Linux guest can't create links in rw-shared folder -> resolved by reporter

[stroypark]

Host: MacOS 10.14.4 (latest ATM) VBox 6.0.6 Guest: Ubuntu 18.04 (w/latest updates) VBox guest additions 6.0.6

host> create rw-share named my

guest> ...install guest additions from CD... (compile, install, reboot) guest> sudo mkdir -p /mnt/sf guest> sudo mount -t vboxsf -o rw,uid=$UID,gid=$(id -g) my /mnt/sf guest> cd /mnt/sf guest> ls foo bar guest> touch baz guest> ls foo bar baz # so one can create file and file system doesn't looks like read-only guest> ln -s baz z ln: failed to create symbolic link 'r': Read-only file system # :-[]

[stroypark]

guest> ...install guest additions from CD... (compile, install, reboot)
guest> sudo mkdir -p /mnt/sf
guest> sudo mount -t vboxsf -o rw,uid=$UID,gid=$(id -g) my /mnt/sf
guest> cd /mnt/sf
guest> ls
foo bar
guest> touch baz
guest> ls
foo bar baz # so one can create file and file system doesn't looks like read-only
guest> ln -s baz z
ln: failed to create symbolic link 'r': Read-only file system # :-[]

[Socratis]

It's usually better and faster, if issues get first addressed in the ​VirtualBox forums, a lot more eyes there. More than 95% of the issues are resolved in the forums, which keeps the developers focusing on the bug fixes and enhancements, and there is no need for another ticket to keep track of. For example, yours is not a bug and someone from the developers has to deal with it and close it as "Invalid".

Plus a discussion and analysis on the bug tracker is going to help me, you, and potentially a future drive-by user or two. Not so in the forums, many more tend to benefit...

But, here it goes... You need to read the user manual before opening a new ticket. From ch. 4.3 Shared Folders:

Oracle VM VirtualBox shared folders also support symbolic links, also called symlinks, under the following conditions:

• The host operating system must support symlinks. For example, a Mac OS X, Linux, or Oracle Solaris host is required.
• Currently only Linux and Oracle Solaris Guest Additions support symlinks.
• For security reasons the guest OS is not allowed to create symlinks by default. If you trust the guest OS to not abuse the functionality, you can enable creation of symlinks for a shared folder as follows:

  VBoxManage setextradata "VM name" VBoxInternal2/SharedFoldersEnableSymlinksCreate/<sharename> 1
  

[stroypark]

socratis, hello!

Thanks a lot! It works. Next time I'll try read user manual. And then try ask ppl at forums!

[Socratis]

Glad I could help. And yes, the User Manual and the forums are your first line of defence...

This ticket can be closed as [WorksForMe] I guess, because after all it did work, for the OP. ;)