Install Virtualbox Guest Additions On Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin just came out, and quite a few of you will undoubtedly be testing it in a Virtualbox virtual machine. Needless to say, the experience will go much more smoothly if you install the Virtualbox Guest Additions on your Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin virtual machine. Here’s how to do it.

First, go to the Devices menu for your virtual machine, and select Install Guest Additions. This will mount a CD image in your Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin virtual machine with the Guest Additions installer – it should mount automatically. (If it does not, go to Nautilus and click on the icon for the CD under the Devices category in the left-hand column.)

Next, open a Terminal window.You’ll need to navigate to the /media directory with this command:

cd /media

Then change to the directory representing the CD image. The name is usually something like VBOXADDITIONS_version_release, for example:

VBOXADDITIONS_4.1.12_77245

Change to the VBOXADDITIONS directory, and then launch the installer. You can do this with this command:

sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Type your password to authenticate, and the Guest Additions Installer will launch. It usually takes a few minutes to complete, and once you’re finished, the installer will return you to the Terminal prompt.

Once the installer is done, reboot your Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin virtual machine.

When your virtual machine reboots, the Virtualbox Guest Additions should now be working.

-JM