Install Guest Additions to Ubuntu on VirtualBox

Guest Additions are drivers and applications of VirtualBox that can be installed to the guest operating system to enable new features and improve performance. Installing Guest Additions to Ubuntu running inside VirtualBox on Windows is easy.

1. Start your Ubuntu image in VirtualBox. Login to your Ubuntu account.

2. From the VirtualBox toolbar choose Devices → Install Guest Additions.

3. VirtualBox mounts a CD of drivers and applications. Ubuntu asks for permission to autorun this CD. Allow it to run. If it does not autorun, go to /media/joe/VBOXADDITIONS directory and run sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.sh.

4. The tools from the CD are compiled and installed on Ubuntu. Ideally there should be no problems here and the install finishes.

5. A driver icon might appear in the Ubuntu notification area. Open it. You might see a driver named Oracle VM VirtualBox Guest Additions for Linux Module. Activate it.

6. Open the Ubuntu file manager. Unmount the Guest Additions CD.

7. Restart Ubuntu in VirtualBox.

Tried with: Ubuntu 12.04 x64, Windows 7 Enterprise x64 and VirtualBox 4.2.0