[feature-request] VBOXSF: Please remove requirement to add users to 'vboxsf' group for auto-mounted folders

[Technologov]

Hi,

Host: VBox 4.1.4 on any host OS (and all previous versions)

Guest: any Linux (and possibly UNIX)

Currently you require all users (except 'root') to be part of 'vboxsf' group in order to use VBOXSF. Please remove this requirement for auto-mounted shared folders. Auto-mounted shared folders are usually used by normal Home users, not some Linux admins, and this creates lots of problems for normal home Linux users, such as my father.

-Technologov, 6.10.2011.

[Michael Thayer]

I'm slightly confused about this. Groups are the usual UNIX mechanism for giving users access to what they need, so surely you should just be adding your father to the vboxsf group. Unless you have some complex multi-user situation with this particular virtual machine, but then again, one of the points of virtual machines is that you can have a higher ratio machines to users than with physical ones.

[Technologov]

My main idea is that for simple cases we need simple solutions -- so using SF with auto-mount basically intended for Home Users. So default case could be less secure.

Linux admins, whom need extra security, can use manual mount and use /etc/fstab to configure this extra security.

-Technologov

[Michael Thayer]

And you don't feel that adding a user to a group is a simple solution?

[Technologov]

For home user, not really.

[Perry G]

You need this for security. IMHO, Making it un-secure for everyone to benefit a few is not the direction to go.