Linux – Ubuntu: Creating a symlink with network shared folder

You can't symlink a network share like that. Symlinks only work between files/directories on the same computer (and hardlinks are even more restrictive - they need to be on the same filesystem/partition).

First make sure the smbfs package is installed on Linux:

sudo apt-get install smbfs

Or in >14.04:

sudo apt-get install cifs-utils

Now create a share on the Windows machine. Call it "www" or something.

Now make a directory on Linux, let's say it's called "windows".

Now mount the Windows share on Linux:

sudo mount -t smbfs 192.168.x.x/www windows

Or try "cifs" instead of "smbfs" if something is not right.

At this point, everything you see in the "windows" directory is the stuff actually on the "www" share on Windows. You can symlink the "windows" directory if you wish (but you could create it directly in the place you want it so no symlink is required):

ln -s windows /some/arbitrary/destination

Finally, read this:

# MountWindowsSharesPermanently

It may be an issue with how virtualbox is sharing the folder using the special vboxsvr name. Try sharing the folder on Ubuntu using Samba and then mapping it in the virtual machine using the IP address instead.