USB devices in VitualBox

sabashuali · 17-02-2008, 07:33 PM

Hi all

Wondering if someone can help me set-up USB devices for my VirtualBox guest OS (Windows 2000). Not sure why I swapped..... but I had Win XP running although I had the same issue there.

Basically all is working fine, apart from using USB devices. I have the devices connected and recognised in Linux (one is the USB Mouse which I am indifferent to whether it is recognised in Windows or not) .
Then, following the manual, I add the filters according to what I have connected - in the first instance they were the mouse and my TomTom (GPS receiver), so two filters, one for each device.
According to the VB manual, once windows starts, I should reconnect the devices in order for Windows to detect and install the devices.

The problem is that windows does not.... When I go to 'Devices' -> 'USB Devices', both devices are listed but greyed out, so I cannot select them.....
When I hover over the USB icon at the bottom right of the VB window, the tool tip tells me that no devices are attached.....

So.... any ideas? Thanks for looking!

Anti-Trend · 17-02-2008, 07:21 PM

Hey saba, have you already tried this process?

http://anti-trend.homelinux.org/tmp/vbox_usb_howto.ogm
(Note: Link will be good for 7 days, then file is deleted by a script).

sabashuali · 17-02-2008, 07:44 PM

Yup! exactly how I did it......

Thanks AT.....

Anti-Trend · 17-02-2008, 09:24 PM

From the VirtualBox Manual:

11.4.6 USB not working

If USB is not working on your Linux host, make sure that the current user has permission to access the USB ﬁlesystem (usbfs), which VirtualBox relies on to retrieve valid information about your host’s USB devices. As usbfs is a virtual ﬁlesystem, a chmod on /proc/bus/usb has no effect. The permissions for usbfs can therefore only be changed by editing the /etc/fstab ﬁle.

For example, most Linux distributions have a user group called usb or similar, of which the current user must be a member. To give all users of that group access to usbfs, make sure the following line is present:

Code:

# 85 is the USB group
none       /proc/bus/usb        usbfs       devgid=85,devmode=664        0    0
Replace 85 with the group ID that matches your system (search /etc/group for “usb” or similar)

Alternatively, if you don’t mind the security hole, give all users access to USB by changing “664” to “666”.

The various distributions are very creative from which script the usbfs ﬁlesystem is mounted. Sometimes the command is hidden in unexpected places. For SuSE 10.0 the mount command is part of the udev conﬁguration ﬁle /etc/udev/rules.d/50-udev.rules. As this distribution has no user group called usb, you may e.g. use the vboxusers group which was created by the VirtualBox installer. Since group numbers are allocated dynamically, the following example uses 85 as a placeholder. Modify the line containing (a linebreak has been inserted to improve readability)

Code:

DEVPATH="/module/usbcore", ACTION=="add",
     RUN+="/bin/mount -t usbfs usbfs /proc/bus/usb"

and add the necessary options (make sure that everything is in a single line):

Code:

DEVPATH="/module/usbcore", ACTION=="add",
     RUN+="/bin/mount -t usbfs usbfs /proc/bus/usb -o devgid=85,devmode=664"

Debian Etch has the mount command in /etc/init.d/mountkernfs.sh. Since that distribution has no group usb, it is also the easiest solution to allow all members of the group vboxusers to access the USB subsystem. Modify the line

Code:

domount usbfs usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb -onoexec,nosuid,nodev

so that it contains

Code:

domount usbfs usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb -onoexec,nosuid,nodev,devgid=85,devmode=664

As usual, replace the 85 with the actual group number which should get access to USB devices. Other distributions do similar operations in scripts stored in the /etc/init.d directory.

sabashuali · 18-02-2008, 07:40 AM

Duuuhhhhhhh!

Why look at the troubleshooting part?

You people think it is easy to be so thick?

You try it for a day or two!

Thanks AT.... another lesson learned!

Anti-Trend · 18-02-2008, 08:38 AM

LOL, want to know the secrets to life, the universe and everything?

R - T - F - M

sabashuali · 18-02-2008, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anti-Trend

LOL, want to know the secrets to life, the universe and everything?

R - T - F - M

LOL I get it now.... took a few minutes.....

17-02-2008, 07:33 PM	#1 (permalink) Top
sabashuali Ani Ma'amin Join Date: May 2005 Age: 41 Male Posts: 1,452 Times Helpful: 71 My Mood: Grumpy Status: Offline My Computer	USB devices in VitualBox Hi all Wondering if someone can help me set-up USB devices for my VirtualBox guest OS (Windows 2000). Not sure why I swapped..... but I had Win XP running although I had the same issue there. Basically all is working fine, apart from using USB devices. I have the devices connected and recognised in Linux (one is the USB Mouse which I am indifferent to whether it is recognised in Windows or not) . Then, following the manual, I add the filters according to what I have connected - in the first instance they were the mouse and my TomTom (GPS receiver), so two filters, one for each device. According to the VB manual, once windows starts, I should reconnect the devices in order for Windows to detect and install the devices. The problem is that windows does not.... When I go to 'Devices' -> 'USB Devices', both devices are listed but greyed out, so I cannot select them..... When I hover over the USB icon at the bottom right of the VB window, the tool tip tells me that no devices are attached..... So.... any ideas? Thanks for looking! __________________ This is not a PC friendly user!!! "...when you find someone you really love, all the rest is just... other stuff." - *Leanne Anika Battersby* Help with digital video? Help My Mini City to grow Hit or Miss

