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Oracle VM VIrtualBox is Oracle's cross-platform virtualization offering, acquired with Sun Microsystems in early 2010. The software was originally developed by Innotek GmbH.Use Oracle VM VirtualBox For Desktop Virtualization and Development TestingI use Oracle VM VirtualBox to build isolated virtual workstations and for building development and test environments. Isolated virtual workstations allow me to access customer environments without the need to reconfigure my primary workstation to match the specific remote access requirements of each system. This dramatically speeds up access and prevents unintentional damage to my own system and access to my primary environment. I can also quickly spin up entire virtual environments to test specific design scenarios.,It is simple to install - there is no advanced knowledge required to begin building virtual computers It is easy to use - adding new virtual machines is simple with wizard-based deployment It enables easy portability - moving virtual machines from one host to another is straight-forward and simple It is free,You get what you pay for - yes, VirtualBox is free, but I've had occasional stability issues, just like any other computer I use Many host resources (like networking) are blindly simple to use, some (like folder sharing) can be a bit shaky at times or challenging to get working correctly,10,Direct cost savings - it enables me to do the work I need to do without purchasing additional physical computers Time savings - it allows me to perform testing and reversion that would take much longer on a physical computer Increased productivity - it enables me to more easily integrate with customer environments,Not a member of any user groupsOpen Source VMOracle VM VirtualBox is used by our internal IT department to test various operating systems and applications. It's a very useful tool to stand up to a virtualized environment for testing. It's easy to use and manage.,This open source software is a powerful tool to test deployment of any new OS and applications. VirtualBox is a general-purpose virtualizer of hardware that can host any targeted server or desktop.,Compatibility issues. At times there seems to be errors when configuring a virtual machine with newer OS. For example, Windows 10. Lack of support. Being that this is an Open Source software there is very little support as far as articles available to troubleshoot issues.,9,This being an Open Source application it's a no-brainer when looking for an inexpensive way to simulate a virtual environment.,Not a member of any user groups,Citrix Hypervisor (formerly XenServer) and BMC Virtualization Management,Mitel Applications Suite, Skype for Business (formerly Lync), AsigraA great softwareOracle VirtualBox is a great addition to my organization's software collection, as it gives us the ability to make use of other software available, such as Genie Motion, by running them directly on the virtual environment. It is so simple to do this using VirtualBox, as the user interface gives the user the ability to change most of the parameters involved.,Oracle VirtualBox has guides for optimum virtual machine performance, but does not limit the user to using them. VirtualBox is fast to setup and simple to use The user interface gives users the ability to change a wide range of the machines parameters before starting the Virtual Machine,In some computers, for the Virtual Machine to work one must allow virtualization through the bios VirtualBox settings, such as sound drivers, are not available To use some drivers one must install guest OS features, which is an addon,9,The initial capital invested in this software was very minimal and so it was easy to recover the amounts. With use of the software, we are able to use virtual machines and use different operating systems, like for example mac OS, for design without buying the expensive hardware The overall investment cost has been met in less than a year,Not a member of any user groups,VMware Workstation,VMware WorkstationLove at first installVirtual box helped me in the evaluation of guest operating systems such as Kali Linux and Backbox Linux before I chose to stay with Kali Linux. I had to choose these between this software for penetration testing of a certain product that we were rolling out into the market.,I did not have to install the operating systems to evaluate them I could run two or more instances of these operating systems concurrently Oracle made it simple to start and stop the virtual machines and also save the state so as to continue where I left off,Oracle should find a way to put sound on these operating systems without having to download guest OS add-ons When putting a flash, Oracle should pick that the flash has been inserted to the new OS and not have to go back and add it to the filters,9,We did not have to buy very expensive equipment to set up a separate penetration testing area for our mobile applications.,Not a member of any user groups,VMware WorkstationOur VM Box Usage ReviewIt is being used to build virtual Linux instances on Windows X86 boxes to help facilitate our DevOps processes and development processes, including our move to containers. It allows the ability to do this without the developers having to have full admin rights on their machines.,Creating of VMs for Linux with very little work Facilitating the use of docker and containerizing workloads via development desktops Provides standard ways to share environments between developers,It takes a while to start up Slows down machines a bit,10,For my organization, it was a springboard to enhanced development and faster development while keeping security in mind,Not a member of any user groups,Docker,JIRA Software, Jenkins, Apache Tomcat
  3. Oracle VM VirtualBox Reviews
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Oracle VM VirtualBox
84 Ratings
Score 8.8 out of 101
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Oracle VM VirtualBox Reviews

