Introduction
In this article, we will discuss how to transfer QNX files from a VirtualBox virtual machine to the host system (Windows 10) without using Guest Additions. This process is particularly useful when working with old Fortran programs for hydrodynamic problems that require the use of Matlab.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, ensure that you have the following:
- VirtualBox installed on your Windows 10 system
- A QNX virtual machine running inside VirtualBox
- Access to the command line in both the guest system and the host system
Copying Text Between Systems
Since VirtualBox does not support direct file transfers between the guest and host systems without Guest Additions, we will use an alternative method to copy text:
Setting Up the Virtual Machine
First, ensure that your QNX virtual machine is configured to allow console access from the host system:
- Start your QNX virtual machine in VirtualBox.
- Go to the "Settings" tab for your virtual machine and click on "Serial Ports" under the "Storage" section.
- Add a new serial port by clicking the "+" button and configure it with a suitable name (e.g., "com1") and the baud rate of your choice (e.g., 115200).
Configuring the QNX System
Next, configure the QNX system to use the serial port:
- Log in to the QNX system using the console or a remote terminal program like PuTTY.
- Edit the "/etc/config/system" file using a text editor like vi or nano:
su - root
vi /etc/config/system
Add the following lines at the end of the file:
serial_com1 = "/dev/ttyS0 9600 8N1";
Save and exit the editor.
Copying Text from QNX to Windows
Now, you can copy text from the QNX system to the Windows host system using a simple pipe command:
qnx_user@qnx:~ $ echo "Hello, Windows!" | nc localhost 1234 > text.txt
Replace "qnx_user" with the username of your QNX user account, and "localhost" and "1234" with the IP address and port number of your Windows system, respectively. The "nc" command (Netcat) is used to create a connection between the QNX and Windows systems.
Copying Text from Windows to QNX
To copy text from the Windows host system to the QNX guest system, use a similar pipe command:
echo "Hello, QNX!" | nc qnx_ip_address 1235 > file.txt
Replace "qnx_ip_address" with the IP address of your QNX virtual machine, and "file.txt" with the name of the file you want to create in the QNX system.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned how to transfer text between a QNX virtual machine and the Windows 10 host system without using Guest Additions. This method can be useful when working with old Fortran programs or other applications that require the use of Matlab or other tools not supported by VirtualBox Guest Additions.