I have read and tried all suggestions on the virtual box forum and ubuntu forum and i am no nearer being able to load Guest Additions to win xp install so that i can connect a usb printer. My Virtual box is not connected to the net and is the guest of Host Ubuntu 8.10

Thank for answering, much appreciated. I have just switched to UBUNTU from MS and am thrilled, but very much a newbie and struggling with the completely different approach. Trying to to read the ink levels on my Epson DX3850 so first tried Mtinkc but permissions denied in any case appears to be orphaned software, then tried through Wine but appears to be a driver conflict so now trying Virtual Box but not able to install downloaded version.

Background info from

SYSTEM MONITOR

MOOSE

UBUNTU
 Release 8.10 (intrepid)
 Kernal Linux 2.6.27-11-generic
 Gnome 2.24.1

HARDWARE
 Memory 1.2gb
 Processor AMD Duron(tm) (I think its a 1.6 running at 1800mhhz)

SYSTEM STATUS
 Available disk space 197.6 GiB

I have tried the following:-

UNINSTALLED OSE version

THEN

nigel@Moose:~$ ~/.virtualbox
bash: /home/nigel/.virtualbox: No such file or directory
nigel@Moose:~$

DOWNLOADED

wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/sun_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

nigel@Moose:~$ apt-get install virtualbox-2.1
E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13 Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root?
nigel@Moose:~$

SOFTWARE SOURCES tab AUTHENTICATION
Key is listed as Sun Microsystems etc.

THEN DOWNLOADED

nigel@Moose:~$ wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian intrepid non-free
nigel@Moose:~$ apt-get install virtualbox-2.1
E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13 Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root?
nigel@Moose:~$ install virtualbox-2.1
install: missing destination file operand after `virtualbox-2.1'
Try `install --help' for more information.
nigel@Moose:~$ install --help
Usage: install [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
  or: install [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
  or: install [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...
  or: install [OPTION]... -d DIRECTORY...
In the first three forms, copy SOURCE to DEST or multiple SOURCE(s) to
the existing DIRECTORY, while setting permission modes and owner/group.
In the 4th form, create all components of the given DIRECTORY(ies).

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
      --backup[=CONTROL] make a backup of each existing destination file
  -b like --backup but does not accept an argument
  -c (ignored)
  -d, --directory treat all arguments as directory names; create all
                        components of the specified directories
  -D create all leading components of DEST except the last,
                        then copy SOURCE to DEST
  -g, --group=GROUP set group ownership, instead of process' current group
  -m, --mode=MODE set permission mode (as in chmod), instead of rwxr-xr-x
  -o, --owner=OWNER set ownership (super-user only)
  -p, --preserve-timestamps apply access/modification times of SOURCE files
                        to corresponding destination files
  -s, --strip strip symbol tables
  -S, --suffix=SUFFIX override the usual backup suffix
  -t, --target-directory=DIRECTORY copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY
  -T, --no-target-directory treat DEST as a normal file
  -v, --verbose print the name of each directory as it is created
      --preserve-context preserve SELinux security context
  -Z, --context=CONTEXT set SELinux security context of files and directories
      --help display this help and exit
      --version output version information and exit

The backup suffix is `~', unless set with --suffix or SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.
The version control method may be selected via the --backup option or through
the VERSION_CONTROL environment variable. Here are the values:

  none, off never make backups (even if --backup is given)
  numbered, t make numbered backups
  existing, nil numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
  simple, never always make simple backups

Report bugs to <email address hidden>.
nigel@Moose:~$

THEN TRIED

nigel@Moose:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup¨
[sudo] password for nigel:
 * Usage: /etc/init.d/vboxdrv {start|stop|restart|status}

FINALLY

nigel@Moose:~$ wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/sun_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -
OK
nigel@Moose:~$ apt-get install virtualbox-2.1
E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13 Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root?
nigel@Moose:~$

STUCK

Regards

Nigel

Hi Wyatt

All is well. I was being too complicated. I tried to follow the written instructions on the Virtual Box website but eventually noticed the i386 tab next to the intrepid install line. This appears to have done the install completely including the kernal rebuild. Anyway I have seen my ink levels for the first time in weeks and it isn't good. Thank you very much for your help.

Regards

Nigel

PS. I think Ubuntu is wonderful and am loath to do a windows install. Probably won't be necessary in a year or two. And apologise for the wordy response above.

Thanks Wyatt Smith, that solved my question.