Oracle VM VirtualBox
84 Ratings
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Score 8.8 out of 101
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Reviews (1-21 of 21)

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David Currier profile photo
December 21, 2018

Review: "Use Oracle VM VirtualBox For Desktop Virtualization and Development Testing"

David Currier
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I use Oracle VM VirtualBox to build isolated virtual workstations and for building development and test environments. Isolated virtual workstations allow me to access customer environments without the need to reconfigure my primary workstation to match the specific remote access requirements of each system. This dramatically speeds up access and prevents unintentional damage to my own system and access to my primary environment. I can also quickly spin up entire virtual environments to test specific design scenarios.
  • It is simple to install - there is no advanced knowledge required to begin building virtual computers
  • It is easy to use - adding new virtual machines is simple with wizard-based deployment
  • It enables easy portability - moving virtual machines from one host to another is straight-forward and simple
  • It is free
  • You get what you pay for - yes, VirtualBox is free, but I've had occasional stability issues, just like any other computer I use
  • Many host resources (like networking) are blindly simple to use, some (like folder sharing) can be a bit shaky at times or challenging to get working correctly
Oracle VM VirtualBox is a perfect solution for the developer who needs to run a few virtual machines for development and testing purposes. It can also work very well in cases where a large complex virtual environment and advanced storage is not required. In general, it requires a host OS, so it will not function quite like a true headless virtual server. Don't expect it to become your solution to replace a bunch of servers with a massive, redundant, automated virtual environment. That's not what it is for.
Read David Currier's full review
Mauro Carrillo profile photo
December 14, 2018

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "Open Source VM"

Mauro Carrillo
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Oracle VM VirtualBox is used by our internal IT department to test various operating systems and applications. It's a very useful tool to stand up to a virtualized environment for testing. It's easy to use and manage.
  • This open source software is a powerful tool to test deployment of any new OS and applications.
  • VirtualBox is a general-purpose virtualizer of hardware that can host any targeted server or desktop.
  • Compatibility issues. At times there seems to be errors when configuring a virtual machine with newer OS. For example, Windows 10.
  • Lack of support. Being that this is an Open Source software there is very little support as far as articles available to troubleshoot issues.
This solution is great for anyone who needs to virtualize a system and is looking for an inexpensive way of creating a test environment. This is, however, not a cloud-based solution in any way. This is more of a stand alone for a quick deployment.
Read Mauro Carrillo's full review
Benard Mutua profile photo
October 22, 2018

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "A great software"

Benard Mutua
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Oracle VirtualBox is a great addition to my organization's software collection, as it gives us the ability to make use of other software available, such as Genie Motion, by running them directly on the virtual environment. It is so simple to do this using VirtualBox, as the user interface gives the user the ability to change most of the parameters involved.
  • Oracle VirtualBox has guides for optimum virtual machine performance, but does not limit the user to using them.
  • VirtualBox is fast to setup and simple to use
  • The user interface gives users the ability to change a wide range of the machines parameters before starting the Virtual Machine
  • In some computers, for the Virtual Machine to work one must allow virtualization through the bios
  • VirtualBox settings, such as sound drivers, are not available
  • To use some drivers one must install guest OS features, which is an addon
Oracle VM is well situated in a scenario where one wants to evaluate an operating system before buying it. It is a great way to use other software without necessarily installing them to the host machine, and also very useful in events where the users computer has minimal resources such as little memory
Read Benard Mutua's full review
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July 09, 2018

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "Love at first install"

