1 First steps It should be possible to use VirtualBox on most systems based on Linux kernel 2.6 using either the VirtualBox installer or by doing a manual installation see chapter 2.3, Installing on Linux hosts, page 31. However, the formally tested and supported Linux distributions are those for which we offer a dedicated package. Note that starting with VirtualBox 2.1, Linux 2.4-based host operating systems are no longer supported. • Solaris hosts (32-bit and 64-bit) are supported with the restrictions listed in chapter 14, Known limitations, page 181: – Solaris 11 Express (Nevada build 86 and higher, OpenSolaris 2008.05 and higher) – Solaris 10 (u8 and higher) 1.5 Installing VirtualBox and extension packs VirtualBox comes in many different packages, and installation depends on your host operating system. If you have installed software before, installation should be straightforward: on each host platform, VirtualBox uses the installation method that is most common and easy to use. If you run into trouble or have special requirements, please refer to chapter 2, Installation details, page 29 for details about the various installation methods. Starting with version 4.0, VirtualBox is split into several components. 1. The base package consists of all open-source components and is licensed under the GNU General Public License V2. 2. Additional extension packs can be downloaded which extend the functionality of the VirtualBox base package. Currently, Oracle provides the one extension pack, which can be found at http://www.virtualbox.org and provides the following added functional- ity: a) The virtual USB 2.0 (EHCI) device see chapter 3.10.1, USB settings, page 49. b) VirtualBox Remote Desktop Protocol (VRDP) support see chapter 7.1, Remote display (VRDP support), page 90. c) Intel PXE boot ROM with support for the E1000 network card. VirtualBox extension packages have a .vbox-extpack file name extension. To install an extension, simply double-click on the package file, and the VirtualBox Manager will guide you through the required steps. To view the extension packs that are currently installed, please start the VirtualBox Man- ager (see the next section). From the “File” menu, please select “Preferences”. In the window that shows up, go to the “Extensions” category which shows you the extensions which are currently installed and allows you to remove a package or add a new one. Alternatively you can use VBoxManage on the command line: see chapter 8.34, VBoxMan- age extpack, page 133 for details. 1.6 Starting VirtualBox After installation, you can start VirtualBox as follows: • On a Windows host, in the standard “Programs” menu, click on the item in the “VirtualBox” group. On Vista or Windows 7, you can also type “VirtualBox” in the search box of the “Start” menu. 14