USB not working with Virtualbox in Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon
I first installed Virtualbox OSE (Open Source Edition) from Ubuntu repo. I didn’t see any option to load USB devices in the settings. The OSE version was 1.5 whereas the current Virtualbox version is 1.5.2. I thought, may be the OSE edition doesn’t support USB devices, so I removed the OSE edition and installed Virtualbox from Virtualbox.org. Even that didn’t show any option to load USB devices. I then found out from Virtualbox site that Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon removed support for /proc/bus/usb. If you have the same issue, this is what you have to do to fix it (Thanks to Virtualbox for the tip).
Open a terminal and type
sudo gedit /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh
Go to the lines as shown below:
#
# Magic to make /proc/bus/usb work
#
#mkdir -p /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs
#domount usbfs «» /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs -obusmode=0700,devmode=0600,listmode=0644
#ln -s .usbfs/devices /dev/bus/usb/devices
#mount –rbind /dev/bus/usb /proc/bus/usb
Uncomment the last 4 lines and make it look like below:
#
# Magic to make /proc/bus/usb work
#
mkdir -p /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs
domount usbfs «» /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs -obusmode=0700,devmode=0600,listmode=0644
ln -s .usbfs/devices /dev/bus/usb/devices
mount –rbind /dev/bus/usb /proc/bus/usb
Close and restart virtualbox. You should see the USB options in the settings. You can add the devices you want. I have edited and added this information to the Virtualbox installation tips I wrote few months back.
If you are wondering what is the difference between Virtualbox and Virtualbox OSE, they are both same except the closed source one carries some enterprise features. Here is the list of features that are there in the closed source version, but absent in open source one:
- Remote Display Protocol (RDP) Server
This component implements a complete RDP server on top of the virtual hardware and allows users to connect to a virtual machine remotely using any RDP compatible client.
- USB support
VirtualBox implements a virtual USB controller and supports passing through USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices to virtual machines.
- USB over RDP
This is a combination of the RDP server and USB support allowing users to make USB devices available to virtual machines running remotely.
- iSCSI initiator
VirtualBox contains a builtin iSCSI initiator making it possible to use iSCSI targets as virtual disks without the guest requiring support for iSCSI.
What I initially suspected (USB not supported in OSE edition) seems to be true and may not work even after you follow the steps given above.
Source: Virtualbox
Technorati Tags: Ubuntu 7.10, Gutsy Gibbon, Virtualbox, OSE, USB
November 6th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
After I restarted Ubuntu, it worked fine. Thanks!
November 7th, 2007 at 7:33 am
It worked without restarting, for me. Anyhow, it worked. That’s important.
December 14th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Bah! Wouldn’t work for me in Gutsy (Ubuntu 7.10) even after rebooting. I probably messed up something following other tips for fixing this problem.
Thanks to Arun for posting this entry.
December 16th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
You are welcome cvr. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you.
February 9th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Thanks for the tip. Only I like to agree a little information in case of doesn’t work it:
sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/40-permissions.rules
And change this:
SUBSYSTEM==”usb_device”, MODE=”0664″
For this:
SUBSYSTEM==”usb_device”, MODE=”0666″
Then:
sudo /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh start
With your tip, doesn’t work it. But when I change this information, everything Ok.
Thanks
PD: I’m from Colombia, so, excuse me for my english, sometimes doesn’t work too.
February 10th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Daniel,
My tip is for Gutsy where they took the USB support out. What I wrote here was in addition to what you have told. You can find that information if you take a look at my virtualbox installation steps at
http://www.blog.arun-prabha.com/2007/05/07/installing-virtualbox-and-windows-using-virtualbox-in-ubuntu/
June 7th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
SDaniel
sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/40-permissions.rules
And change this:
SUBSYSTEM==»usb_device», MODE=»0664»
For this:
SUBSYSTEM==»usb_device», MODE=»0666»
Then:
sudo /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh start
Thanks for the Tip it worked great!!!
I am using version 1.6
September 1st, 2008 at 9:47 am
Hi
Thanks for the tip but after i restart the Virtualbox in configuration , in usb appears this message:
Could not load the Host USB Proxy Service (VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND). The service might be not installed on the host computer.
Código de Resultado:
0×00004005
Componente:
Host
Interface:
IHost {81729c26-1aec-46f5-b7c0-cc7364738fdb}
Chamador:
IMachine {f95c0793-7737-49a1-85d9-6da81097173b}
I am using Ubuntu 8.04 LTS
Thanks for any help
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:49 am
Edson,
Did you edit /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh? If not edit the file. Open a terminal, type sudo gedit /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh. Once the file is opened, you’ll see
#
# Magic to make /proc/bus/usb work
#
#mkdir -p /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs
#domount usbfs “” /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs -obusmode=0700,devmode=0600,listmode=0644
#ln -s .usbfs/devices /dev/bus/usb/devices
#mount –rbind /dev/bus/usb /proc/bus/usb
Uncomment the lines and make it look like
#
# Magic to make /proc/bus/usb work
#
mkdir -p /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs
domount usbfs “” /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs -obusmode=0700,devmode=0600,listmode=0644
ln -s .usbfs/devices /dev/bus/usb/devices
mount –rbind /dev/bus/usb /proc/bus/usb
Save the file and exit. Reboot Ubuntu and check if it’s working.
September 6th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Sorry.but there is nothing inside in :
mountdevsubfs,sg,(/etc/init.d) - gedit.
Can I copy & paste?
I dont understand….
Thanks
September 8th, 2008 at 5:55 am
I’m sorry I couldn’t reply back immediately. I don’t surf during the weekends generally.
It’s weird that you don’t have that file. Make sure the path and filename are right. If there is nothing, try adding those lines and see if it works.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:48 am
OOPs.
It appears and I uncomment that lines , restart but dont work.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Hmm. I’m not sure what the problem would be.
September 12th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Thanks
September 12th, 2008 at 8:23 am
I found the problem…
Im my permission rules:
LABEL=”usb_serial_start”
ATTRS{idVendor}==”0403″, ATTRS{idProduct}==”6001″, \
,GROUP=”vboxusers”, MODE=”0660″, GROUP=”dialout”
LABEL=”usb_serial_end”
the line,GROUP=”vboxusers” wasnt there.
I copy & paste , restart the VB and works fine
Thanks again for the help
September 12th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Good to know it worked.