Learning Hub / Building Your Lab / Install VirtualBox

Install VirtualBox

Oracle VirtualBox is the free hypervisor we'll use to run every machine in your lab. In this guide you'll download it, verify it's enabled on your computer, install it, and add the Extension Pack.

Prerequisites

• A 64-bit computer running Windows 10/11, macOS, or a mainstream Linux distribution.
• Administrator (or sudo) rights to install software.
• At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB+ strongly recommended) and ~60 GB free disk space.
• Hardware virtualisation support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) — almost all modern CPUs have this.

Step 1 — Check virtualisation is enabled

1. Windows

   Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) → Performance tab → CPU. Look for Virtualisation: Enabled.

   

   If it says Disabled, reboot into your BIOS/UEFI (usually by pressing F2, F10, or Del at startup) and enable Intel VT-x / AMD-V (sometimes labelled "SVM" or "Virtualization Technology").

2. macOS & Linux

   Modern Macs (Intel) and Linux machines generally have virtualisation enabled by default. On Linux you can confirm with:

   bash

   $ egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo
   8   # any number above 0 means virtualisation is supported

   🍎

   Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): VirtualBox support is limited. We recommend UTM or VMware Fusion for ARM Macs — the lab concepts are identical.

Step 2 — Download VirtualBox

1. Go to the official site

   Open virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads. Always download from the official Oracle site — never a mirror or third-party host.

2. Pick your platform package

   Choose Windows hosts, macOS / Intel hosts, or your Linux distribution. Also download the VirtualBox Extension Pack (a single file that works on all platforms).

   

3. (Optional but recommended) Verify the download

   The download page lists a SHA-256 checksum. Verifying confirms the file wasn't corrupted or tampered with.

   PowerShell (Windows)

   PS> Get-FileHash .\VirtualBox-*.exe -Algorithm SHA256

   bash (macOS/Linux)

   $ shasum -a 256 VirtualBox-*.dmg

   Compare the output to the checksum on the website — they must match exactly.

Step 3 — Install VirtualBox

1. Run the installer

   Launch the downloaded installer and accept the defaults. On Windows you'll be warned that your network connection will briefly reset while the virtual network adapters are installed — this is normal.

   

2. Approve drivers / permissions

   Allow any driver-installation prompts (Windows) or, on macOS, approve the Oracle system extension under System Settings → Privacy & Security, then reboot if asked.

3. Launch VirtualBox

   Open VirtualBox. You should see the empty VirtualBox Manager — your control panel for creating and running VMs.

   

Step 4 — Install the Extension Pack

The Extension Pack adds USB 2.0/3.0 support, disk encryption, and other useful features.

1. Open it

   Double-click the downloaded .vbox-extpack file, or in VirtualBox go to File → Tools → Extension Pack Manager → Install.

2. Accept and confirm

   Read and accept the licence (the Extension Pack is free for personal, educational, and evaluation use). VirtualBox will confirm when it's installed.

   

Verify your install

From a terminal you can confirm the version and that the CLI tools are on your PATH:

$ VBoxManage --version
7.0.18r162988

Troubleshooting