Verified User
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Virtual box helped me in the evaluation of guest operating systems such as Kali Linux and Backbox Linux before I chose to stay with Kali Linux. I had to choose these between this software for penetration testing of a certain product that we were rolling out into the market.
  • I did not have to install the operating systems to evaluate them
  • I could run two or more instances of these operating systems concurrently
  • Oracle made it simple to start and stop the virtual machines and also save the state so as to continue where I left off
  • Oracle should find a way to put sound on these operating systems without having to download guest OS add-ons
  • When putting a flash, Oracle should pick that the flash has been inserted to the new OS and not have to go back and add it to the filters
Oracle Virtual Box is very well suited when one wants to use an operating system that they have but cannot install it on their computer, either for security or because they do not have space. One can create a virtual hard disk and continue to use it without problems as any other hard disk.
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Bryan Salerno profile photo
March 12, 2018

Oracle VM VirtualBox: "Our VM Box Usage Review"

Bryan Salerno
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
It is being used to build virtual Linux instances on Windows X86 boxes to help facilitate our DevOps processes and development processes, including our move to containers. It allows the ability to do this without the developers having to have full admin rights on their machines.
  • Creating of VMs for Linux with very little work
  • Facilitating the use of docker and containerizing workloads via development desktops
  • Provides standard ways to share environments between developers
  • It takes a while to start up
  • Slows down machines a bit
Well Suited for docker and virtualization of environments for development
Read Bryan Salerno's full review
Suhas Kashyap RR profile photo
December 22, 2017

Oracle VM VirtualBox: "VirtualBox Review"

Suhas Kashyap RR
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
When we wanted to set up an environment (multiple PCs) with different OSs for testing cross-OSs testing), we used Oracle VM. Initially, we had some difficulties while setting up the VM, configuring the virtual hard disk and virtual network. But, later after getting the IT team's help and some of our colleagues help we were able to proceed. After installing VirtualBox and configuring it, the cost of multiple systems got reduced and we were able to take remote of the VMs created separately and test in the VM.

  • It's open source and many customization options are available. It's easy to install and operate.
  • VirtualBox supports lots of different disk image formats, including the VMDK format (for VMWare).
  • Can suspend current VM machine state and even save states, so that we can login to the previous state easily.
  • Can run different OS and switch between them easily.
  • VM Import/Export can be done, so that, for new VM creation the backup of VM setting can be used.
  • The performance of Oracle Virtualbox is a bit slower than competitors and the interface is unstable.
  • The advanced functions, like setting up a network drive between guest and host are a bit tricky and takes some time to set up.
  • Sometimes transferring files (large files) between the client and host is a bit problematic.
  • Help documents are bit confusing and more screenshots related to installation, configuration should be included.
If we are trying to set up/configure the VM for the first time and if the test environment is small, then we can use Virtualbox, so that, it will be easy without a lot of performance issues. Also, if multiple guests/hosts and operating systems are required, then Virtualbox can be used. Also, since Virtualbox is open source, lot of customizations can be done easily. But, if an additional number of guest OSs should be created or if the test environment setup is large, then some performance issues may arise and then Virtualbox is not suited.
Read Suhas Kashyap RR's full review
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February 27, 2018

Oracle VM VirtualBox: "A review of Oracle VirtualBox by a simple software engineer"

Verified User
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We currently use VirtualBox to deploy our testing VMs. As our primary developer on our installer, we support over 5 operating systems. Each of those OSs can have different flavors and versions we support as well. We use VirtualBox to locally store multiple VMs that will be booted up to be tested on.
  • It is open source, easy to install, and generally a very easy application to get started with.
  • All the core functionality of what you expect from a VM manager is there. Save state, rollback, and partitions. All this is done without overly complicated menus or instructions.
  • Very popular and well used. This is very nice when looking for help or documentation.
  • Overall compared to the more expensive VM software, it can be a bit sluggish at times.
  • Full-screen mode can be cumbersome. I have often had an issue with VirtualBox rendering my VMs correctly in full-screen mode.
Virtual Box (VB) is perfect for someone who just needs to spin up a VM, do some testing, and then shut it off. I wouldn't recommend VB for a VM that would need to be stable over a long period of time.
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Derek Ardolf profile photo
November 07, 2017

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "VirtualBox is The Top Cross-Platform, Local Virtual Lab"

