Install VirtualBox on Arch Linux

install-virtualbox-arch-linux.md

Install VirtualBox on Arch Linux

Instructions for installing VirtualBox on Arch Linux and selecting the appropriate host modules:

Install the core packages

Install the virtualbox package and choose the appropriate package to provide host modules based on your kernel:

• For the Linux kernel, install virtualbox-host-modules-arch.
• For any other kernel (including linux-lts), install virtualbox-host-dkms.

Example command:

sudo pacman -S virtualbox

Identify the kernel version:

Use the uname -r command to identify the current kernel version on your system. This will give you the major and minor version numbers needed to select the correct host module package.

The numbers correspond to different versions of the Linux kernel. For example, if your kernel version is 6.6.19-1-MANJARO, you would want to select option '8' for linux66-virtualbox-host-modules. This option corresponds to the version of the VirtualBox host modules that match your installed kernel version (linux66). Once you select the appropriate option and proceed with the installation, VirtualBox should work smoothly with your current kernel version:

sudo pacman -S virtualbox
resolving dependencies...
:: There are 12 providers available for VIRTUALBOX-HOST-MODULES:
:: Repository extra
   1) linux419-virtualbox-host-modules  2) linux510-virtualbox-host-modules  3) linux515-virtualbox-host-modules  4) linux54-virtualbox-host-modules  5) linux61-rt-virtualbox-host-modules
   6) linux61-virtualbox-host-modules  7) linux66-rt-virtualbox-host-modules  8) linux66-virtualbox-host-modules  9) linux67-rt-virtualbox-host-modules  10) linux67-virtualbox-host-modules
   11) linux68-virtualbox-host-modules  12) virtualbox-host-dkms

Enter a number (default=1): 8
looking for conflicting packages...

Packages (5) liblzf-3.6-4  libtpms-0.9.6-1  linux66-virtualbox-host-modules-7.0.14-9  sdl12-compat-1.2.68-1  virtualbox-7.0.14-2

Total Download Size:    57.47 MiB
Total Installed Size:  219.31 MiB

Example command:

uname -r

Choose the appropriate host module package:

When prompted to choose a package for host modules during installation, select the option that matches your kernel version. The options will typically be numbered based on different kernel versions available in the Arch Linux repositories.

Verify the installation:

After installation, you should be able to launch VirtualBox either from the application menu or by running the virtualbox command in the terminal.

Post-install configurations

After installing VirtualBox and its associated packages on your Arch-based system, you may want to perform the following steps to ensure everything is set up correctly and to enhance your virtualization experience:

Load Kernel Modules: VirtualBox requires certain kernel modules to be loaded. You can ensure they are loaded by executing the following command:

sudo modprobe vboxdrv

If you encounter any errors, it may indicate that the VirtualBox kernel modules are not properly installed or configured.

Add User to vboxusers Group

To allow your user account to access VirtualBox devices, add it to the vboxusers group:

sudo usermod -aG vboxusers $USER

Replace $USER with your username (Use echo $USER to make sure it's set).

Enable and Start VirtualBox Services (optional)

You can enable the vboxweb.service to manage VirtualBox remotely through a web interface. This service allows you to access VirtualBox functionality from a web browser on another device.

Example command:

sudo systemctl enable --now vboxweb.service

Install Guest Additions

If you plan to run guest operating systems in your virtual machines, consider installing VirtualBox Guest Additions. These additions provide better integration between the host and guest systems, enabling features such as shared folders, clipboard sharing, and seamless mouse integration.

You can typically install Guest Additions from within the guest operating system by selecting the "Insert Guest Additions CD Image" option from the VirtualBox menu.