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Mir Rahed Uddin
Mir Rahed Uddin

Posted on • Updated on

VirtualBox can't find USB devices in Linux host

This is the common problem I have seen in almost every Linux distros (especially Debian based distros. Such as Linux Mint, Ubuntu, POP OS, etc), that VirtualBox unable to find USB devices connected to the host OS, even you installed the VirtualBox Extension Pack.


Usb List

What are the needs to have USB support for Virtual Machines?

  1. Data Transfer - Suppose you want to create a backup of your Virtual Machine, or just want to transfer data from your Pen drive to Virtual Machine (Vice versa), in that case, you must have an active USB connection.

  2. Wifi Adapters - If you want to connect your USB dongles, external Wifi adapter to your Virtual Machines, you need USB support.

How to enable USB support for your Virtual Machines?

Solution 1

Extensions Pack

Check if you already installed an extension pack or not?

Steps

Open VirtualBox ---> Click on File menu ---> Preferences (Ctrl+G) ---> Extensions tab


VirtualBox Ext Pack


If you don't find any installed extension pack, go to the VirtualBox download page (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads) and look for Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack, download and installed it. (Extension Pack must be the same version of your VirtualBox)
[If you don't know what is your's VirtualBox version, just click on Help menu ---> About VirtualBox]

I hope at this point you have installed the VirtualBox Extension Pack successfully.

Now select your Virtual Machine ---> Right-click on it and choose Settings (Ctrl+S). ---> Come to the USB tab. Check on Enable USB controller and select USB 2.0 (EHCI) Controller or USB 3.0 (xHCI) Controller, any one of them (By default USB 1.1 (OHCI). Now click on Add USB icon.


Add USB

***If you don't find any active USB list, follow the Solution 2

Solution 2

Add user to the vboxusers group

i. Open your Linux host's terminal, type sudo su, and enter your account password.


SUDO


ii. Type the following command sudo usermod -aG vboxusers mir (In the last command, instead of mir use your account name such as nick, peter, etc.)


Add Vboxusers


iii. Finally, reboot your PC and check the USB settings again.

Watch on YouTube

Thank you very much for reading :)

Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rahedmir

Top comments (10)

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jinyee profile image
jin-yee

Hey thanks mate, I don't know there's a user of virtualbox until I saw this, huge thanks

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isudoajl profile image
isudoajl

Crack! the solution for me was sudo usermod -aG vboxusers mir

thanks!

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or_lev_b4a0819b6dbb6c0817 profile image
Or Lev

thanks! solution2 worked for me :)

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gcsandesh profile image
Sandesh GC

This solved my problem. Thank You! 🤓

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rahedmir profile image
Mir Rahed Uddin

Welcome 😀

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algem63 profile image
algem63

This article really helped, thank you!

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rahedmir profile image
Mir Rahed Uddin

You are welcome :)

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karolzembron profile image
Karol Zembroń

work fine for me :)

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freddy_g_29c233d32bc2767f profile image
Freddy G

Thanks mate! I can stop pulling my hair out It worked

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rahedmir profile image
Mir Rahed Uddin

Glad to know it helped you :)