How to Install VirtualBox on Ubuntu 20.04 - DesignLinux

May 29 2020
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VirtualBox is open-source cross-platform virtualization software that allows you to run multiple guest operating systems (virtual machines) simultaneously. Generally, Virtualbox is used by desktop users as a testing and development environment.

In this tutorial, we will show you two ways to install VirtualBox on Ubuntu 20.04:

  • From the standard Ubuntu repositories.
  • From the Oracle repositories.

The VirtualBox package that is available in the Ubuntu multiverse repository may not be the most recent version. Oracle repositories always contain the latest released version.

Installing VirtualBox from Ubuntu repositories

Installing VirtualBox from the Ubuntu repositories is a straightforward process. Run the following commands as root or user with sudo privileges to update the package index and install VirtualBox and Extension Pack:

sudo apt updatesudo apt install virtualbox virtualbox-ext-pack

That’s it! You have successfully installed VirtualBox on your Ubuntu machine, and you can start using it.

Installing VirtualBox from Oracle repositories

At the time of writing this article, the latest version of VirtualBox is version 6.1.x.

To install VirtualBox from the Oracle repositories, follow these steps:

  1. Import the Oracle public keys using the following commands:

    wget -q https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox_2016.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -wget -q https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

    Both commands should output OK, which means that the keys are successfully imported, and packages from this repository will be considered trusted.

  2. Add the VirtualBox APT repository to your system:

    echo "deb [arch=amd64] http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian $(lsb_release -cs) contrib" | \     sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list

    $(lsb_release -cs) prints the Ubuntu codename. For example, if you have Ubuntu version 20.04 the command will print focal.

  3. Update the packages list and install the latest version of VirtualBox:

    sudo apt updatesudo apt install virtualbox-6.1

Installing VirtualBox Extension Pack

The VirtualBox Extension Pack provides several useful functionalities for guest machines such as virtual USB 2.0 and 3.0 devices, support for RDP, images encryption, and more.

Download the extension pack file by typing:

wget https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/6.1.8/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.8.vbox-extpack
Make sure the version of the Extension Pack matches with the VirtualBox version.

When the download is completed, import the extension pack using the following command:

sudo VBoxManage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.8.vbox-extpack

You will be presented with the Oracle license and prompted to accept their terms and conditions.

Do you agree to these license terms and conditions (y/n)?

Type y and hit Enter. Once the installation is completed, you will see the following output:

0%...10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90%...100%
Successfully installed "Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack".

Starting VirtualBox

VirtualBox can be launched from the command line by typing virtualbox or by clicking on the VirtualBox icon (Activities -> VirtualBox).

When you start zoom for the first time, a window like the following will appear:

Conclusion

We’ve shown you how to install VirtualBox on Ubuntu 20.04. You can now create your first Windows or Linux guest machine.

For more information about VirtualBox, visit the official VirtualBox documentation page.

If you’d like to manage your virtual machines from the command line, check out our article on how to How to install Vagrant on Ubuntu 20.04.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.

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