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This document is a WORK IN PROGRESS.
This is just a quick personal cheat sheet: treat its contents with caution!

VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a cross platform virtualization software that allows users to run guest operating systems inside a host operating system without having to reboot.

Info

Reference(s)

Table of contents

Install

Gentoo kernel

Before emerging it, a correct kernel config is needed:

$ cd /usr/src/linux
# make nconfig # or `# make menuconfig`

    # Module support and virtualization
    ###################################
    # Double check here: <https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/VirtualBox#VirtualBox_2>
    #
    > [*] Enable loadable module support  ---> # Symbol: MODULES [=y]
    >   [ ]   Trim unused exported kernel symbols # Symbol: TRIM_UNUSED_KSYMS [=n]
    > [*] Virtualization  ---> # Symbol: VIRTUALIZATION [=y]
    ###################################

After configuring the kernel don't forget to do a kernel make and rebuild!

TODO: virtualbox with dkms vs virtualbox without dkms

# emerge -a virtualbox # or virtualbox-bin
# gpasswd -a $USER vboxusers


# pacman -S virtualbox
then
* for arch linux: 
# pacman -S virtualbox-host-modules-arch

* for artix: 
# pacman -S virtualbox-host-modules-artix
See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/VirtualBox#Install_the_core_packages for more details.

or (with dkms, see https://forum.artixlinux.org/index.php/topic,1004.0.html) 

# pacman -S linux-headers
# pacman -S dkms
# pacman -Ss virtualbox-dkms
# pacman -Ss virtualbox-host-dkms


# gpasswd -a $USER vboxusers
# modprobe vboxdrv
$ lsmod | grep vboxdrv

# apt install virtualbox

# yum install virtualbox

# dnf install virtualbox

Config for host machine

Change the default VMs path

Open VirtualBox -> Go in "File" (top left corner) -> "Preferences" -> Select the "General" tab -> change the "Default Machine Folder" path to whatever path you want.

VM creation

USB forwarding

If the host machine is a Linux machine, you might want to forward USB ports. If so, first you have to make sure to be in the vboxusers group: 

$ sudo gpasswd -a yourusername vboxusers

Now log out and log back in so the changes can take effect. Then, to check which groups your user account belongs to, run: 

$ groups yourusername

Now that you belong in the right group, open VirtualBox -> Select your VM -> click on "Settings" -> Select the "USB" tab -> make sure "Enable USB Controller" is on -> Click on "Add new USB" and select the USB device you want to forward.


You can also add/remove USB devices to forward while the VM is running, in this case select "Devices" in the menu bar -> "USB" -> select the USB device you want to forward.

Config for a windows guest machine

After installing a windows VM, don't forget to install the guest additions (on the windows guest):

  • $ pacman -S virtualbox-guest-iso # -> /usr/lib/virtualbox/additions/VBoxGuestAdditions.iso

OR

Then

Open VirtualBox -> select the VM -> settings -> storage tab -> right click on Controller: SATA (in the "Storage Devices" list) -> Optical Drive -> Add -> /usr/lib/virtualbox/additions/VBoxGuestAdditions.iso -> Open -> ... -> And don't forget to tick "Live CD/DVD"

Config for a Gentoo guest machine

When running Gentoo as a guest system, apply the below kernel config on the guest system (either built-in or as modules) to get proper support for the hardware emulated by VirtualBox: 

