micrOdOts.org / ramblings [of the ABsurd]

For VirtualBox:

1. Create a new group called "usb", and add to it the users you want to be able to use USB devices from VirtualBox VMs. You may have to logout and login again to refresh the groups you belong to.
2. Modify file /etc/fstab inserting a line:
   
none /sys/bus/usb/drivers usbfs devgid=1001,devmode=664 0 0

   The number 1001 corresponds to the group ID of group "usb". Use your number here accordingly; in my system, it is 1001.

3. As root, do a:
   mount -a
4. Start VirtualBox.

For WMware Remote Console, replace Step 2 with:

none /proc/bus/usb usbfs devgid=510,devmode=664 0 0

where 510 is the group ID for group "vmware" in my machine.

If you want to use both VirtualBox and VMware, then one mount-point is enough. [check that out in the next reboot!] Just use the one for VirtualBox, and make sure that VMware users also belong to "vboxusers" group. Keep in mind that this works because VirtualBox creates the following definitions in /etc/udev/rules.d/10-vboxdrv.rules:

SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device", GROUP="vboxusers", MODE="0664"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", GROUP="vboxusers", MODE="0664"

It is trivial how to modify those rules for only VMware use.