4

On most up-to-date Ubuntu flavours that I install in VMs in Virtual Box when I choose the option to Insert Guest Additions CD image... I am shortly asked if I wish to run what is one there, and when I choose to do so a Terminal windows opens up which installs it.
However on Lubuntu this is not the case, it just asks me if I would like to open it with the file manager, and then even though there are executable files in there, executing them doesn't seem to do much good, so how do I install it on Lubuntu and why doesn't it just act like the rest of the Ubuntu flavours and offer to immediately run it for me?

I have tried this in both Lubuntu 14.04.4 LTS and 15.10 (though I currently have 15.10 in the VM). And I am running the latest version of Virtual Box.

  • Just install it from repo or manualy from terminal? http://askubuntu.com/questions/22743/how-do-i-install-guest-additions-in-a-virtualbox-vm – Ivan Temchenko Mar 11 '16 at 11:09
  • In Lubuntu you also need to install the gcc compiler (see note 3) and make uilts (all also come with build-essentials). – Takkat Mar 11 '16 at 11:12
  • @Takkat: Why aren't they installed by default? –  Mar 11 '16 at 11:13
  • @Takkat: Well, if that will fix the problem so that it behaves like the other flavours, then please post this as an answer. –  Mar 11 '16 at 11:58
  • @Takkat: Well, you can't be sure it's a dupe because I haven't actually tried it yet... –  Mar 11 '16 at 12:23

1 Answers1

6

The Oracle documentation gives a reasonable 'manual' method to install the Guest Additions which should fit in with your problem.

First update and then install dkms:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install dkms

Then when on your system the Guest Additions option opens a File Manager window: open a Terminal window in that location and run:

sudo sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

If you successfully mount the Guest Additions iso but get no window at all you should still be able to find the iso mounted in /media/$USER/VBOXADDITIONS_version. So currently on my system the mount point is:

/media/andrew/VBOXADDITIONS_5.0.8_103449

Of course this will vary according to which version of the Guest Additions you are actually using.

andrew.46
  • 38,003
  • 27
  • 156
  • 232
  • Thanks for the answer by the way! It has been a great help to me in many situations now! :) –  Mar 16 '16 at 14:49
  • Great to hear :) – andrew.46 Mar 16 '16 at 22:10
  • 1
    for Lubuntu 17.04 @AlikElzin-kilaka 's solution works: https://askubuntu.com/questions/533071/virtualbox-4-12-shared-clipboard-not-working-in-ubuntu14-04?noredirect=1&lq=1

    sudo apt-get install virtualbox-guest-dkms enable bi-directionnal clipboard sudo reboot

     – boly38 Aug 02 '17 at 07:22