Installing VirtualBox on Arch Linux: A Step-by-Step Guide

VirtualBox is one of the most popular and widely-used virtualization software, allowing users to run multiple guest operating systems on a single host machine. In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing VirtualBox on Arch Linux.

Before starting the installation, it's essential to update your Arch Linux packages using Pacman. This ensures that all the necessary dependencies are up-to-date and ready for the installation. To do so, run the following command:

pacman -Syy

Once the packages are updated, you can proceed with installing VirtualBox. The package is available on the official Arch Linux repository, making it easy to install using Pacman.

Install VirtualBox Guest Additions Disc

The VirtualBox guest addition disc provides installer packages via an ISO image for installing guest additions onto virtual machines. To access this disc, navigate to /usr/lib/virtualbox/additions/VBoxGuestAdditions.iso on your Arch Linux system.

If you're using a different kernel other than the default one, you may need to find the right kernel headers package. You can do so by searching for the package in the Arch Linux repository:

pacman -Syy linux-headers

For the Linux LTS kernel (linux-lts), install the virtualbox-host-dkms package. For the Linux stable kernel (linux), install the virtualbox-host-modules-arch package.

While installing, you'll need to choose the right VirtualBox host module package based on the kernel your system currently boots into. You can check the current kernel version by running the command:

uname -r

Arch Linux supports installing multiple Linux kernels, making it easy to switch between different kernels if needed.

Install VirtualBox

To install VirtualBox, simply run the following command:

pacman -S virtualbox-guest-iso

This will download and install all the necessary packages for VirtualBox. Once the installation is complete, you can start using VirtualBox to create and manage your virtual machines.

VirtualBox supports a wide range of guest operating systems, including Windows, Linux, BSD, OS/2, Solaris, Haiku, and OSx86. This makes it an excellent choice for developers who need to test their applications on different platforms or for users who want to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single machine.

In conclusion, installing VirtualBox on Arch Linux is a straightforward process that can be completed using Pacman. By following the steps outlined above, you'll be able to install and start using VirtualBox in no time.

Install virtualbox on arch linux