An application in a virtual machine may need a few source documents from the Linux host. Use a dedicated exchange folder so the guest receives a deliberate set of files. Selecting an entire home directory makes unrelated work available through the same integration.

Create a clearly named folder on the host and put a disposable sample inside it. Keep the authoritative project elsewhere while establishing how the guest sees and changes the shared material. Record which copy you intend to edit.

Check the actual sharing integration

GNOME's Boxes guide requires a running guest containing spice-webdavd for shared folders. This is a specific integration requirement; a working guest display alone does not establish folder-sharing support.

Open the box's Preferences, then Devices & Shares. The Shared Folders section lets you create, inspect and remove folder shares. Select the exchange folder and inspect the resulting entry before proceeding. If that section is unavailable, identify the installed Boxes build and guest integration state rather than changing broad host permissions.

Inside the guest, locate the share using that guest's supported file interface. Do not assume a drive letter or mount path from another operating system. Open the sample and compare its content with the host version.

Establish where changes go

If the intended workflow includes editing, change only the disposable sample in the guest, save it, and inspect the host file. This establishes the actual behaviour and available permissions of this arrangement. Treat a live share as access to the host's folder, not an independent backup.

For a one-way delivery, place a separate delivery copy in the exchange folder and keep the original protected elsewhere. Avoid opening the same document for conflicting edits in host and guest applications.

When the exchange finishes, close guest files and remove the share if it is no longer needed. Confirm that a fresh guest attempt cannot browse it through that entry. Removing access does not recall files already copied into the guest, so review those copies separately when they contain private work.

Sources: GNOME documentation.