34.4 Installing VirtualBox on FreeBSD

VirtualBox is a cross-platform Type-2 hypervisor developed by Oracle Corporation, suitable for most operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD. It can also run Windows or UNIX-like virtual machine systems.

Since version 7.0, VirtualBox has been released as open source under the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3) (versions 4.0 to 6.1 were under GPLv2), supporting hardware-assisted virtualization (Intel VT-x and AMD-V) for x86 and AMD64 architectures. Hardware-assisted virtualization technology allows virtual machines to directly access certain hardware resources, significantly improving virtualization performance.

Since 4.0, VirtualBox has only had an open source edition (versions 4.0 to 6.1 called Open Source Edition; since 7.0, the base package is released directly under GPLv3), with remaining components provided separately as the closed-source Extension Pack (VirtualBox Extension Pack), which is not yet supported on FreeBSD. Since 7.0, EHCI and xHCI USB controller devices have been included in the open source base package, allowing USB 2.0/3.0 passthrough functionality without the Extension Pack; previously, this functionality was provided by the Extension Pack. The Extension Pack currently only provides additional features such as PXE network boot ROM and cloud integration (note: VRDP server, USB smart card emulation, and disk and virtual machine encryption have been moved into the base package since 7.2.6; USB camera has been moved into the base package since 7.2.2).

VirtualBox has multiple versions available on FreeBSD. Version 7.2 is the currently maintained version. All versions provide a -nox11 variant (e.g., emulators/virtualbox-ose-nox11-72) for server environments without a graphical interface, operable only through the VBoxManage command-line tool.

Installing VirtualBox

This section installs emulators/virtualbox-ose-72.

Precompiled kernel modules installed via pkg may not match the currently running kernel version and lack the enhancement tools required by virtual machines, whereas building and installing via Ports ensures that kernel modules fully match the current system kernel.

Note

Building VirtualBox requires kernel source code to be placed in the /usr/src/ directory.

It is recommended to install using Ports:

# cd /usr/ports/emulators/virtualbox-ose-72/
# make config-recursive
# make install clean

You need to select the utility option GuestAdditions in the Ports configuration menu, which will generate the /usr/local/lib/virtualbox/additions/VBoxGuestAdditions.iso file.

Port emulators/virtualbox-ose-72

GuestAdditions provides several useful features for the virtual machine operating system, such as mouse pointer integration (sharing the mouse between host and virtual machine without needing a hotkey to switch) and faster video rendering, which is especially noticeable in Windows virtual machines. After the virtual machine system installation is complete, you can select "Install Guest Additions..." from the settings menu.

Port emulators/virtualbox-ose-72

You can view detailed installation instructions and configuration guidance with the following command:

# pkg info -D virtualbox-ose-72

File Structure

/
├── boot/
│   └── loader.conf # Kernel module loading configuration
├── etc/
│   ├── rc.conf # System startup configuration
│   ├── devfs.rules # DevFS rules file
│   └── vbox/
│       └── networks.conf # Legacy VirtualBox network configuration location
├── tmp/
│   └── .vbox-*-ipc # VirtualBox IPC temporary files
└── usr/
    ├── local/
    │   └── etc/
    │       └── vbox/
    │           └── networks.conf # VirtualBox network configuration
    ├── ports/
    │   └── emulators/
    │       └── virtualbox-ose-72/ # VirtualBox Ports directory
    └── src/ # Kernel source code directory

Configuring VirtualBox

Load the vboxdrv kernel module, which provides core virtualization functionality for VirtualBox. In addition to writing to /boot/loader.conf, you can also manually load it with kldload vboxdrv for immediate effect.

• Load kernel module: Add the following line to the /boot/loader.conf file to set the system to load the VirtualBox kernel module at boot

  vboxdrv_load="YES"

• Enable bridged network support: Allows virtual machines to directly connect to the physical network

  # service vboxnet enable

  By default, the permissions for /dev/vboxnetctl are restrictive:

  ls -loa  /dev/vboxnetctl
  crw-------  1 root wheel - 0x75  May 22 19:07 /dev/vboxnetctl

  You need to change the permissions to enable bridged networking. Add the following to /etc/devfs.conf:

  own     vboxnetctl root:vboxusers
  perm    vboxnetctl 0660

• User group management: The vboxusers user group is created when VirtualBox is installed. All users who use VirtualBox must be added to this group and the operator group (for USB support).

