Virtualize an operating system on a different platform and access all its functions and features. Access configuration settings and check the "virtual" hardware presented to each simulated system. Integrate older systems into modern computers, like a DOS module for Windows or OS/2 elements.
VirtualBox is an open source application to manage and run virtual machines. If you ever need to run a virtual (guest) operating system on your host machine that runs Windows, Linux, Mac OS X or Solaris operating system, you should check this program out. It is absolute free but includes almost all the features that the modern virtual machines must have.
Innotek, the original developer of the software was bought out by Sun Microsystems. In early 2010, one of the top 100 Fortune companies, Oracle, bought out Sun and is now the current development curator of this application.
Given the open source nature of the software, it is expected that it is available for multiple platforms. One can download the program for absolutely free from the program's website. One can also find an extension pack available for a free download that enables the support of USB 2.0 and other technologies under guest operating system.
There are some bugs here and there, but if you check out the development logs, you can see that the developers address those bugs pretty quickly in hopes that they won't loose the already existing valuable customer base. There were only 5 months in between two major releases, so you can see that the ball is rolling and the application is not abandoned but evolving.
As far as the features go, the virtual machine market is very saturated with open source application, hence all of the VM developers are trying to keep up with the latest trends, giving the customers support for the latest technology. VirtualBox supports VT-x and AMD-v, therefore increasing the execution speed of your guest operating system. No word on supporting of VT-d, but I am sure it is coming in the near future, as the chips with that extension catch up the market. Keep in mind that using VirtualBox gives you an edge as it supports other virtual machine's hard drive images, such as VMWare's and Microsoft's, while the relationship is reciprocal due to close source nature of VMWare and Microsoft's products.
Overall, this application is one of the leaders on the market for virtualization. Its open- source nature gives it an edge over the closed source applications in regards to implementing the newest code and technologies.
v7.0 [Aug 27, 2022]
- VMM: Fixed EFLAGS.TF handling for CPUID instructions when Hyper-V is used.
- VMM: Fixed MONITOR/MWAIT crash with Solaris guests when Hyper-V is used on Windows 11.
- VMM: Introduced general improvements in nested visualization area.
- VMM: Fixed triple fault related guru meditations for UEFI guests starting with macOS Ventura 13.3.
- GUI: Brought back Restore current snapshot checkbox of Close VM dialog.
- GUI: Fixes and validation for VM settings USB filters editor, filter port value is now properly saved/restored.
- GUI: Fixes for VM name and OS type embedded editors of Details pane.
- GUI: Cloud related wizards should now propose enabled profiles before disabled.
- Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack: Fixed shipping the cryptographic support module for full VM encryption.
- E1000: Fixed possible guru meditation when changing network attachments.
- virtio-net: Follow up fixes for FreeBSD 12.3 and pfSense 2.6.0.
- 3D: Fixed various graphics issues with Windows 7 guests.
- Main/UefiVariableStore: Added API to add signatures to the MOK list (Machine Owner Key).
- VBoxManage: Introduced modifynvram enrollmok sub-command to enroll.
- Machine Owner Key into NVRAM, so Linux guest kernel can pick it up in order to verify signature of modules signed with this key.
- Guest Control/Main: Fixed deleting files via built-in toolbox.
- Linux host: Added possibility to bypass kernel modules signature verification once VBOX_BYPASS_MODULES_SIGNATURE_CHECK="1" is specified in /etc/vbox/vbox.cfg, useful in case if Linux distribution does not provide necessary tools to verify kernel module signature.
- Linux Guest Additions and host Installer: Improved detection if system is running systemd as the init process.
- Linux Guest Additions and host drivers: Introduce initial support for kernel 6.3.
- Linux Guest Additions: Added possibility to bypass kernel modules signature verification once VBOX_BYPASS_MODULES_SIGNATURE_CHECK="1" is specified in /etc/virtualbox-guest-additions.conf, useful in case if Linux distribution does not provide necessary tools to verify kernel module signature.
- Linux Guest Additions: Added experimental support for kernel modules and user services reloading in the end of installation process, thus guest system reboot after Guest Additions (7.0.8 and newer) upgrade is no longer required in general case.
- Linux Guest Additions: Fixed vboxvideo build issue with RHEL 8.7, 9.1 and 9.2 kernels.
