Oracle has released a new version of its popular cross-platfhypervisor, VirtualBox 7.0, with a significant change to the support of Linux virtual machines. The new version now supports OSes that use Secure Boot.
What's New in VirtualBox 7.0 for Linux Users?
Oracle has positioned version 7.0 in the official changelog as a "major update" over the previous version, given that the last release was version 6.1.38 on September 2, 2022. It's quite a jump in just over a month since the previous version.
The most noticeable change in the new version is that the user interface has been overhauled. As a program for running virtual machines, it's what's under the hood that counts. The major change for Linux users is that EFI-based virtual machines can now use Secure Boot. Secure Boot is a method of cryptographically signing OSes so that they won't run if they've been modified by malware.
Almost all new physical PCs have it enabled by default because Microsoft requires it. Some Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, are able to use Secure Boot as well.
Another change is to overhaul the Guest Additions so that they work more efficiently. This is an optional add-on that allows Linux virtual machines to share files with the host system and have the Linux desktop automatically change resolution when in windowed mode when the user resizes the window.
Why is Secure Boot Support a Big Deal for Linux VirtualBox Guests?
As PCs have moved away from the legacy BIOS architecture to EFI, virtual machines have continued emulating the BIOS. This is likely because the BIOS, created in 1981 by IBM for the first PC, is simple and well-understood. Linux distro maintainers focused on making the system work on real hardware have concentrated on better supporting EFI. Some distributions have mulled eliminating BIOS support altogether.
While EFI support on VirtualBox is still considered experimental, the addition of Secure Boot sets the stage for greater adoption of EFI in virtual machines. Secure Boot will likely appeal to Oracle's enterprise clients who run servers. There is already a degree of safety without Secure Boot since a virtual machine is isolated from the host system.
The change will mean that VirtualBox users who want to run Linux guests will have more options of distributions to use.
What Does VirtualBox 7.0 Mean for Linux?
As Linux evolves to work with EFI, virtual machine software like VirtualBox will have to catch up. Secure Boot support eliminates a pain point for using virtualized Linux with modern firmware.
If VirtualBox makes EFI support the default in future versions, Linux distros could finally drop legacy BIOS support since VM users could still run their Linux virtual machines with EFI.
VirtualBox Remains a Destination for Linux Newbies With 7.0
VirtualBox is popular because it's free and makes it easy to run multiple OSes on the same machine without restarting. That's why it's often recommended to the Linux-curious who want a taste of what Linux can offer but don't want to leave the comfort of their familiar OS. Linux virtual machines are easy to set up in VirtualBox.
- Karlston
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