VirtualBox: No USB?

[bogstad-e+AXbWqSrlAAvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org (Bill Bogstad)]

On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 12:41 AM, David Kramer <david-8uUts6sDVDvs2Lz0fTdYFQ at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>...
> I see all sorts of tutorials online that refer to there being a
> button/icon that lists USB devices that I can choose to take control of,
> but I don't see one.
>
> This is what I have installed:
> $ dpkg-query -l '*virtualbox*' | grep ii
> ii ?virtualbox-guest-additions
> ? 3.2.8-1~lucid1
> ? guest additions iso image for VirtualBox
> ii ?virtualbox-ose
> ? 3.2.8-dfsg-2ubuntu1~lucid1
> ? x86 virtualization solution - base binaries
> ii ?virtualbox-ose-dkms
> ? 3.2.8-dfsg-2ubuntu1~lucid1 x86
> ? virtualization solution - kernel module
> ii ?virtualbox-ose-qt
> ? 3.2.8-dfsg-2ubuntu1~lucid1
> ? x86 virtualization solution - Qt based user

You have the fully open source version installed (OSE).   The USB
functionality is not included in that version.  This web page gives
info on the different editions:

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Editions

The OSE version are fully GPL'ed and included in the standard Ubuntu
repositories.  The PUEL version are not and have to be obtained
directly from virtualbox.org.

I don't know if you can use a VM created with the OSE version with the
PUEL executable, but you could give it a try.  I would start with the
equivalent PUEL version which can be found on this page:

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Download_Old_Builds_3_2

Good Luck,
Bill Bogstad