Run Linux in VirtualBox

Overview

VirtualBox is a free, cross-platform virtualization tool that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux hosts. It's ideal for testing Linux distributions without affecting your main system.

What You Need

VirtualBox installed from virtualbox.org
Extension Pack installed (for USB 3.0 and better performance)
Linux ISO file downloaded
At least 8GB RAM on host (16GB recommended)

Create a New Virtual Machine

Step 1: Click "New"

Name your VM (e.g., "Ubuntu 24.04")
Folder location can stay default
Click Next

Step 2: Allocate RAM

Minimum: 2048 MB (2 GB)
Recommended: 4096 MB (4 GB) or more
Don't allocate more than 50% of your host RAM

Step 3: Create Virtual Hard Disk

Select "Create a virtual hard disk now"
Disk file type: VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)
Disk size: 25 GB minimum (50 GB recommended)
Preallocated vs Dynamically allocated: Choose dynamically to save host disk space

Configure VM Settings

Right-click your VM → Settings, then adjust:

System

Processor: 2 CPUs minimum (4 recommended)
Enable "PAE/NX" and "Hardware Virtualization"

Display

Video Memory: 128 MB
Enable "3D Acceleration" for desktop environments

Storage

Select the empty optical drive under Controller: IDE
Click the disk icon → "Choose a disk file"
Select your Linux ISO

Network

NAT: Default — VM shares host's internet connection
Bridged Adapter: VM gets its own IP on your network
Host-Only: VM can only communicate with the host

Install Linux in the VM

Start the VM — it will boot from the ISO
Choose "Try or Install" then follow the installer prompts
Select installation type:
- Erase disk: Safe in a VM — erases only the virtual disk
- Something else: For custom partitioning
Create your user account and set a password
Wait for installation to complete, then reboot

Install Guest Additions (Important)

# After Linux is installed in the VM:
# In VirtualBox menu: Devices → Insert Guest Additions CD Image
sudo mount /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
sudo /media/cdrom/VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

# Reboot the VM for changes to take effect

This enables shared clipboard, drag-and-drop files, and better display resolution.

Host-Specific Notes

macOS (Intel)

Enable "Nested Virtualization" in System Settings if available
Apple Silicon Macs: Use UTM instead — see our UTM guide

Windows

Enable "Virtual Machine Platform" and "Hyper-V" in Windows Features if needed
If VirtualBox conflicts with Hyper-V, disable Hyper-V: bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Linux Host

Add your user to the vboxusers group: sudo usermod -aG vboxusers $USER
Log out and back in for group changes to take effect

Troubleshooting

"Kernel driver not installed": Run sudo /sbin/vboxconfig on Linux hosts
Poor performance: Increase CPU cores and RAM allocation
No 3D acceleration on macOS: This is a known limitation — use software rendering