VirtualBox is an application that is used to make virtual machines. These have the same functionality as a physical computer. They run applications and an operating system. In short, it would be like having an operating system inside another.
Its great advantage is that you can manipulate certain elements that could be risky for your physical computer, such as infected files and for testing operating systems. It also provides you with disaster recovery and application distribution options, but they are slower and their performance is unstable. You can visit the official page of VirtualBox to obtain all the information about its virtues and its operation and also to be able to access its updates with the guarantee of an original product.
What are the causes of VirtualBox VM startup failing on Linux?
On some Linux distributions, after installing VirtualBox it refuses to start. This can be due to different causes. One of them is that the kernel driver has not been installed. Another cause may be that the VirtualBox virtual machines have been created with the extension pack enabled and their own extension pack is not installed. It can also be caused by certain components without the permissions enabled.
How to fix VirtualBox VM startup failure on Linux?
The simplest way to fix this error is to update the program to a newer version. To do so simply open a terminal window and use the package manager and proceed with the upgrade as usual.
You can install Kali Linux inside VirtualBox as an advanced security tool and take advantage of its anti-penetration features when making your updates. This is a free Debian Linux distribution system with one source code available for anyone who wants to make modifications or rebuilds to their packages. In addition, it is compatible with USB or wireless devices.
Installing the VirtualBox kernel driver
The kernel or kernel is a necessary driver for virtual machines in Linux. Without them the program will simply fail and refuse to start. The solution is its immediate installation. With the following steps you can do it easily:
- Open a terminal window with the keys “Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T”.
- Install Linux kernel headers.
- Completely reinstall the VirtualBox module package.
- Load the system module by entering “modprobevboxdrv”.
- Reboot your PC.
Getting the VirtualBox extension pack
When the startup failure problem is due to the fact that the extension pack has not been installed because VirtualBox was created with an extension pack enabled, you must follow these steps to achieve the solution. First open a terminal window by pressing “Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T” on the keyboard and then enter the commands that apply to your Linux distribution. Finally, open your Linux file manager. Double click on the extension pack and you will be able to install them.
After you have done the installation of the extension packs properly you will be able to share files with “Virtual Box”. You can do this by creating a shared folder and then you can easily exchange files from your real machine with your virtual machine.
Changing ownership of the /usr/ directory
It may be that even with the kernel module installed, the virtual machine refuses to start. This could be because certain components for VirtualBox in the /usr directory do not have the permissions for the program to run. To correct this error you must proceed as follows:
- Open a terminal window with the keys “Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T”.
- Run the command “ls -l” on the “root” directory to determine if /usr permissions are owned by the folder.
- If it is not owned by the root user, use the “chown” command to change the permission appropriately.
- Run the “ls -l” command again to make sure that the “chown” command has changed ownership of the folder.
How to know if the VirtualBox VM startup problem is fixed?
You can install VirtualBox on your Linux PC from a safe and reliable page and take advantage of a lot of benefits of a virtual machine. This program does not require hardware virtualization, you can create groups of virtual machines and manage them remotely, and it is compatible with a large number of devices such as SMP, full ACPI, ISCSI, USB and PXE.
After its installation, restart your PC and if any startup failure problem occurs, check all the possible causes already mentioned and try the proposed solutions. Only then can you verify that this problem has already been solved.