$ cd /usr/src/linux
# make nconfig # or `# make menuconfig`

    # Support for VirtualBox hardware
    # Double check here: <https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/VirtualBox#Kernel_configuration>
    #
    > Bus options (PCI etc.)  --->
    >     [*] Mark VGA/VBE/EFI FB as generic system framebuffer # Symbol: X86_SYSFB [=y]
    > Device Drivers  --->
    >     <*> Serial ATA and Parallel ATA drivers (libata)  ---> # Symbol: ATA [=y]
    >         [*] AHCI SATA support # Symbol: SATA_AHCI [=y]
    >         [*] ATA SFF support (for legacy IDE and PATA) # Symbol: ATA_SFF [=y]
    >         [*]   ATA BMDMA support # Symbol: ATA_BMDMA [=y]
    >         [*]     Intel ESB, ICH, PIIX3, PIIX4 PATA/SATA support # Symbol: ATA_PIIX [=y]
    >     <*> Network device support  ---> # Symbol: NETDEVICES [=y]
    >         <*> Ethernet driver support  ---> # Symbol: ETHERNET [=y]
    >             [*] Intel devices # Symbol: NET_VENDOR_INTEL [=y]
    >             [*]   Intel(R) PRO/1000 Gigabit Ethernet support # Symbol: E1000 [=y]
    >     Input device support  --->
    >         <*> Keyboards  ---> # Symbol: INPUT_KEYBOARD [=y]
    >             [*] AT keyboard # Symbol: KEYBOARD_ATKBD [=y]
    >         <*> Mice  ---> # Symbol: INPUT_MOUSE [=y]
    >             [*] PS/2 mouse # Symbol: MOUSE_PS2 [=y]
    >     <*> Virtio drivers  ---> # Symbol: VIRTIO_MENU [=y]
    >         <*> PCI driver for virtio devices # Symbol: VIRTIO_PCI [=y]
    >     Graphics support  --->
    >         <*> Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support)  ---> # Symbol: DRM [=y]
    >             [*] Enable legacy fbdev support for your modesetting driver # Symbol: DRM_FBDEV_EMULATION [=y]
    >         <*> Virtio GPU driver # Symbol: DRM_VIRTIO_GPU [=y]
    >         Frame buffer Devices  --->
    >             <*> Support for frame buffer devices  ---> # Symbol: FB [=y]
    >                 [*] Enable Firmware EDID # Symbol: FIRMWARE_EDID [=y]
    >             [*] Simple framebuffer support # Symbol: FB_SIMPLE [=y]
    >         Console display driver support  --->
    >             [*] Framebuffer Console support # Symbol: FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE [=y]
    >             [*]   Map the console to the primary display device # Symbol: FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_DETECT_PRIMARY [=y]
    >     <*> Sound card support  ---> # Symbol: SOUND [=y]
    >         <*> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture  ---> # Symbol: SND [=y]
    >             <*> PCI sound devices  ---> # Symbol: SND_PCI [=y]
    >                 [*] Intel/SiS/nVidia/AMD/ALi AC97 Controller # Symbol: SND_INTEL8X0 [=y]
    >     <*> USB support  ---> # Symbol: USB_SUPPORT [=y]
    >         [*] xHCI HCD (USB 3.0) support # Symbol: USB_XHCI_HCD [=y]
    >         [*] EHCI HCD (USB 2.0) support # Symbol: USB_EHCI_HCD [=y]

    # [Optional] Virtual Box Guest integration support (no more need to manually install it)
    # See <https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/01/virtualbox-guest-additions-linux-kernel>
    #
    > Device Drivers  --->
    >     [*] Virtualization drivers  ---> Symbol: VIRT_DRIVERS [=y]
    >         <*>   Virtual Box Guest integration support # Symbol: VBOXGUEST [=y]

After configuring the kernel don't forget to do a kernel make and rebuild!

To install the Guest Additions (⚠️ if the VBOXGUEST option hasn't been enabled in the kernel configuration ⚠️), invoke the following command on the Gentoo guest system: 

# emerge --ask app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions

Make it persistently start across reboots, as well as the D-Bus service: 

# rc-update add virtualbox-guest-additions default
# rc-update add dbus default

To enable the shared clipboard, display resizing, seamless mode, and drag and drop... Make sure the user running the X session (on the Gentoo guest system) belongs to the vboxusers group: 

# gpasswd -a <user-name> vboxusers
Changes will not take effect until the user signs out and then signs in again (re logins).


Make sure that your make.conf file is well configured for VirtualBox: 

# vi /etc/portage/make.conf
    > ...
    > VIDEO_CARDS="virtualbox"
    > ...

After modifying the USE variable in your make.conf, don't forget to update the system using the following command so the changes take effect: # emerge --ask --changed-use --deep @world

Use

Manage VirtualBox VMs from CLI with vboxmanage: https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html

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