Virtualbox Mac Catalina
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
Push-button installer of macOS Catalina, Mojave, and High Sierra guests in Virtualbox for Windows, Linux, and macOS GPL-2.0 License 6.8k stars 621 forks. This macOS Catalina (VMDK) file format may be used to install and operate macOS Catalina on VMware Workstation, Player, Fusion, and VirtualBox. The best part is, the single macOS Catalina VMware and VirtualBox image work for VMware and VirtualBox. Creating a VirtualBox macOS machine is a bit tedious, but it’s worth the hassle. Before you start, make sure to download VirtualBox and install it on your Mac. Open VirtualBox. Click on the New button. Select Mac OS X for the operating system and Mac OS X (64-bit) for the version. Continue through the process of setting up the memory size.
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
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:
Once it has rebooted into recovery mode, on the top click on «Utilities => Termminal»
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
Reported by: | Owned by: | ||
---|---|---|---|
Component: | guest additions | Version: | VirtualBox 6.0.14 |
Keywords: | Cc: | ||
Guest type: | OSX Server | Host type: | Mac OS X |
Description
Attachments

- catalina-guest-install.log (5.8 KB) - added by Kalak18 months ago.
- install.log from a guest additions install on macOS 10.15 Catalina
- macOS10.15-2019-10-07-17-24-21.log (286.6 KB) - added by Kalak18 months ago.
- machine log from macOS host
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
comment:1 in reply to: ↑ description Changed 18 months ago by socratis
comment:3 Changed 14 months ago by aeichner
- Status changed from new to closed
- Resolution set to fixed
comment:4follow-up:↓ 5 Changed 14 months ago by GlebKh
comment:5 in reply to: ↑ 4 Changed 14 months ago by QA
comment:6follow-ups:↓ 7↓ 12 Changed 11 months ago by AKuehnel
comment:7 in reply to: ↑ 6 Changed 10 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