USB drive.
Finally I opened the xml file belonging to my windows xp installation, $HOME/.VirtualBox/Machines/windows\ xp/windows\ xp.xml (I quit VirtualBox before I did this)
I changed the line that read:
<USBController enabled="false" enabledEhci="false"/>
to:
<USBController enabled="true" enabledEhci="true"/>

and after that I was able to access my USB drive

I followed author's original instruction for 8.10, they worked great after reboot.

Thanks a bunch!

Ryan

I am running Ubuntu 8.04

I have edited the mountkernfs.sh file as you suggested. Both

domout usbfs usbdevfs /proc/

and when that did not work

usbfs "" /proc/ ...

Before coming across you post, I had tried editing the mountdevsubfs.sh or /etc/fstab as some other internet sources have suggested. Each helpful hint brings be to greyed out USB devices. Better than no devices, yet I can not use my USB devices in my guest OS of WinXP SP3.

I have also created a group called usbuers, and every trick I can find on the web. Any more help would be great. Thank you.

Excellent. After much stuffing about with the advice at http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/User_FAQ , Linux permissions, etc, your simple one line change works for me...

thank you this has been very useful tip

Greetings from Costa Rica
Pura Vida!!

Thanks, David.

For me, it works on Ubuntu 8.10 (64b) even after I commented the lines I put before in /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh and /etc/fstab as I was told by an other internet source.

Gerard.

First of all: Thanks so much for your guide! It worked!

I wanted to say that I had first tried the guide here for Ubuntu Intrepid: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VirtualBox#USB. that DID NOT WORK for me. I then followed your guide, and that didn't work either. What I had to do is go back and UNDO what the Ubuntu Community's guide suggested before your guide would work.

Again, many thanks.

THANKS

use only one method, this one because it works better than the ubuntu guide's method. this is the method that got my iPod Touch working in my XP host. use only one method! :)

Thanks for the tutorial,

I'm also on Ubuntu 8.10, followed the instructions and it didn't work until I found out that I wasn't part of the vboxusers group. After I joined I had to reboot and worked smoothly.

By the way, the USB device I wanted to get working is a Garmin ANT stick, for a GPS, which is a "very-proprietary" device using specially designed communication protocols, so if it works for this, everything can.

Thanks a bunch for this. Worked for me on Ubuntu Intrepid (on the apparently-notorious Thinkpad T61, no less) by doing just as you said. (I am in the vboxusers groups, and I didn't previous try anything else specific to making USB work.)

I'm a little worried about enabling something "deprecated", but it works so I'll take it.

I still cannot make this work. I'm running Ubuntu 8.10 host with XP guest on Virtualbox 2.1.4

the results of my '$ mount |grep usb' is

procbususb on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)

can anyone give me any suggestions?

Worked flawlessly! Followed short and concise guide as-is, reboot and USB works in XP.

Again, like the other T61 owner, I didn't not try any other guides/techniques prior to this one. Running Ubuntu Intrepid 64bit and VirtualBox 2.1.4 (closed-source edition).

Works also under Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) + Virtualbox 2.2.
But "somewhere after /proc" is not enough. The mentioned line should be placed at the end of the do_start () function. Otherwise it didn't work for me.

Thanks David! This worked for me. (Hardy Host/Jaunty Guest)

I was pulling my hair out, because it didn't work at first. Although I did exactly what you wrote.

"mount | grep usb" showed one line exactly like yours, I couldn't find any problems.

I finally checked /etc/fstab and I found a line in there referring to usbfs. I didn't check it sooner, cause how could something be there I never added?

The thing is I DID add this line a year ago when I needed it to make USB work with my guests running under VMWare Server.

Took that old line out. Rebooted. Everything worked like a charm in VirtualBox.

So that's just a hint for anyone who's struggling with this config. Make sure the /etc/fstab isn't mounting something else for usbfs that you don't want!

Hello...
I am trying to make what you are saying and I can't
Can you please check if I made it corect?

