VirtualBox Guest Additions

How to Install VirtualBox Guest Additions on Linux

Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions on a Linux VM enables support for adaptive display scaling, drag-and-drop file transfer, and clipboard sharing.

On Ubuntu and Debian

Start VirtualBox and launch the Ubuntu or Debian virtual machine. Let it boot and wait for the desktop to load. Update and upgrade the existing packages on your system by typing:

Click on Devices in the VirtualBox menu and select Insert Guest Additions CD image. Then, in a terminal, execute each line separately:

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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

# Next, run the following command to install necessary packages:
sudo apt install build-essential dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)

# Open the Guest Additions folder
cd /media/username/VBox_GA_*

# Run the autorun installation script
sh autorun.sh

Enter your administrator password to continue. Once done, the terminal will display the progress of the installation.

On Arch-Based Distros

To install VirtualBox Guest Additions on Arch Linux and Manjaro, type:

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sudo pacman -Syyu

# Next, install the virtualbox-guest-utils package by typing:
sudo pacman -S virtualbox-guest-utils

Finish by restarting the virtual machine.

On Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL

If you’re using Fedora, you’ll already have Guest Additions preinstalled. If you’re using other RPM-based distributions, start the virtual machine and click on Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD image from the top menu bar. In the pop-up that follows, select Run.

Enter the administrator password to authenticate the operation. Once done, restart the virtual machine.

How to Uninstall VirtualBox Guest Additions on Linux

On Ubuntu and Debian

To uninstall Guest Additions on Ubuntu and Debian, type:

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cd /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-*
sudo ./uninstall.sh

After the process is complete, restart the virtual machine and verify the changes.

On Arch Linux and Manjaro

To uninstall VirtualBox Guest Additions on Arch-based distributions like Manjaro, type:

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sudo pacman -Rns virtualbox-guest-utils

On Fedora and Other RPM-Based Distros

To remove VirtualBox Guest Additions on Fedora, type:

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sudo dnf remove virtualbox-guest-additions

If you manually installed Guest Additions, run the uninstallation script by typing:

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cd /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-*
sudo ./uninstall.sh

Finally, restart the virtual machine to verify if the changes persist.