[Fixed] VirtualBox Kernel Driver Not Installed Error – (rc=-1908)

Virtualbox Kernel Driver Not Installed

Gone are the days when one used to think that virtualization is only a science fiction thing and not practically possible. Ninety percent of today’s engineering and the world around us incorporate what we call, Virtual reality or virtualization. Have you ever fancied what it takes to virtualize the already existing things or phenomena? One such great example of virtualization is any operating system or any software or just anything without hardware.

In the present article, we at toolspond will get right to the chase to describe VirtualBox and the errors one might face. One such error is the VirtualBox kernel driver not installed error.

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Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error

Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error

When you install VirtualBox on your Mac and try to use it by creating a virtual machine, the error message VirtualBox kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)” will most likely appear. The error message has nothing to do with the operating system you’re trying to install on the virtual machine; it appears when you initially install Oracle products on your Mac, such as VirtualBox.

When you try to install VirtualBox on your machine, the problem looks pretty similar to the VirtualBox installation error. Your operating system has blocked the Oracle certificate, in this case, macOS.

Furthermore, macOS disables kernel extensions for VirtualBox during the installation process, which is why you’re getting the error message in question. You’ll need to add the Oracle certificate to the authorization list and allow it to remedy this. This can only be done by giving VirtualBox the necessary permissions.

This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Accept the certificate under the System & Privacy settings in the System Preferences menu. You may also use your system terminal to run commands that load kernel extensions and allow them to function on the system. Let’s get right to it and show you how to accomplish it in more detail, so keep reading.

3 Tips to fix Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error in macOS

Through System Preferences, you can enable Oracle Certificate to remove Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error.

As it turns out, the first place to look for a solution is your computer’s System Preferences menu. You’ll see a notification in the System and Privacy settings if macOS prevents software from loading kernel extensions.

This notice is only visible for 30 minutes, so you’ll need to uninstall VirtualBox if you’ve been seeing it for a while. After uninstalling VirtualBox, erase any remaining files and move the App to the trash folder. After that, you can download the installer to install VirtualBox on your system once more.

After installing VirtualBox, you must immediately follow the instructions below within the first 30 minutes; otherwise, it will vanish, and you’ll have to start over. As a result, take the steps outlined below to enable Oracle using the System Preferences menu and eliminate the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error.

  • Select the Apple icon in the menu bar at the top to open the System Settings application. Select System options from the dropdown menu.
  • Then, select the Security and privacy option once the System Preferences window has appeared.
  • Under general on the Security & Privacy screen,
  • A “System Software from Developer ‘Oracle America, Inc.’ has been locked since loading” notification” should appear at the bottom. If you don’t see it, it implies 30 minutes have elapsed as it’s only there for that amount of time, as stated above. If this is the case, reinstall VirtualBox on your system to accomplish this.
  • Click the Let button to dismiss it if you see the notice.

Through the Terminal, enable VirtualBox Kernel Extensions.

  • Another option is to fix the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error for the more tech-savvy and hardcore users out there, which requires you to type a command into the Terminal prompt. This will accomplish the same task as before but through the Terminal window.
  • Furthermore, because we will be utilizing the Terminal instead of the GUI, this method will not require you to reinstall VirtualBox as it did in the previous form. However, we will need to boot into Recovery Mode to do so. Recovery mode allows you to restore your Mac to an earlier date and reinstall macOS.
  • To enter the recovery mode, first of all, restart your Mac and after it has been renewed, hold the command and R key together till an apple logo flashes onto your screen. You are now in recovery mode.
  • Now that you are in the recovery mode, you will be shown a utility drop-down menu; select terminal from it.
  • After the terminal window opens, enter the code.”
special kext-consent add VB5E2TV963"

After that, restart your MacOs. This should effectively eliminate the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error.

Disable Secure Boot on your Mac to fix the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error.

If none of the previous methods work, the problem may be related to the Secure Boot setting in your BIOS. Secure Boot, commonly known as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, is a security component of UEFI. When enabled and configured, Secure Boot can assist your computer in resisting malware attacks and infections.

As it turns out, because it’s a security feature, it can interfere with specific apps on your device, which could be the case here. If you want to fix the prevailing Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error by this method, here are the steps.

