Install VirtualBox Guest Additions on Linux

The following describes how to install the VirtualBox Guest Additions on Linux.

NOTE: The following bash commands were tested on Ubuntu and may differ depending on the guest Linux OS.

1. Select from the menu Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD Image… to mount the ISO.

2. Run the following command to download the per-requisite components.

~$ sudo apt-get install dkms build-essential linux-generic linux-image-generic linux-headers-generic

3. Check that the notify-send libraries are installed to get VirtualBox notifications within the guest client.

~$ notify-send

If the following error occurs: bash: notify-send: command not found , then libnotify-bin needs to be installed.

~$ sudo apt-get install libnotify-bin

4. Run the VirtualBox Linux Additions script.

~$ sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

5. Reboot the system for the Guest Additions to take effect.

NOTE: If the Shared Clipboard or Drag and Drop options are changed, then the VBoxClient service needs to be restarted.

~$ sudo killall VBoxClient
~$ sudo VBoxClient-all

Posted

2015-09-20

Jason Tolotta

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