VirtualBox error "Kernel driver not installed"

Question

I can't seem to make VirtualBox to work, I've installed it and reinstalled by 3 ways: Terminal, Ubuntu Software Center and VirtualBox's official web site installation and I keep getting the same kernel error.

This command

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-dkms

Returns

virtualbox-dkms is already the newest version

I tried what the error tells me:

sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

but then I tells me that DKMS is actually NOT installed (which is a contradiction).

If anyone has encountered the same problem and actually solved it please tell me and explain me step by step 'cause I'm new to Linux.

Answer 1

If you are stil having issues with the kernel error try this for Ubuntu 12.10 and Virtualbox 4.1.18.

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-3.5.0-19-generic
sudo dpkg-reconfigure virtualbox
sudo dpkg-reconfigure virtualbox-dkms

Answer 2

Fixed! I've managed to fix it by typing in terminal:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Answer 3

First, make sure that the DKMS package has built and is loaded into the kernel.

lsmod | grep box

and make sure the results look sensible . (there should me some module loaded)

If it's there then your good to go, if not then the easiest way to build DKMS modules is to simply restart. Once your running again lsmod to make sure your module loaded.

Also, it seems your doing this in a really odd way.

The way I do it is:

get the deb from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

dpkg -i DownloadedVirtualBoxFile.deb

if there are any errors then

apt-get -f install

to resolve dependencies.

Then just run Virtual Box and let it tell you the next step. You should get an error and instructions about adding your user to the virtual box group.

I would recommend starting by completely removing VirtualBox from your system.

dpkg --get-selections | grep box

to get a list then

dpkg --remove virtualbox-4.2

to remove them (only virtual box stuffs).

Next install from the link above using the deb package.