  • First and foremost, boot into Recovery mode as instructed above.
  • Once you’re in recovery mode, go to the top menu bar and select Utilities.
  • Select Boot Security Utility from the dropdown menu.
  • Choose Without security from the secure boot prompt that opens.
  • After you’ve finished, reset your device by selecting Restart from the Apple icon in the menu bar.
  • Open VirtualBox after your Mac has booted up to determine if the problem still exists.

Fix Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908) on Ubuntu

The VirtualBox kernel not installed error is not limited to any one operating system. Hence if you are using a Ubuntu-powered computer, the same error can bother you there as well. Hence to fix the VirtualBox kernel not installed error in an Ubuntu-powered system, follow these steps.

  • You can always count on reinstalling the Virtualbox program.

All you have to do now is use the command to reinstall or update the “VirtualBox-dkms” package :

$ sudo apt install virtualbox-dkms
Fix Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908) on Ubuntu

In addition to this, upgrading the whole system can also help, do that using the following command to eliminate the VirtualBox kernel driver not installed error.

$ sudo apt upgrade

Fix VirtualBox kernel driver not installed error on Linux

Fix VirtualBox kernel driver not installed error on Linux

The Linux kernel driver for VirtualBox is either not loaded or is not configured correctly. Run the following code to reconfigure it.

/sbin/vboxconfig

If your system is equipped with EFI Secure Boot, you may be required to sign the kernel modules (vboxdrv, vboxnetflt, vboxnetadp, and vboxpci) before they can be loaded. Elaborated information can be found in your Linux system’s documentation. This should resolve the VirtualBox kernel driver, not the installed error.

Virtualbox driver kernel not installed error on Fedora

If the error VirtualBox driver kernel not installed shows upon trying to run a VM on Fedora, then you are probably gonna have to turn off UEFI boot in BIOS by running

sudo /sbin/vboxconfig

This will enable Virtualbox to maintain and develop new kernel modules, hence omitting the VirtualBox kernel driver not installed error.

What is Virtualbox?

VirtualBox is an operating system virtualization application for x86 and x86-64 hardware that allows users and administrators to run many guests operating systems on a single host. It’s designed for server, desktop, and embedded software.

Innotek GmbH initially developed VirtualBox, and they decided to distribute it as an open-source software package on January 17, 2007. Eventually bought by Sun Microsystems, Oracle Corporation saw its potential and thus purchased Sun on January 27, 2010, and took over the development of VirtualBox.

Users in VirtualBox are divided into two categories: hosts and guests. The VirtualBox software is stored on the host, from which the guests can be deployed. A guest is any compatible operating system running as a virtual machine. VirtualBox guests can run any Linux distribution, Solaris, macOS, BSD, IBM OS/2, or Windows, whereas hosts can run Linux, Windows, or macOS. A licensed copy of macOS or Windows is required to run the operating system as a virtual machine.

Need of Virtualbox

Virtualization improves information technology’s agility, flexibility, and scalability while saving money. Virtualization’s benefits include higher workload mobility, improved resource performance, availability, and automated operations, all of which make IT easier to manage and operate.

Administrators can use virtual machine tests and construct platforms swiftly. Thanks to VirtualBox, this is not only straightforward but also economical. Anyone can use VirtualBox to expand their company’s capabilities and goods because it is free.

Managers will need to be able to deal with Linux as firms become more reliant on it; VirtualBox makes it simple to install Linux guests without the need for expensive hardware. Admins can also utilize VirtualBox to practice their skills or test deployments by simulating a network.

FAQs on Virtualbox Kernel Driver Not Installed

Where can I enter into recovery mode on mac, and how can it be used to eliminate the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error?

To enter recovery mode, restart your Mac and then hold the command and R keys together. To eliminate the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error, one needs to enter a specific code into the terminal utility in the recovery mode.

How to fix the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error on Linux?

Try following some of the same steps as mac, such as updating BIOS and disabling secure boot. Reinstalling could also help to fix the Virtualbox kernel driver not installed error.

What OS does VirtualBox support?

Virtualbox supports windows, mac ( only Intel-based) Linux, and Solaris. It’s available only for x86 and x86-64 hardware.

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