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VirtualBox

Oracle VM VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. It is a Type 2 Hypervisor, meaning it runs as an application on your host operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux).

Key Features​

  • Free and Open Source: The base package is licensed under the GPL.
  • Cross-Platform: Runs on almost any major desktop OS.
  • Snapshots: Save arbitrary states of a virtual machine.
  • Guest Additions: Software installed inside the guest OS to improve performance and integration (e.g., shared folders, seamless mouse pointer, dynamic screen resizing).

Common Use Cases​

  • Testing and Development: Developers can spin up an Ubuntu VM on a Windows machine to test code in a Linux environment without dual-booting.
  • Trying New Distros: Safely boot and install new Linux distributions without risking your main system.
  • Running Legacy Apps: Run an older version of Windows required for specific legacy software.

Networking Modes​

VirtualBox offers several ways to network your VMs:

  • NAT (Network Address Translation): Default. VM can access the internet, but the outside network cannot access the VM.
  • Bridged Adapter: The VM gets its own IP address on your physical network, acting like an independent physical machine.
  • Host-Only Adapter: Creates a private network between the host and the VM, inaccessible from the outside network.