Derek Ardolf
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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I've worked in multiple environments where I, and co-workers, used Oracle VirtualBox for local sandbox environments. I have used it to test out PowerShell scripts against mock Active Directory environments that I have spun up, allowing me to test code for demonstrations. When I have presented at user groups or a conference, I was able to have an environment the way I wanted it and could properly show code executing against Windows systems. I have been able to also test out Vagrant, Test-Kitchen, Chef, and Desired State Configuration (DSC) with Oracle VirtualBox as the virtual environment targeted with those tools.
  • Can spin up multiple VMs on a host-only network that speak to each other and allow for interesting test environments spun up at will.
  • Cross-platform functionality allows me to run it on my Linux Desktop and know that tutorials I make with it could be approached by someone on a Windows or Mac OSX system. Hyper-V is limited to Windows, and VMware Workstation requires a license (VMware Player is free, but is not open-source and is more limited in comparison to VirtualBox).
  • If you are testing tools like Vagrant and Test-Kitchen, VirtualBox often seems to have the highest amount of support and documentation when it comes to compatibility (though, many people do use Hyper-V or VMware Workstation without issues).
  • I have had issues in the past when it has come to resizing VM disk storage. The issue is entirely detailed here: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/9103 -- the problem was caused because of having existing snapshots (which error message output was not detailing). I haven't had to deal with the issue due to my dynamic disk sizes not being small from the start anymore (this is mostly an issue for my Windows VMs where the base disk may need significant size for the OS). It looks like, for a resize, that a merge of all snapshots has to occur first -- one user on that list details a workaround to maintain snapshots by cloning the VM. (Note: 5.2 was just released a few weeks ago, and looks like it should prevent the problem happening in the future by properly informing users that it isn't possible with snapshots).
  • Certain scenarios, like resizing disks, required dropping into a terminal as there were no options to previously do so via the GUI. According to some recent posts, I've seen that v5.2 has added disk management stuff like that to the GUI (or will be adding it). I'm comfortable with dropping into the terminal, but in a teaching scenario or when evaluating the learnability of the tools, it complicates things.
  • When playing around with automation and configuration management tools like Vagrant and Test-Kitchen, my experience with VirtualBox has been great.
  • For testing out newer/different versions of operating systems locally, VirtualBox has become my virtualization tool of choice. I don't just use it for evaluation, either, as I run a licensed version of Windows 10 in VirtualBox for the times I'm testing something out in the Windows realm (my primary desktop OS is Ubuntu).
  • For learning a local virtualization solution that is cross-platform, allowing one to be comfortable in virtualizing locally across whichever OS happens to be in use.
  • In my experience, many open-source and automation toolsets related to DevOps-minded workflows are made, demoed with, and have tutorials for execution with VirtualBox.
  • Working lean? Oracle VM VirtualBox is open-source and free to use.
  • If evaluating VirtualBox in a business that is dependent on the VirtualBox Extension Pack, one would need to evaluate whether they are in need of an Enterprise license. I've never been in that situation. For more details on that: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Licensing_FAQ and https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/VirtualBox_PUEL
  • I would not consider this a hypervisor for use in production, but only for local host/lab usage.
Read Derek Ardolf's full review
Louis Marceau profile photo
November 08, 2017

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "VirtualBox, keeping development environments consistent"

Louis Marceau
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use VirtualBox so that everyone can have, build, and share standard developer environments. If there is an issue with an environment, one can rebuild it if needed. As the environment changes or needs updating, everyone can run the same build scripts to do so. By taking snap shots of the VM, we can also roll back to a previous states in the development environment if an update does not go as planned.
  • VM's provide a common development environment across all developers
  • VM's allow moving an existing environment form an old system to a new system with less setup
  • The only downside of running a VM along side another system is the memory usage. Once we have two OS's running at the same time your RAM is split in half, or how everyone allocated it. If we allow the VM to use 8GB it will take all 8GB regardless if it is using it or not. Ideally the VM will allocate or release the RAM as needed.
If you are limited on system hardware (disk space, RAM, CPU) then running one or more VMs may result in a reduction of performance. In this case, I would suggest running a developer environment directly on the hardware.
Read Louis Marceau's full review
Chris Putnam profile photo
November 07, 2017

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "Free Virtualization? Why Not?"

