Features/Tools

Updated Nov 22, 2023 ·

Overview

This page covers common features you can enable or configure after the VM is created, to improve usability and integration with the host.

Allow Shared Clipboard

info

You can only enable Shared Clipboard and Drag & Drop if your VM has a GUI.

For most minimal ISO setup, they only install a terminal-based system which doesn't have a desktop environment.

As a workaround, you can connect to the VM via SSH from your host machine.

You can enable the shared clipboard in VirtualBox to copy text between your host machine and your VM.

Go to Devices → Shared Clipboard → Bidirectional
Check the VBox Service.

Inside the VM:
```
lsmod | grep vboxguest
```
If you see nothing, clipboard won’t work.

Also check:
```
systemctl status vboxservice
```
Should be active (running).
If NOT installed, install Guest Additions properly.
```
sudo dnf install -y gcc make perl kernel-devel kernel-headers elfutils-libelf-devel
```
When you install VirtualBox Guest Additions on Linux, it often needs to compile kernel modules (like vboxguest) for your currently running kernel.

Check the running kernel version:
```
uname -r
```
Check the installed headers:
```
rpm -q kernel-devel kernel-headers  
```
You want something like:
```
uname -r: 5.15.0-1127.el8.x86_64
kernel-devel-5.15.0-1127.el8.x86_64
kernel-headers-5.15.0-1127.el8.x86_64
```
If the numbers don’t match, you need to update your kernel and headers:
```
sudo dnf update -y
reboot
```

Mount Guest Additions ISO.

From VirtualBox menu:

Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD Image

Then inside VM:

sudo mkdir /mnt/cdrom
sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
cd /mnt/cdrom
sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Reboot after.

Restart clipboard services.

After reboot try:
```
VBoxClient --clipboard
```
Also verify:
```
ps aux | grep VBoxClient
```
You should see clipboard process running.
If you are using AlmaLinux, there are some very common gotchas.
- VirtualBox clipboard is flaky with Wayland.
  
  Check:
```
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
```
  If wayland → switch to Xorg at login screen.
- Minimal install / no GUI session - Clipboard only works with GUI sessions.
Quick sanity test.

Inside VM:
```
VBoxClient-all
```
Then try copy again.

Mounting a Fileshare to VMs

Share a folder from your host machine with your VM to easily transfer files.

Open VirtualBox and select the VM in the VirtualBox Manager.
Go to Settings > Shared Folders > Click the `+' to add a folder.
Specify the folder path, foldername, and mount point.
Click OK > OK

Check if you can find it listed using this command:

sudo VBoxControl sharedfolder list

Output:

Oracle VM VirtualBox Guest Additions Command Line Management Interface Version 5.2.42_Ubuntu
(C) 2008-2020 Oracle Corporation
All rights reserved.

Shared Folder mappings (2):

01 - vagrant
02 - fileshare 

If so, create directory and mount.

mkdir /mnt/fileshare
mount -t vboxsf fileshare /mnt/fileshare

If step 4 did not returned the shared folders, you can install virtualbox-guest-dkms.

sudo apt-get install -y virtualbox-guest-dkms
sudo usermod -aG vboxsf $(whoami)
sudo VBoxControl guestproperty \
set /VirtualBox/GuestAdd/SharedFolders/MountDir /add/your/fileshare/here 

Restart VM then check if you have any vb folders mounted.

mount | grep vboxsf

Output:

/vagrant on /vagrant type vboxsf (rw,nodev,relatime,_netdev)
fileshare on /mnt/fileshare type vboxsf (rw,nodev,relatime)
fileshare on /mnt/fileshare type vboxsf (rw,nodev,relatime)
fileshare on /mnt/fileshare type vboxsf (rw,nodev,relatime)  

If so, change ownership of /add/your/fileshare/here to yourself.
```
sudo chown $(whoami):$(whoami) /add/your/fileshare/here
```

Drag and Drop between Host and VM

Allows copying files directly by dragging them between host and VM windows.

Enable in VirtualBox menu:

Devices → Drag and Drop → Bidirectional

Requires Guest Additions on the VM.
Works for both files and text (depending on OS support).

Snapshot Management

Take snapshots to save the current state of a VM for quick rollback.

From VirtualBox menu:
```
Machine → Take Snapshot
```
Useful before updates, configuration changes, or testing software.
Restore a snapshot anytime to revert the VM to the saved state.

Seamless Mode / Fullscreen Integration

Integrate the VM display with the host desktop for better workflow.

Fullscreen Mode:
```
View → Fullscreen Mode
```
Seamless Mode: merges guest windows with host desktop:
```
View → Seamless Mode
```

Notes: Requires Guest Additions.

USB Device Passthrough

Allows the VM to directly access USB devices from the host.

Connect USB devices in VirtualBox menu:
```
Devices → USB → <Device Name>
```
May require adding your user to vboxusers group on Linux:
```
sudo usermod -aG vboxusers $USER
```
Useful for USB drives, dongles, or hardware testing in the VM.

Overview​

Allow Shared Clipboard​

Mounting a Fileshare to VMs​

Drag and Drop between Host and VM​

Snapshot Management​

Seamless Mode / Fullscreen Integration​

USB Device Passthrough​