  You can use the pw command to add user ykla (replace with the actual user):

  # pw groupmod vboxusers -m ykla
  # pw groupmod operator -m ykla

  Verify the result:

  # id ykla
  uid=1001(ykla) gid=1001(ykla) groups=1001(ykla),0(wheel),5(operator),44(video),920(vboxusers)

After completing all the above configuration, click "Oracle VM VirtualBox" in the menu to start VirtualBox, as shown:

VirtualBox main interface

Try installing Kali Linux:

VirtualBox main interface

VirtualBox USB Support and DVD/CD Support

VirtualBox supports passing USB devices through to the virtual machine operating system.

For regular users to use VirtualBox's DVD/CD functionality, they must have access to /dev/xpt0, /dev/cdN, and /dev/passN. Add the following to the /etc/devfs.rules file (create it if it does not exist):

[system=10]
add path 'usb/*' mode 0660 group operator

Also add access permissions for USB devices, setting the file mode to 0660 and the group to operator. Add the following to the /etc/devfs.conf file:

perm cd* 0660
perm xpt0 0660
perm pass* 0660

To use this ruleset, you need to configure DevFS. Edit the /etc/rc.conf file and add the following line:

devfs_system_ruleset="system"

Restart the DevFS service to apply the new ruleset:

# service devfs restart

Virtual machine system access to the host's DVD/CD drive is achieved through sharing the physical device. In VirtualBox, this can be configured through the Storage window in the virtual machine settings. If needed, first create an empty IDE CD/DVD device. Then select Host Drive from the virtual CD/DVD selection menu. A Passthrough checkbox will appear; checking this option allows the virtual machine to directly access the hardware. For example, audio CD or burning functionality is only available when this option is enabled.

Since VirtualBox 7.0, EHCI and xHCI USB controller devices have been included in the open source base package, allowing USB 2.0/3.0 passthrough to be configured without the Extension Pack.

Troubleshooting and Unresolved Issues

This section provides issues that may be encountered when using VirtualBox and their solutions.

Windows Installation Stalls

Please check the status of the vboxnet service.

References

• Oracle Corporation. VirtualBox and open source[2026-04-17]. https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Editions. Version information.
• Oracle Corporation. GPL[EB/OL]. (2022-10-10)[2026-04-17]. https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/GPL. From version 4.0 to version 6.1 (inclusive), the VirtualBox base package was distributed under GPLv2. (Certain parts of VirtualBox, especially libraries, may also be released under other licenses.)
• Oracle Corporation. GPLv3[EB/OL]. (2022-10-10)[2026-04-17]. https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/GPLv3. Starting from version 7.0, the VirtualBox base package is licensed under the GPLv3 license. The Qt library changed its license, necessitating a license change to maintain compatibility.
• Oracle. VirtualBox Licensing FAQ[EB/OL]. [2026-04-17]. https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Licensing_FAQ. The VirtualBox base package is released under GPLv3, and the Extension Pack is licensed under PUEL (VirtualBox Extension Pack Personal Use and Evaluation License).
• Oracle. Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack[EB/OL]. [2026-04-17]. https://docs.oracle.com/en/virtualization/virtualbox/7.0/user/Introduction.html. Additional features provided by the Extension Pack have been gradually moved into the base package: EHCI and xHCI USB controllers since 7.0; USB camera since 7.2.2; VRDP, USB smart card emulation, and disk and virtual machine encryption since 7.2.6.
• FreeBSD Wiki. VirtualBox[EB/OL]. [2026-04-17]. https://wiki.freebsd.org/VirtualBox. Known issues and troubleshooting for VirtualBox on FreeBSD.
• FreshPorts. virtualbox-ose-72[EB/OL]. [2026-04-17]. https://www.freshports.org/emulators/virtualbox-ose-72/. Current maintenance status of VirtualBox versions in FreeBSD Ports.