Devices | "Install guest additions" doesn't work

[Daniel Convissor]

Host: Ubuntu 10.4.3, 64 bit
Guest: Windows 7 Ultimate, 64 bit

/etc/apt/sources.list contains:
deb ​http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lucid contrib non-free

Upgraded from 3.2.x to 4.1.2 by calling:
apt-get install virtualbox-4.1

Started the guest. Selected Devices | "Install guest additions." Nothing happened.

To get them installed, I needed to manually mount the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso, explore the "CD" and double click on the appropriate exe.

Perhaps the program is looking in the wrong place for VBoxGuestAdditions.iso? The manual (​http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch04.html) says it is usually in /opt/VirtualBox, but the Debian packages have it in /usr/share/virtualbox.

Or perhaps it's autorun related or maybe I had another ISO mounted already? ​http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/8211 ​http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/6894 If so, the code could be more robust to account for such situations.

Or perhaps it's just a matter of updating the manual?

[Frank Mehnert]

Actually I assume that you disabled autorun for your guest CD drive. Install guest additions does nothing else than inserting the virtual .iso image into the virtual CD drive so the guest will automatically detect that there is a new medium mounted and start autorun.exe.

[Daniel Convissor]

That makes sense.

Are there a ways to make the Install Guest Additions (IGA) routine more robust or provide a clearer UI on this front? Perhaps one or more of the following is possible?

• If VB can detect if autorun is disabled, have IGA:
  • execute the appropriate itself.
  • or display a message telling users to take action manually.

• Rename the option to "Mount guest additions ISO." This states exactly what the menu option does.

• Clarify the manual. It currently says "A Windows guest should then automatically start the Guest Additions installer, which installs the Guest Additions into your Windows guest." Change that to something like "If the Windows guest has autorun enabled, the Guest Additions installation program should automatically start. If autorun is diasabled, follow the instructions for manual installation, below."

[Frank Mehnert]

I don't think we should rename the menu item because the automatic installation will work most time and beginners will not understand why there is an item mount the guest additions ISO.

The manual could get some additional words, that's right.

Regarding detecting if autorun is enabled/disabled: That will not work because this is not a feature implemented in the device but purely in software and VirtualBox does not inspect its guests.