How to install Virtualbox on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

This guide is specifically tailored for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) users, the latest release with long-term support from one of the most popular Linux distributions. By following our simple steps, you can easily install VirtualBox on your Ubuntu system in no time.

VirtualBox is a powerful and widely popular free virtualization software among home users. It offers a versatile platform to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single machine.

VirtualBox is available for installation from the Ubuntu 24.04 repositories, but the version there is often not the latest. Therefore, this guide will walk you through the steps to install it directly from the official VirtualBox repository.

This ensures you always have the latest version, and the best part is that updates will be included with your regular Ubuntu system updates. So, let's get started.

Step 1: Import VirtualBox Repository GPG Key

First, we will import the GPG key from the VirtualBox repository to ensure the authenticity of the software we install from there.

wget -O- https://www.virtualbox.org/download/oracle_vbox_2016.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes --output /usr/share/keyrings/oracle-virtualbox-2016.gpg

With the command above, we fetch the GPG key from the VirtualBox website and save it to the appropriate location on your system.

Step 2: Add VirtualBox Repository

Next, we will add the official VirtualBox repository to our Ubuntu 24.04 system. If a new version is released, update packages will be available along with the rest of your system's regular updates.

echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/oracle-virtualbox-2016.gpg] http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") contrib" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list

This command adds a new line to your Ubuntu's sources.list file. This line points to the VirtualBox repository and tells your system to use the 64-bit architecture (amd64).

Step 3: Run System Update

Before proceeding with the VirtualBox installation on our Ubuntu 24.04 system, we need to update the list of available packages. Run the command below to refresh the APT repository index.

sudo apt update

By running this command, you ensure your system knows about the newly added VirtualBox repository.

Step 4: Install VirtualBox 7 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Now we are ready to install VirtualBox on our Ubuntu 24.04 system. Execute the following command:

sudo apt install virtualbox-7.0

Type "Y" for confirmation and press "Enter". The installation process will proceed, so wait for it to complete.

Congratulations! VirtualBox has been installed on your system. However, before running it, there are a few small but important things we need to take care of.

Step 5: Install VirtualBox Extension Pack (Optional)

This is an optional step, but highly recommended as it will make your work with VirtualBox on your Ubuntu system easier and more convenient. The VirtualBox Extension Pack unlocks many great features, such as:

• USB 2 and USB 3 support
• VirtualBox Remote Desktop Protocol (VRDP)
• Host webcam forwarding
• Disk image encryption with AES algorithm
• Intel PXE boot ROM
• NVMe SSD support

To install the Extension Pack, first check the VirtualBox version you just installed. You can use the following command:

vboxmanage -v | cut -dr -f1

For example, if the command output is "7.0.18", then you need to download the Extension Pack with the same version. You can find the download link on the VirtualBox download page [visit VirtualBox download page].

After downloading the Extension Pack file, use the following command to install it:

sudo vboxmanage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-<versi>.vbox-extpack

Replace "<versi>" with the VirtualBox version you installed earlier (e.g., 7.0.18). You may need to replace "sudo" with "su -c" if you are not using the root user.

Once the Extension Pack is installed, you can verify it using the following command:

vboxmanage list extpacks