Chris Putnam
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use VirtualBox primarily in our department. It allows us to quickly develop and test in various standardized environments on our own PCs. Testing is the primary use case - whether testing a back-end application before deploying to a live server or testing front-end applications with a variety of operating systems and browsers.
  • Free
  • Actively updated & quite stable
  • Popular - Good community support
  • Some interface elements could be more intuitive
  • Documentation is good, but there's room for improvement
  • Performance in some areas might have room for improvement
VirtualBox is well-suited for a super user or generally, anyone that is comfortable searching, learning, and experimenting. There's a large variety of applications for virtualization on desktop, and VirtualBox is well suited for all with the right configuration and potentially additional third-party tools. Users looking for a one-click out of the box solution may or may not be satisfied with VirtualBox - with the right documentation and/or starter box, it can be very accessible.
Read Chris Putnam's full review
No photo available
October 27, 2017

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "VirtualBox - One of my best friends :)"

Verified User
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Across the organization we have a bunch of virtualization applications like VirtualBox (primarily local use), VmWare, Parallels etc. My team and I use Oracle VM VirtualBox daily for our virtualization needs and have had no issues with the same. VirtualBox is simplistic, efficient and extremely reliable with a ton of customizations available.
  • Extremely easy to use, don't think I have ever had any issues with it.
  • Honestly, for my day to day needs it has been far better than VmWare which I've faced plenty of issues with.
  • Support backed by Oracle which is a BIG plus!
  • Did I mention the non-commercial use Oracle VM VirtualBox is free? Yes, it is free!!
  • Could use an upgrade for a better looking User Interface.
  • Sometimes end up mixing up where my Virtual machines are created if I'm downloading them and running them, but that's just me.
If its for personal use, I'd recommend it a 100% - does (almost) everything VmWare and Parallels do but free of charge, on-time updates and bug fixes and if you're an Open Source lover like me this is the one! However, there is stiff competition in the enterprise world with VmWare currently offering impeccable support and the extra features making virtualization easier to use for everyday Joe.
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September 29, 2017

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "VirtualBox is 'virtually' the best free VM engine out there!"

Verified User
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Used by a wide range of employees both individually and within teams to create and manage test networks for new software. Allows the end user to implement and explore new software, to test suitability for business needs, and even the compatibility of said software into the system already in place.
Additionally, we can create internal networks or similar environments which are not on the business network and then use them for training exercises and the like with no risk to the wider network.

And, of course IT'S FREE.
  • Manages multiple VM's simultaneously. As a software used to create environments with several machines, this is a great strength.
  • Allows a bridged network to be built with extreme ease.
  • Central dashboard is concise and informative, without being cluttered.
  • Seriously easy to pick up as a first time user. Never counter-intuitive.
  • Can be run across a range of OS - not restricted to Windows !
  • Full screen mode - it is not always the easiest job getting out of a machine when in full screen mode.
  • Network settings - all new VM's use NAT by default, which whilst ok for most may be an annoyance if you want a Bridged network in place - you have to power down the machine to change the network settings each time.
  • Lacks in system integration features that paid-for competitors do have, such as printing direct to host's printer. Minor annoyance for network building purposes however.
Well suited for small network building - dependent on host RAM and how much RAM you allocate per machine, you can only run a finite number of machines simultaneously. I use a 16gb host with 6 machines, each with 2gb RAM, but a seventh is a struggle. This is a drawback.

Allows a 'safe' environment for experimentation with new OS or software.

Practice exercises for systems assurance employees.
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Casey Smith profile photo
November 18, 2016

User Review: "We love using Oracle VM VirtualBox"

Casey Smith
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use it for testing software on different operating systems and their default web browsers. It addresses the problem of needing to maintain multiple computers with different OSes; instead, we each run Oracle VM on our local machines and instantly have access to Windows or Mac OS.
  • Provides a native environment for testing different OSes
  • It launches the environments very quickly
  • It's very customizable so we can attach to different networks, change environment settings, etc
  • Setting up a new VM could be a little more intuitive
It's very well suited for testing software specific to operating systems. It's not as well suited for actually developing software on the VMs because you can lose your data if you're not careful.
Read Casey Smith's full review
Miguel Angel Merino Vega profile photo
November 04, 2016

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "Virtual Box, The virtualization made easy"

