VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualization software for x86_64 hardware (with version 7.1 additionally for macOS/Arm), targeted at laptop, desktop, server and embedded use.
VirtualBox is a so-called hosted hypervisor, sometimes referred to as a type 2 hypervisor. Whereas a bare-metal or type 1 hypervisor would run directly on the hardware, Oracle VM VirtualBox requires an existing OS to be installed. It can thus run alongside existing applications on that host.
This is free and open source software.
Features include:
- Cross-platform supports – hosts run on a large number of 64-bit host OSes including Linux, Solaris, macOS, and Windows.
- No hardware virtualization required.
- Guest Additions: shared folders, seamless windows, 3D virtualization.
- Hardware support:
- Guest multiprocessing (SMP). VirtualBox can present up to 32 virtual CPUs to each virtual machine, irrespective of how many CPU cores are physically present on your host.
- USB device support – it implements a virtual USB controller and enables you to connect arbitrary USB devices to your virtual machines without having to install device-specific drivers on the host. USB support is not limited to certain device categories.
- Hardware compatibility – virtualizes a vast array of virtual devices, among them many devices that are typically provided by other virtualization platforms. That includes IDE, SCSI, and SATA hard disk controllers, several virtual network cards and sound cards, virtual serial and parallel ports and an Input/Output Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (I/O APIC), which is found in many computer systems.
- Full ACPI support. The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) is fully supported by VirtualBox. This enables easy cloning of disk images from real machines or third-party virtual machines into VirtualBox. With its unique ACPI power status support, VirtualBox can even report to ACPI-aware guest OSes the power status of the host.
- Multiscreen resolutions – virtual machines support screen resolutions many times that of a physical screen, allowing them to be spread over a large number of screens attached to the host system.
- Built-in iSCSI support. This unique feature enables you to connect a virtual machine directly to an iSCSI storage server without going through the host system. The VM accesses the iSCSI target directly without the extra overhead that is required for virtualizing hard disks in container files.
- PXE Network boot. The integrated virtual network cards of Oracle VM VirtualBox fully support remote booting using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).
- Multigeneration branched snapshots.
- VM groups.
- Clean architecture and unprecedented modularity.
- Remote machine display.
Website: www.virtualbox.org
Support: User Manual
Developer: Oracle Corporation
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
VirtualBox is written in C and C++. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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