Recommendations for Linux users:

• The recommended host Linux kernel version is the same version that Debian bullseye is using, see linux-image-amd64 ^[archive].
• Linux users only: use the recommended Linux distribution as a host for Whonix ™ VirtualBox is Debian Linux ^[archive] version bullseye.

Hosts using a non-Debian OS:

Install VirtualBox as per the normal mechanism for your Linux distribution. Whonix ™ has has been tested with, expects VirtualBox version latest

For example VirtualBox version 5.2.18 has been reported to not be compatible.

Ubuntu hosts:

Ubuntu bionic (18.04LTS) APT repository ships only VirtualBox version 5.2.18 and Whonix ™ will probably not work.

You might want to release-upgrade to Ubuntu hirsute (21.04) and install the virtualbox package from the hirsute-updates backports repository which provides at time of writing VirtualBox version 6.1.26.

Debian hosts:

Notes:

• These instructions are for host operating systems running Debian bullseye, which is recommended.
• Other Debian releases might work, but this is untested.
• To acquire the Recommended VirtualBox version tested with Whonix ™, package virtualbox should be installed from Debian fasttrack repository ^[archive] according to the following instructions. ^[2]

1. On the host.

Open a terminal.

2. Add Debian the fasttrack repository.

Update the package lists.

sudo apt update

Install the Debian fasttrack signing key.

sudo apt install fasttrack-archive-keyring

Add the Debian fasttrack repository.

echo 'deb https://fasttrack.debian.net/debian/ bullseye-fasttrack main contrib non-free' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/fasttrack.list

3. Update the package lists again. ^[3]

sudo apt update

4. Install VirtualBox and Linux kernel headers.

sudo apt install virtualbox linux-headers-$(dpkg --print-architecture)

5. Add your current user to group vboxusers. ^[4]

sudo adduser $(whoami) vboxusers

6. Done.

The procedure of installing the VirtualBox host software is complete.