VirtualBox Error: Failed to access the USB subsystem.

[ronald]

Error: Failed to access the USB subsystem.
VirtualBox is not currently allowed to access USB devices. You can change this by adding your user to the 'vboxusers' group. Please see the user manual for a more detailed explanation.

I need VirtualBox to have access to my USB devices. I have some Windows programs installed on flash drives for portability. Also, I need to be able to access my iPod Touch via the USB port and iTunes to transfer files and sync programs. I tried to add my user to the 'vboxusers' group, but I don't have permissions to modify /etc/group. I am the system administrator and the only user on my computer, so I don't understand why I don't have full permissions, and I don't know how to get them. I am not very familiar with Terminal commands, except to copy and paste.

I also tried the following in Kate, but Kate wouldn't save the changes because I don't have write permissions. Also, I cannot find the USB group ID which matches my system, there is nothing listed in /etc/group which seems to be for USB (see output below).

Oracle VirtualBox Help:
12.7.7. USB not working
If USB is not working on your Linux host, make sure that the current user is a member of the vboxusers group. On older hosts, you need to make sure that the user has permission to access the USB filesystem (usbfs), which VirtualBox relies on to retrieve valid information about your host's USB devices. The rest of this section only applies to those older systems.
As usbfs is a virtual filesystem, a chmod on /proc/bus/usb has no effect. The permissions for usbfs can therefore only be changed by editing the /etc/fstab file.
For example, most Linux distributions have a user group called usb or similar, of which the current user must be a member. To give all users of that group access to usbfs, make sure the following line is present:
# 85 is the USB group
none /proc/bus/usb usbfs devgid=85,devmode=664 0 0
Replace 85 with the group ID that matches your system (search /etc/group for "usb" or similar). Alternatively, if you don't mind the security hole, give all users access to USB by changing "664" to "666".

/etc/group output:
root:0:
daemon:1:
bin:2:
sys:3:
adm:4wner
tty:5:
disk:6:
lp:7:
mail:8:
news:9:
uucp:10:
man:12:
proxy:13:
kmem:15:
dialout:20:
fax:21:
voice:22:
cdrom:24wner
floppy:25:
tape:26:
sudo:27wner
audio:29ulse
dip:30wner
www-data:33:
backup:34:
operator:37:
list:38:
irc:39:
src:40:
gnats:41:
shadow:42:
utmp:43:
video:44:
sasl:45:
plugdev:46wner
staff:50:
games:60:
users:100:
nogroup:65534:
libuuid:101:
crontab:102:
syslog:103:
fuse:104:
messagebus:105:
bluetooth:106:
scanner:107:
colord:108:
lpadmin:109wner
ssl-cert:110:
netdev:111:
mlocate:112:
ssh:113:
utempter:114:
avahi-autoipd:115:
avahi:116:
pulse:117:
pulse-access:118:
rtkit:119:
saned:120:
owner:1000:
sambashare:121wner
winbindd_priv:122:
vboxusers:123:


System Configuration:
Linux 3.2.0-53-generic-pae
Kubuntu DISTRIB_RELEASE=12.04 (installed on primary slave HDD)
KDE Platform Version 4.8.5 (4.8.5)
Grub Version: 0.97-29ubuntu66
Description-en: GRand Unified Bootloader (Legacy version)
Other OS: 1. Oracle VM VirutalBox Graphical User Interface version 4.2.18 r88780
running Windows XP Home Edition version 2002 SP2 (using 224 MB RAM)
2. Windows XP Home Edition version 2002 SP3 (installed on primary HDD)
CPU: Intel Celeron 2.40 GHz, i686, 32-bit
RAM: 1 GB
HD Primary: ST340013A Internal IDE 37.3 GB
HD Primary Slave: WDC WD1600AAJB-00J3A0 Internal IDE 149.1 GB
Optical Drive: TEAC DVD+RW DV-W58E SCSI
GPU: 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82865G Integrated Graphics
Controller (rev 02)

[Snowhog]

This might be helpful: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VirtualBox/USB

[kubicle]

In short, run 'sudo adduser owner vboxusers' to add user "owner" to group "vboxusers" (sudo is used to gain administrator privileges, give your user password when prompted...your password won't be shown in the terminal).

Feel free to ask questions if you need more details, or wish to know more

[ronald]

Thank you Snowhog and kubicle for the promptest response I've ever seen! Your solution(s) worked perfectly, and now I understand a bit more about administrator permissions. I still can't get the portable program on my USB (a Windows version of Essential PIM) to sync via iTunes wi-fi connection with my iPod Touch though. And now the Windows OS has crashed in VirtualBox, and it won't reboot. I probably shut it down wrong, trying to restart it to see if sync would work. Oh well, this is all another problem for another day I guess, my brain is fried from hours working on this.

[ronald]

Syncing EPIM Portable (USB) w/ iPod Touch in VirtualBox/Windows XP

Ok, I got the Windows OS inside VirtualBox repaired (using Windows reinstallation cd setup). That only took almost an hour! Next I'm going to try fixing the syncing issue from my portable (USB) Essential PIM to my iPod Touch EPIM app, all connected to the virtual Windows XP running in VirtualBox. This should be fun. If anyone has some tips, please post here.