Cannot activate USB-Printer with VirtualBox 3.0.8 and 3.0.10 -> fixed as of 2010.11.29

[chessweb]

I cannot activate my USB Printer since the corresponding control (Devices -> USB Devices) is greyed out. USB stick and USB scanner are not affected and work normally.

VirtualBox 3.0.8 and 3.0.10 Host: Ubuntu 9.10 Guest: Windows XP

Regards, Ralf

[michael]

Make sure that your user is in the "vboxusers" group. You need to log out and back in again for this to take effect. If in doubt, reboot.

[alizard]

I have the same problem under the same circumstances. (XP guest, Kubuntu Karmic host, a virtualbox just upgraded by repository) Printing worked just fine before I upgraded to Kubuntu 9.10.

I am indeed a member of vboxusers, the original poster I can't speak for.

A.Lizard

[siegie]

I have exactly the same problem. I can connect to other usb devices like external hard drives, smart card reader. But my printer samsung ml-1640 is grayed out.

I've also tested on a clean install off ubuntu.

[fcojbb]

I had the same problem, I'm in the vboxusers group and the problem continues. I've tried the older methods but the problem continues.

My usb printer is a Brother HL-2140. And my distribution is Ubuntu 9.10.

Regards,

fcojbb

[ASKer]

You should add your user in "lp" group. Device /dev/usb/lpX has owner "root" and group "lp", so to grant access you should be either root, or in "lp" group. Remember, that you need to relogin, after adding yourself in group.

So, it's not virtualbox issue.

Sorry for my English.

[siegie]

Thanks this was the solution. I didn't believe it first, because i thought, if one usb device work they should all work.

Again thanks.

[michael]

FYI, our way of managing USB device permissions on Linux is currently not optimal, and liable to break in ways like this. We are trying to get in touch with the Ubuntu and other distribution people to work out a better way in cooperation with the distributions.

[alizard]

The fix works for me, too. I recommend adding "add user to lp" to the help documentation next to where "add user to vboxusers" already is.

[markus_ba]

I ran into the same problem. This should be documented in the Users Guide chapter 11.5.7 'USB not working'. That's where you end up if you have the problem.

[michael]

We have switched to a less invasive way of handling USB device permissions in the development code. See ticket #7759 for the gory details. The fix will not be backported to the 3.2 series though.

[frank]

Should be fixed in 4.0.