Ubuntu – How to install VirtualBox Extension Pack

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I have x64 bit VirtualBox. I installed it on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.

I now need the extension package for my VirtualBox, but I am not sure which one and how to install it?

I only know that I should download it from virtualbox.org. Also, I need it because I followed this tutorial and at one part you can read the following message:

You should download the main program and the Extension Pack, which will give you support for USB devices.

How can I install the VirtualBox Extension Pack?

Best Answer

If you installed virtualbox from Ubuntu repositories, just install the package named virtualbox-ext-pack.

sudo apt install virtualbox-ext-pack

This way you can be sure that the right version will be installed, and they will also upgrade together if needed. So the name of the game is to use same version for the packages, possibly use the same repository as well, preferably your distribution's repos. After installation you possibly need to

sudo modprobe vboxdrv

otherwise you may still get configuration errors in VirtualBox settings. Besides virtualbox-ext-pack I have virtualbox, virtualbox-dkms, and virtualbox-qt packages installed, a bunch of gvfs packages, and of course dkms.

(You'd want to go to a PPA and fiddle around yourself only if your distribution's offered packages are missing some features and the PPA would offer a later version with those fatures. But then I'd advise to use the PPA for all virtualbox packages and don't mix and match.)

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