Miguel Angel Merino Vega
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
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We use virtualization software throughout our company. From developers, analysts, implementers and support staff. It is really useful to have virtualized infrastructure saving us purchase equipment, and above all that can simulate conditions of our customers where incidents occur.
  • Adaptive learning curve. Probably the best platform to learn the concept of virtualization.
  • Closely mimics the features of its major competitors free of charge. Its open source.
  • High compatibility between host platforms and multiple possibilities to virtualize
  • Support and documentation is not as wide as your competition, especially when running machines with unusual drivers.
  • If it is not used on a host with sufficient resources, can cause major lag problems.
If you are learning to virtualize or not you have a good budget, Virtual Box is the alternative for you. Also, if you want a platform to quickly virtualize a team given a specific requirement, Virtual Box can be helpful. If you have the budget and require a supreme performance, you could opt for more demanding alternatives,although this does not mean that Virtualbox can not offer very similar results.
Read Miguel Angel Merino Vega's full review
Jordan Squire profile photo
September 19, 2016

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "Free software virtualization keeping everyone in sync"

Jordan Squire
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
We use Oracle VM VirtualBox quite extensively at our company to virtualize software. The main use case that we have is for our software engineers. Our engineering team has a single approved developer virtual machine that all of us use. It makes developer support and the replication of problems much easier knowing we are all on identical environments. Also for new hires it makes getting their environments set up a quick and easy process. Other departments use it to run Windows or Linux applications on their Macs.
  • Software virtualization.
  • Environment replication.
  • Environment portability.
  • Multiple operating systems on one machine.
  • Environment snapshots for easy recovery after or to revert changes.
  • Detailed environment configuration with suggestions based on your host system's resources.
  • It's free.
  • VM errors typically crash the VM.
  • If the host machine runs out of disk space the VM will become unreadable even after freeing space. Fortunately VirtualBox keeps a previous copy, but you have to manually restore it.
  • Somewhat buggy, so you learn how to work around the bugs.
  • Some host hardware is not supported.
Read Jordan Squire's full review
Ricardo Ontiveros Márquez profile photo
June 30, 2016

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "VirtualBox, opensource but powerful"

Ricardo Ontiveros Márquez
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Allows me to test software that I build in freelance projects.
  • Allows me to have multiple OS simultaneously.
  • Allows me to run old and not compatible applications with my current OS.
  • OS restoring capability.
  • Last time I checked, it didin't allow to have more than 1 virtual hard drive per machine.
  • usb 3.0 not supported.
  • Nested hardware virtualization is not supported.
I personally found it a little complicated to setup virtual box in linux. In the linux friendly distros, in theory, it is simple to setup and create virtual machines just as it is in windows, but I always faced issues that forced me to perform configurations to the OS in order to make it work.
Read Ricardo Ontiveros Márquez's full review
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March 08, 2017

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "Hassle-free virtualization"

Verified User
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Used by software developers for running machines that are required to run the development environment. Thanks to VirtualBox development machines can be quickly installed for new developers or re-installed for existing developers if required. Each developer can have own machines running in their own environment and they don't interfere with other members of the team.
  • Free solution. No hassle with licenses.
  • Works well with Vagrant. Enables easily setting up machines in desired state.
  • UI shows everything about machines in one place. You can easily see what state machines are in and what are their specifications. Their management is simple too.
  • If the host computer has entered into sleep mode, machines seem to lose network connectivity. Also their clock goes out of sync if host goes to sleep or hibernate.
  • 3D graphics acceleration performance could be improved.
  • If Windows 10 host computer is being shut down, VirtualBox doesn't close automatically and blocks Windows from shutting down unless user presses "Force shutdown".
It's well suited for running machines in the background, like servers and databases that require little user interaction. It's not so ideal for programs that require 3D hardware acceleration. Because it's free and supports Vagrant well it's very good for software developers who need separate machines for developing or testing their work.
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August 22, 2016

Review: "Oracle VM VirtualBox should be your first choice"

