VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a free means to create and manage VirtualMachines.
It's compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.

Installing VirtualBox

Windows

Follow the steps on the VirtualBox Downloads page.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu comes with a repository of VirtualBox included, but the version it pulls is generally fairly outdated. It can be installed with:

• sudo apt install virtualbox virtualbox-ext-pack

To use a repository that uses current versions of VirtualBox, run the commands:

• wget -q https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox_2016.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -
• sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian $(lsb_release -cs) contrib"
• sudo apt update && sudo apt install virtualbox-<version>
  • Where <version> is the latest version of VirtualBox available. You should be able to just tab complete in the terminal to see versions available.

Manjaro

Either use the standard software updater GUI and find the virtualbox package, or run the terminal command:

sudo pacman -Syu virtualbox

When prompted for kernel modules, open up a new terminal and run:

uname -r

The result should be something like 4.x.x or 5.x.x or similar. That indicates which kernel module you should select.

Using VirtualBox

• Download the iso for your desired operating system.
• Setup a new VM and run through the standard OS setup process.
• Remember to proper memory, processors, and vram, otherwise it may run poorly/incorrectly.
  • For example, VMs running Ubuntu18 may black screen if only allocated the default 16 MB vram.
• Once installed, launch the VM and:
  • Install the Guest Editions CD through the menu with Devices > Insert Guest Editions CD Image...
  • Run normal system updates on your VM.
• Finally, restart the VM to be ready for normal use.

Ubuntu Quirks

To make use of Guest Editions in ubuntu a few additional steps might be needed.

• Install additional apt dependencies on the VM:
  • sudo apt install build-essential dkms
• Add the logged in user to the VirtualBox group:
  • sudo usermod -a -G vboxsf <user_name>

Sidenote: Unattended Upgrades

For any Ubuntu VMs, it's probably worth disabling "unattended upgrades". You should be regularly running manual updates anyways. See Apt-Get Automatic Updates & Notifications.

Manjaro Quirks

To run Manjaro in a VM, you will likely have to change the default Graphics Controller:

• Before first time launch, open up the VM's settings.
• Go to the Display tab in settings.
• Click the Graphics Controller box and switch to VBoxSVGA.
• The VM should now be able to launch properly.

Possible Errors

Ubuntu VM Going to Black Screen During Install or Updates

This is most likely a video memory issue. Close the VM, go into its settings, and increase video memory to maximum possible. This should hopefully fix it.

Updated Ubuntu and Now it's Giving Nonsensical "Wrong Kernel" Errors

Try the steps at https://askubuntu.com/a/1131716

Unable to Select a Disk Image for New VMs

As of writing this, some versions of VirtualBox seem to have a bug where the software will seemingly install fine, but when you create and launch a new VM, you're unable to select a disk image for the ISO. This occurs when you're prompted to select a disk image (via the OOptical Disk Selector window. But then when you hit the Add button, nothing occurs.

To get around this:

• Shut down the VM
• Go to the VM's settings
• Go to the Storage tab of settings.
• Select the "Empty" disk under the IDE Controller.
• On the right, there should be an image of a CD next to the Optical Drive box.
• From here, you should be able to select an ISO properly, even if you could not when the VM was launched.
• Choose your desired ISO and launch your VM once more.