Cannot run VM VirtualBox on Ubuntu 16.04

Question

I am having issues trying to run Virtual Box; which are the "appropiate headers"??

WARNING: The character device /dev/vboxdrv does not exist.
     Please install the virtualbox-dkms package and the appropriate
     headers, most likely linux-headers-generic.

     You will not be able to start VMs until this problem is fixed.

I have installed virtualbox-dkms package, but I have no idea about the headers.

Also when trying to run a VM

Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)

The VirtualBox Linux kernel driver (vboxdrv) is either not loaded or there is a permission problem with /dev/vboxdrv. Please install virtualbox-dkms package and load the kernel module by executing

'modprobe vboxdrv'

as root. If it is available in your distribution, you should install the DKMS package first. This package keeps track of Linux kernel changes and recompiles the vboxdrv kernel module if necessary.

where: suplibOsInit what: 3 VERR_VM_DRIVER_NOT_INSTALLED (-1908) - The support driver is not installed. On Linux, open returned ENOENT.

I cannot run modprobe vboxdrv (yes, I run it with sudo)

modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'vboxdrv': Operation not permitted

I think this is a common question but cannot find answers for Ubuntu 16.04, just outdated ones.

UPDATE

linux-headers-generic is installed but it still doesn't work.

Solution 1

Did you try:

sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install --reinstall virtualbox-dkms

Hope this will help.

Solution 2

To install the headers do

sudo apt install linux-headers-generic

Comments

[lapinkoira]

Thanks, it looks like they are already installed so must be some other thing missing

[Baa]

Please also try sudo apt install build-essential gcc make perl

[nick]

sudo vboxfonfig - command not found)). i think that's my problem, but I don't know how to fix it.

[Simon Sudler]

@nick Which version of Ubuntu?

[caduceus]

@SimonSudler 20.04