Virtual Box: Mount Host Shared Folders in Guest

I installed Oracle VM Virtual Box v 5.1.14 on Windows 7 Professional (64 bit) PC and installed Oracle Linux (OEL) 7.2 as a guest OS.

However, I was not able to share folders between host & guest. I received following error in Guest OS, when I clicked on shared folder mount.

Error: "The folder contents could not be displayed. You do not have the permissions necessary to view the contents of sf_temp."

I followed below steps to resolve the issue and mount shared folder in Guest OS.

• Download and Install Oracle VM Virtual Box Extension Pack
• Restart Virtual Machine
• Install Guest Additions. Go to Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD image...

• Restart Virtual Machine
• Add the shared folder to the virtual machine using Virtual Box graphical interface. Make sure to select 'Auto-mount' and 'Make Permanent'

• Restart Virtual Machine

Try to access /media/sf_your_shared_folder_name. If you still don't have access, that means you don't belong to the vboxsf group.

• Login to the virtual machine using a root account
• Check vboxsf group exists

          ~$ grep vboxsf /etc/group

          vboxsf:x:983:

• Check user is not already in vboxsf group

          ~$ id lkakarla
          uid=1000(lkakarla) gid=1000(lkakarla) groups=1000(lkakarla)

• Add user lkakarla to vboxsf group

          ~$ sudo usermod -a -G vboxsf lkakarla

• Check again user groups

          ~$ id lkakarla
          uid=1000(lkakarla) gid=1000(lkakarla) groups=1000(lkakarla),983(vboxsf)

• Restart Virtual Machine and login as lkakarla
• Shared folder is now accessible in desktop and /media/sf_temp (temp is the name I gave to the share)

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