How To Install VirtualBox Guest Additions in Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Red Hat and More)
blogs.sun.com
VirtualBox Guest Additions, similar to Virtual Machine Additions for Virtual PC (VPC), is an application that installs into guest operating system running in virtual machine (VM) of VirtualBox to add and enable extra features that allow better and seamless integration between guest OS and host OS, in addition to improve performance.
Some of the features made available by VirtualBox Guest Additions include:
- Mouse pointer integration without having to press Host key (by default is right Ctrl).
- Clipboard sharing to allow cut, copy and paste between host OS and guest OS.
- Arbitrary screen solutions which automatically resize guest operating system desktop resolution by resizing the VirtualBox guest window.
- Custom video drivers provide extra high and non-standard video modes as well as accelerated video performance.
- Time synchronization between guest OS and host machine.
- Shared folders where folder in directories in host available in guest operating system as network share.
- Seamless windows to map individual windows that are displayed on the desktop of the virtual machine on the host’s desktop, side by side.
- Automated Windows logon.
With the powerful features provided by Guest Additions, the installation of the Guest Additions right after the operating system is installed on the guest virtual machine is almost a must-do. Unlike in Windows, installation of VirtualBox Guest Additions in Linux is slightly more complicated. Here’s the steps to install Guest Additions in Linux for VirtualBox, which works for most flavors of Linux, including Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat, Debian, OpenSUSE, Arch Linux, Gentoo, Mandriva, TurboLinux, and Xandros.
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