# VirtualBox?



## max21 (Jan 20, 2013)

.. if you had FreeBSD as host and Windows 7 as guest, how would you  mount Windows extended partitions without using the guest addition?

I am far from answering my own question but my first thought is,  it may _not_ be possible to tell VirtualBox you want _your all ready mounted_ FreeBSD partitions to be mounted by VirtualBox or its guest.  I search for days but found nothing about it.  Now I'm wondering, with the source code this should be possible?  I'm just getting my feet wet with scripting/programming FreeBSD, so I think I better ask before I rip my system apart.  

Thanks in advance


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## wblock@ (Jan 20, 2013)

Are you saying you have real Windows extended partitions on a disk, and you want to mount them from inside the VM?

You can create VMDK files that refer to physical drives instead of files.  Presumably that could be done with partitions also.

In general, you cannot mount partitions on more than one system at the same time.  The two systems will conflict and corrupt the disk.  Consider a shared folder instead.


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## von_Gaden (Jan 20, 2013)

I'm not sure what do you want to achieve but if you'd like to access data on FreeBSD filesystems (partitions) you should either use VBox shared folders feature (requires installing guest additions, part of VBox Open Source Edition) or share it via the network (Samba for example)


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## max21 (Jan 21, 2013)

> requires installing guest additions, part of VBox Open Source Edition



That's what I was trying to avoid but at lease now I know now that I have no choice but to install guest additions .. but I might try the Samba idea first.  It will be an excuse to learn what it does 

Thanks a lot guys.

btw: I think guest additions is close-source..that's the problem


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## von_Gaden (Jan 21, 2013)

Not pretending to be absolutely sure I think you mix Guest Additions with VirtualBox Extension Pack which gives USB 2 support, VRDP, etc. and surely is not open source.


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## max21 (Jan 21, 2013)

You're absolutely right.  I just did a bunch of reading and I thought they were one in the same.  So there ready is no issue at all since I will only install what come in FreeBSD ports and such.  Now all I got to do find out is how to install VirtualBox.  Is there a how to here at the forum or one else where that really works?  After all I read about, not many actually said they got it working.  I want to install it for 9.1 and 8.2 .. Thanks again


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## wblock@ (Jan 21, 2013)

All it takes is time.  The default options install the Qt GUI, useful on X but a lot of build time.  Probably the reason you don't see a lot of people reporting that it works is because it is a surprise only when it does not work.  Install like any other port.

```
# cd /usr/ports/emulators/virtualbox-ose
# make install clean
```


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## von_Gaden (Jan 22, 2013)

If you don't use X you'd better use VirtualBox in headless mode. I would recommend one of the best howtos I've read on the topic:
http://www.tumfatig.net/20120412/the-freebsd-hypervisor-using-virtualbox/


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## max21 (Jan 23, 2013)

> Probably the reason you don't see a lot of people reporting that it works is because it is a surprise only when it does not work.



lol, I see your point wblock ... I appreciate all your help but I tried those commands many time on FreeBSD 8.2-64 and in the end it had the wrong python version, and than I think I tried FreeBSD 9.0-64 and it had the wrong perl.  Nothing was easy for AMD.  I need a how to.



> If you don't use X you'd better use VirtualBox in headless mode.



... and _Thanks_ for the extra tip von_Gaden!


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## wblock@ (Jan 23, 2013)

Update the ports tree and installed ports, and keep them updated, and installing new stuff is mostly easy.  See Upgrading FreeBSD Ports.


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