How to associate file types on Linux host with Windows applications through VirtualBox?

Question

How can I associate file types in desktop Linux with Windows 7 applications running through VirtualBox so they work seamlessly, starting VirtualBox if required?

I'm using KDE.

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Current method

(example for Excel files):

Add a new entry in the start menu called "Excel"

• Command: /home/USER/bin/excelstarter.sh %f
  • See below
• Launch feedback does not work well so it's disabled

Associate .xlsx files with "Excel" by right clicking and choosing run as...

• Remember application associations for all files of type ...

Mount relevant folders in VirtualBox

• VirtualBox main window > Settings for machine > Shared folders:

  • Add:
    • Folder path: /data
    • Auto mount
    • Make permanent
  • Add:
    • Folder path: /home/USER
    • Auto mount
    • Make permanent

Disable group policy restriction on empty passwords

Without this change VirtualBox will not run commands if no password has been set.

• Run gpedit.msc

• Navigate to

  Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options

• Change

  Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only to Disabled.

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excelstarter.sh

The idea here is that this file takes care of starting VirtualBox if it is not already running, waiting for it to start up and then starts Excel with a filepath that has been translated to the corresponding mounts set up in VirtualBox.

# Start VM (if it is already started this does nothing)
VBoxManage startvm "win7_hilti"

# Replace folders with windows-local versions (mounts need to be setup)
# /data/ is mounted as F:
original=$1
findWhat=\/data/
replaceWith="F:\\"
fixedFilePath="${original/$findWhat/$replaceWith}"

# /home/USER/ is mounted as G:
original=$fixedFilePath
findWhat=\/home\/USER/
replaceWith="G:\\"
fixedFilePath="${original/$findWhat/$replaceWith}"

# Used for debugging the file paths
#notify-send $fixedFilePath

# Start Excel
# Try to run it until it the machine has started
until VBoxManage guestcontrol "VM-NAME" start --exe "C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office14\\EXCEL.EXE" --username WINDOWSUSER "excel" -- "$fixedFilePath"
do
  # Sleep 1 gave the problem that the mounts were not yet ready, sleep 2 seems to work fine
  sleep 2
done

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Problems

• VirtualBox does not get focus if it was already running in the background.
• Ugly sleep in the loop while waiting for VirtualBox to start. Sleep 1 gave problems where the mounts were not yet set up. On a slower machine this value might need to be increased.
• Sometimes it does not start Excel after VirtualBox has started.

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References

VBoxManage guestcontrol

The fix to enable passwordless use

Answer 1

Several tweaks:

-- instead of hardcoding the path to application, I used cmd.exe start command:

options=( --username WINDOWSUSER --exe "%SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe" -- 'cmd' /c start "run this" "$fixedFilePath" ) where $fixedFilePath is as in your code. These options work even if $fixedFilePath contains blanks.

This generalises the script -- it will work now for any type of file, not just excel files.

It should also work if $fixedFilePath is a full path to a programme within your windows guest; the name (with extension) of a programme on %PATH; or the name (with extension) if a registered programme, e.g. winword.exe, excel.exe.

I then tested the string returned by VBoxManage guestcontrol on stderr:

nError=1
nTries=0

while [ $nError -gt 0 ] && [ $nTries -lt 20 ]; do

   nError=$(VBoxManage guestcontrol win7_hilti start "${options[@]}" 2>&1 >/dev/null | grep -c "error")
   ((++nTries))
   sleep 2

done

(some of which I borrowed from this source)