#! /bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          mountkernfs
# Required-Start:
# Required-Stop:
# Should-Start:      glibc
# Default-Start:     S
# Default-Stop:
# Short-Description: Mount kernel virtual file systems.
# Description:       Mount initial set of virtual filesystems the kernel
#                    provides and that are required by everything.
### END INIT INFO
 
PATH=/lib/init:/sbin:/bin
. /lib/init/vars.sh
 
. /lib/lsb/init-functions
. /lib/init/mount-functions.sh
 
[ -f /etc/default/tmpfs ] && . /etc/default/tmpfs
 
do_start () {
	#
	# Get some writable area available before the root is checked
	# and remounted.
	#
	RW_OPT=
	[ "${RW_SIZE:=$TMPFS_SIZE}" ] && RW_OPT=",size=$RW_SIZE"
	domount tmpfs "" /lib/init/rw tmpfs -omode=0755,nosuid$RW_OPT
	touch /lib/init/rw/.ramfs
 
	# Make pidfile omit directory for sendsigs
	mkdir /lib/init/rw/sendsigs.omit.d/
 
	#
	# Mount proc filesystem on /proc
        #for hardy:
domount usbfs usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb -onoexec,nosuid,nodev,devgid=124,devmode=664
        #for intrepid:
domount usbfs "" /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs -onoexec,nosuid,nodev,devgid=124,devmode=664
	#
	domount proc "" /proc proc -onodev,noexec,nosuid
        #
	# Mount sysfs on /sys
	#
	# Only mount sysfs if it is supported (kernel >= 2.6)
	if grep -E -qs "sysfs\$" /proc/filesystems
	then
		domount sysfs "" /sys sysfs -onodev,noexec,nosuid
		domount fusectl "" /sys/fs/fuse/connections fusectl
	fi
 
	# Mount /var/run and /var/lock as tmpfs if enabled
	if [ yes = "$RAMRUN" ] ; then
		RUN_OPT=
		[ "${RUN_SIZE:=$TMPFS_SIZE}" ] && RUN_OPT=",size=$RUN_SIZE"
		domount tmpfs "" /var/run varrun -omode=0755,nosuid$RUN_OPT
		touch /var/run/.ramfs
	fi
	if [ yes = "$RAMLOCK" ] ; then
		LOCK_OPT=
		[ "${LOCK_SIZE:=$TMPFS_SIZE}" ] && LOCK_OPT=",size=$LOCK_SIZE"
		domount tmpfs "" /var/lock varlock -omode=1777,nodev,noexec,nosuid$LOCK_OPT
		touch /var/lock/.ramfs
	fi
 
	# Mount spufs, if Cell Broadband processor is detected
	if [ -d /spu ] && grep -qs '^cpu.*Cell' /proc/cpuinfo; then
	        domount spufs "" /spu spufs -ogid=spu
	fi
 
	# Propagate files from the initramfs to our new /var/run.
	for file in /dev/.initramfs/varrun/*; do
		[ -e "$file" ] || continue
		cp -a "$file" "/var/run/${x#/dev/.initramfs/varrun/}"
	done
}
 
case "$1" in
  "")
	echo "Warning: mountkernfs should be called with the 'start' argument." >&2
	do_start
	;;
  start)
	do_start
	;;
  restart|reload|force-reload)
	echo "Error: argument '$1' not supported" >&2
	exit 3
	;;
  stop)
	# No-op
	;;
  *)
	echo "Usage: mountkernfs [start|stop]" >&2
	exit 3
	;;
esac<code>

hi david
i have exactly the same problem. i am using suse 11.1 with the closed source version virtualbox 2.2.2. i am allready a member of the vboxusers group.
so i want to implement the next step of your description here. but wehn i am trying:
sudo gedit /etc/init.d/mountkernfs.sh
then i end with: "(gedit:5957): Gtk-WARNING : cannot open display:.

i am a windows crack which want to find his way into linux. but it is so hard, while understand one system and try to do so in a different one! i am quite new here and getting confused sometimes while trying to fix problems in linux.

please: can you send me a step by step manual how to fix this error?

thanks

matthias

Hi,

First off, thanks everyone for the great suggestions on getting USB working.

I am running Fedora 11 i386 and Sun VirtualBox 2.2.4 (VirtualBox-2.2.4_47978_fedora11-1.i586). I am trying to get USB to work in XP SP3. When look at the USB filters, it has no problem showing me all of my USB devices, but when I "Start" the XP host, and then mouse over the USB icon, it says that there are "no attached devices".

[bryan@fedora ~]$ grep vbox /etc/group
vboxusers:x:501:bryan

[bryan@fedora ~]$ mount |grep usb
[bryan@fedora ~]$

[bryan@fedora ~]$ cat /etc/group|grep vboxusers
vboxusers:x:501:bryan

I have performed the changes in mountkernfs.sh, I have also tried adding another group called "USB", I have also tried to CHMOD -R 777 the usb directory.

Any help is appreciated -- I am very frustrated.

Thanks,
Bryan