17-02-2008, 07:21 PM	#2 (permalink) Top
Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek Join Date: Oct 2003 Age: 27 Male Posts: 4,880 Times Helpful: 537 Status: Offline My Computer	Hey saba, have you already tried this process? http://anti-trend.homelinux.org/tmp/vbox_usb_howto.ogm (Note: Link will be good for 7 days, then file is deleted by a script). __________________ See My Desktop \| Try Linux \| Install Linux \| Visit My Server \| Support Hardware Forums \| Easily rip DVDs in Linux \| Remember Everything

17-02-2008, 07:44 PM	#3 (permalink) Top
sabashuali Ani Ma'amin Join Date: May 2005 Age: 41 Male Posts: 1,452 Times Helpful: 71 My Mood: Grumpy Status: Offline My Computer	Yup! exactly how I did it...... Thanks AT..... __________________ This is not a PC friendly user!!! "...when you find someone you really love, all the rest is just... other stuff." - *Leanne Anika Battersby* Help with digital video? Help My Mini City to grow Hit or Miss

17-02-2008, 09:24 PM	#4 (permalink) Top
Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek Join Date: Oct 2003 Age: 27 Male Posts: 4,880 Times Helpful: 537 Status: Offline My Computer	From the VirtualBox Manual: 11.4.6 USB not working If USB is not working on your Linux host, make sure that the current user has permission to access the USB ﬁlesystem (usbfs), which VirtualBox relies on to retrieve valid information about your host’s USB devices. As usbfs is a virtual ﬁlesystem, a chmod on /proc/bus/usb has no effect. The permissions for usbfs can therefore only be changed by editing the /etc/fstab ﬁle. For example, most Linux distributions have a user group called usb or similar, of which the current user must be a member. To give all users of that group access to usbfs, make sure the following line is present: Code: # 85 is the USB group none /proc/bus/usb usbfs devgid=85,devmode=664 0 0 Replace 85 with the group ID that matches your system (search /etc/group for “usb” or similar) Alternatively, if you don’t mind the security hole, give all users access to USB by changing “664” to “666”. The various distributions are very creative from which script the usbfs ﬁlesystem is mounted. Sometimes the command is hidden in unexpected places. For SuSE 10.0 the mount command is part of the udev conﬁguration ﬁle /etc/udev/rules.d/50-udev.rules. As this distribution has no user group called usb, you may e.g. use the vboxusers group which was created by the VirtualBox installer. Since group numbers are allocated dynamically, the following example uses 85 as a placeholder. Modify the line containing (a linebreak has been inserted to improve readability) Code: DEVPATH="/module/usbcore", ACTION=="add", RUN+="/bin/mount -t usbfs usbfs /proc/bus/usb" and add the necessary options (make sure that everything is in a single line): Code: DEVPATH="/module/usbcore", ACTION=="add", RUN+="/bin/mount -t usbfs usbfs /proc/bus/usb -o devgid=85,devmode=664" Debian Etch has the mount command in /etc/init.d/mountkernfs.sh. Since that distribution has no group usb, it is also the easiest solution to allow all members of the group vboxusers to access the USB subsystem. Modify the line Code: domount usbfs usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb -onoexec,nosuid,nodev so that it contains Code: domount usbfs usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb -onoexec,nosuid,nodev,devgid=85,devmode=664 As usual, replace the 85 with the actual group number which should get access to USB devices. Other distributions do similar operations in scripts stored in the /etc/init.d directory. __________________ See My Desktop \| Try Linux \| Install Linux \| Visit My Server \| Support Hardware Forums \| Easily rip DVDs in Linux \| Remember Everything

18-02-2008, 07:40 AM	#5 (permalink) Top
sabashuali Ani Ma'amin Join Date: May 2005 Age: 41 Male Posts: 1,452 Times Helpful: 71 My Mood: Grumpy Status: Offline My Computer	Duuuhhhhhhh! Why look at the troubleshooting part? You people think it is easy to be so thick? You try it for a day or two! Thanks AT.... another lesson learned! __________________ This is not a PC friendly user!!! "...when you find someone you really love, all the rest is just... other stuff." - *Leanne Anika Battersby* Help with digital video? Help My Mini City to grow Hit or Miss

18-02-2008, 08:38 AM	#6 (permalink) Top
Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek Join Date: Oct 2003 Age: 27 Male Posts: 4,880 Times Helpful: 537 Status: Offline My Computer	LOL, want to know the secrets to life, the universe and everything? R - T - F - M __________________ See My Desktop \| Try Linux \| Install Linux \| Visit My Server \| Support Hardware Forums \| Easily rip DVDs in Linux \| Remember Everything

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