Verified User
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I've been using Oracle VM VirtualBox during the last 3 years as a hypervisor for many virtual machines I use to develop and test software. Oracle VM VirtualBox provides a very easy interface with a clear step by step process to set up, run and export/import VMs. Oracle VM VirtualBox allows me to use a Windows OS inside my MacBook Pro without the need to purchase a separate Windows installed laptop. I've also used Oracle VM VirtualBox to run many Linux based virtual machines without any issues. On Oracle VM VirtualBox, I can save all my VM images and export it for future use, or to share it with my colleagues. It's free and very reliable.
  • Hypervisor to run any versions of Windows and Linux without any issues.
  • Ability to import and export VM images to reuse or share them.
  • Very easy set of commands to control functionality as well as a simple UI if you are not a terminal guy.
  • I use it with vagrant to set up a provisioning process on-the-go.
  • Free of any fees or subscriptions and very cost effective to manage and handle.
  • Good documentation and a lot of support and updates.
  • The memory footprint is high, and requires above 8 GB of memory to run an Ubuntu VM smoothly (considering developing inside ubuntu OS inside a MacBook Pro).
  • Some known issues with OVF/OVA images import/export. We had the issue of some sections in OVF being ignored (especially Startup and Install sections).
  • Some intermittent issues when mounting external hard drives and trying to access them from within the running VM.
Oracle VM VirtualBox is a very good choice for small to mid-sized teams seeking working with VMs without paying a lot of money and with the minimum amout of support. Oracle VM VirtualBox is well-documented and you can start from the website explaining most of the instructions you would need on average, and they're responsive when it comes to questions and providing answers to unique situations.
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November 18, 2016

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "VirtualBox for Desktop VMs"

Verified User
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
VirtualBox is being used by developers in our company to simulate environments different from their own for testing and day to day work.
  • VirtualBox is very good at running both Windows and Linux environments.
  • VirtualBox makes it very easy and straightforward to configure a system to mimic specific hardware scenarios.
  • Simulating a Mac environment is somewhat challenging.
  • VirtualBox uses a fair amount of memory so local hardware requirements are higher than normally required.
If a colleague had a need to run a VM with a GUI I would recommend VirtualBox very highly, but for headless VM there are better options.
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November 18, 2016

Oracle VM VirtualBox Review: "Oracle VirtualBox from a SysAdmin perspective"

Verified User
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
Oracle VM VirtualBox is a virtualization tool that can handle different operating systems and applications using less hardware that it could take if running in dedicated servers. It lets you easily manage all your virtual machines and customize the resources with no effort. There is a lot of documentation out there so you can customize your solutions to your company.
  • Virtual Machine management. It is easy to manage the resources of a VM.
  • Online documentation. Oracle provides a place where you can find complete documentation.
  • The ability to run different operating systems. This let you use different a OS on a single computer/server.
  • It's very hard to keep it up to date. The update process is manual.
  • Sometimes you need to change BIOS settings to enable virtualization.
  • Not easy to find answers in the online documentation.
It instantly works when virtualization is enabled in the computer or server. It will not work if virtualization is disabled. When you manage to make it work, it will respond like a real computer and it is easy to deploy operating systems and to install software, devices or drivers. It is amazing how they created a solution for every scenario because you can add memory or shrink or expand the hard drive. Most of the configurations can be done using the GUI, but there are a ton of tools and commands that can be used through the CLI.
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May 25, 2016

"Quick Oracle VM VirtualBox review for Beginners."

Verified User
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Review Source
I used Oracle VM VirtualBox to create virtual machines for creating test environments and fully utilizing machines with lots of resources (large amounts of RAM and multi-CPUs).
  • Easy install
  • Intuitive controls
  • Cross platform
  • GUI seems to be dated (more so the Linux application)
Oracle VM VirtualBox is well suited for quick creation of VMs, especially for those who are new to virtual machines (VM).
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Oracle VM VirtualBox Scorecard Summary

Likelihood to Recommend (84)
8.8
Usability (1)
8.0

Feature Scorecard Summary

Virtual machine automated provisioning (16)
8.1
Management console (18)
8.6
Live virtual machine backup (13)
7.9
Live virtual machine migration (12)
8.4
Hypervisor-level security (10)
6.2

About Oracle VM VirtualBox

Oracle VM VIrtualBox is Oracle's cross-platform virtualization offering, acquired with Sun Microsystems in early 2010. The software was originally developed by Innotek GmbH.
Categories:  Server Virtualization

Oracle VM VirtualBox Technical Details

Operating Systems: Unspecified
Mobile Application:No