This document will provide instructions on getting a macOS Catalina install working with Guest Additions on VirtaulBox 6.1.

Start by downloading a copy of the installer from the App Store. You will need a computer running macOS and you will need to convert the installer to an ISO. I will not be covering these steps here, but there are plenty tutorials online.

Installing VirtualBox

Step One – Create or Download macOS Catalina ISO File. Whatever operating system you would like. Further, if you want to Install latest macOS 10.15 Catalina on VirtualBox and VMware. Then check these link below. How to Install macOS Catalina on VirtualBox on Windows + Videos Guide; How to Install macOS Catalina on VMware Windows + Video Guide. Extract the macOS 10.14 Mojave Virtual Image. Before, install actually starts.

Right now (mid November 2020), for all practical purposes, no. While the OS and the hardware support virtualisation, you cannot currently run Virtual Box or similar virtualisation software on an ARM Mac. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us.

I’m hoping you already have this part covered and you are coming here only because you had issues getting macOS installed, but just in case, make sure the following packages are installed (Arch):

Creating the VM

Start by creating a new VM. Give it a name without spaces.

Give it enough memory so the install will run faster. We can change this later.

Select to create a new Virtual Hard Disk

Select VDI

Select fixed size

Give it a bare minimum of 25GB (I would advise on at least 50GB if you can spare the space)

Edit the machine, go into «System => Motherboard» and disable floppy boot and change the chipset to PIIX3

In the processor give more CPU if you can spare

Oracle Vm Virtualbox Macos Catalina Az

In «Display => Screen» increase the video memory to 128MB and enable 3D acceleration

Enable USB 3.0

Note: if you can’t see USB 3.0 you might need to add your user to the vboxusers group

Insert the install ISO

Additional Configuration

Now we need to run a few vboxmanage commands for additional settings. Either run the lines with vboxmanage from the script below (add your virtual machine name under $vm_name), or save the full script and run it.

Note: the default resolution is set to «1280x1024». You can change it in the last line of the update code. Make sure to keep it to “640x480, 800x600, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1900x1200“

Installing macOS

We are now ready for the install. Start the machine and select you language.

Select disk utility.

Select the VirtualBox hard disk and click on erase.

Give it a name, select the same options and click on erase. Close the disk utility when done.

Click on install macOS.

Continue with the install as you would until you are presented with the desktop.

Note that the installer will reboot once in the middle of the install.

Installing Guest Additions

We now need to get Guest Additions installed. Remove the install ISO and mount the guest additions CD. Open it with finder and run the VBoxDarwinAdditions.pkg

Install it as if you would install any other package.

You will most likely get an error message that the install has failed.

Close everything, unmount the guest additions CD and open a terminal window (Command+Space, type terminal).

Now we need to restart the VM in recovery mode. Type in:

Mac aht download. Once it has rebooted into recovery mode, on the top click on «Utilities => Termminal»

Oracle Vm Virtualbox Mac Os Catalina Download

Type in the code below. This is to sign Oracle software as authorized. Then we disable recovery mode and restart the VM.

When the VM has rebooted you should have guest additions working. Remember that not everything works, but the features below should:

• Copy/Paste
• ~Drag and Drop~ Reported as not working (see comments)
• VirtualBox Shared Folders
• Guest Control

Attachments

Virtualbox Macos Catalina Vmdk

Change History

Changed 18 months ago by Kalak

• attachmentcatalina-guest-install.log added

Changed 18 months ago by Kalak

• attachmentmacOS10.15-2019-10-07-17-24-21.log added

Oracle Vm Virtualbox Macos Catalina

comment:3 Changed 14 months ago by aeichner

• Status changed from new to closed
• Resolution set to fixed

Oracle Vm Virtualbox Mac Os Catalina Update

comment:6follow-ups:↓ 7↓ 12 Changed 11 months ago by AKuehnel

comment:7 in reply to: ↑ 6 Changed 11 months ago by GammaG

comment:8 Changed 10 months ago by paulson

• Status changed from closed to reopened
• Resolutionfixed deleted

comment:9 Changed 10 months ago by paulson

• Summary changed from Guest Additions not installing on macOS 10.15 Catalia guests to Guest Additions not installing on macOS 10.15 Catalina guests

comment:12 in reply to: ↑ 6 Changed 4 months ago by atoolz

Oracle Vm Virtualbox Mac Catalina