How to Install VirtualBox 7.1.4 on Ubuntu 24.10

A Comprehensive Guide

If you’re setting up VirtualBox on Ubuntu 24.10 and want to ensure a smooth installation, this guide covers each step in detail. Follow along for a successful installation of VirtualBox 7.1.4 along with the essential extension pack.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

1. Install Essential Packages
   First, update your package list and install the essential dependencies for VirtualBox.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install dkms menu build-essential libelf-dev make gcc linux-headers-$(uname -r)

2. Install Additional Required Packages
   To ensure compatibility, install some additional libraries and plugins, primarily for the Qt framework.

sudo apt install \
  liblzf1 \
  libqt6help6 \
  libqt6statemachine6 \
  libsdl-ttf2.0-0 \
  libqt6widgets6 \
  libqt6xml6 \
  qt6-wayland \
  libqt6sql6 \
  libqt6opengl6 \
  libqt6printsupport6 \
  libqt6network6 \
  libqt6printsupport6 \
  libqt6gui6 \
  libqt6dbus6 \
  qt6-qpa-plugins \
  qt6-translations-l10n \
  qt6-wayland \
  qt6-qmltooling-plugins \
  libb2-1

3. Create a Download Directory
   If you don’t already have a download directory, create one to store the installation files.

mkdir -p $HOME/Downloads

4. Download VirtualBox Installer and SHA256 Checksum
   Next, download the VirtualBox installer along with its SHA256 checksum file to verify the file’s integrity.

wget -P $HOME/Downloads https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/7.1.4/VirtualBox-7.1.4-165100-Linux_amd64.run https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/7.1.4/SHA256SUMS

5. Verify the Downloaded File’s Integrity
   Use sha256sum to ensure that the downloaded VirtualBox file is intact.

sha256sum -c <(grep "VirtualBox-7.1.4-165100-Linux_amd64.run" "$HOME/Downloads/SHA256SUMS")

6. Make the Installer Executable
   Modify the downloaded file’s permissions to make it executable.

chmod +x $HOME/Downloads/VirtualBox-7.1.4-165100-Linux_amd64.run

7. Run the Installer
   Run the installer to install VirtualBox.

cd $HOME/Downloads/

sudo ./VirtualBox-7.1.4-165100-Linux_amd64.run

Note: You may see some warnings about missing Python3 features—these can be ignored as they’re deprecated.

8. Confirm Successful Installation
   If you see the output confirming the installation, you’re good to go! You can find more information in the user manual:

• Path: /opt/VirtualBox/UserManual.pdf
• FAQ: VirtualBox User FAQ

9. (Optional) Download the VirtualBox Extension Pack
   To add additional functionalities, download the VirtualBox Extension Pack.

wget -P $HOME/Downloads https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/7.1.4/Oracle_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-7.1.4.vbox-extpack 

sha256sum -c <(grep "Oracle_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-7.1.4.vbox-extpack" "$HOME/Downloads/SHA256SUMS")

10. Install the Extension Pack
    Install the Extension Pack using vboxmanage.

sudo /usr/bin/vboxmanage extpack install --replace $HOME/Downloads/Oracle_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-7.1.4.vbox-extpack

Agree to the license by typing “Y” when prompted.

11. Verify the Extension Pack Installation
    Check that the extensions are installed correctly under /opt/VirtualBox.

ls -l /opt/VirtualBox/ExtensionPacks/Oracle_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack/linux.amd64

12. Add Your User to the vboxusers Group
    Add your user account to the vboxusers group to manage VirtualBox without needing root access.

sudo usermod -aG vboxusers $USER

13. Reboot the System
    Reboot to apply all changes and complete the setup.

sudo reboot

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed VirtualBox 7.1.4 on Ubuntu 24.10, along with the Extension Pack for added functionality. You’re now ready to create and manage virtual machines on your Ubuntu system. Enjoy using VirtualBox for your virtualization needs!

Reference:

This articles refer to this forum discussion https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?p=551713#p551713