Kicksecure ™ for VirtualBox with CLI

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Warning: This is the testers-only Kicksecure ™ version for VirtualBox with CLI. For the stable version, see: VirtualBox with CLI.
Kicksecure ™ with CLI is a version suited for advanced users -- those who want Kicksecure ™ without a GUI. Everyone else should install the user-friendly Kicksecure ™ VirtualBox with XFCE.
Please follow these steps to install Kicksecure ™ {{{flavor_case_sensitive}}} for VirtualBox.
1 Download Kicksecure ™ {{{flavor_case_sensitive}}}
Kicksecure ™ {{{flavor_case_sensitive}}} is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux
Optional: Verify the Kicksecure ™ Images cryptographically.
Version: 16.0.0.8
Digital signatures can increase security but this requires knowledge. Learn more about digital software signature verification.

How to verify the Kicksecure ™ Images : Kicksecure ™ virtual machine images are cryptographically signed by Kicksecure ™ developer Patrick Schleizer using OpenPGP and signify.
Do you already how to perform digital software verification using an OpenPGP and/or signify key?
- Yes: Acquire the Kicksecure ™ Signing Key and the Kicksecure ™ signatures straight away and proceed.
- No: Consider the following instructions:
2 Install VirtualBox
Download and install VirtualBox for your operating system.
Optional: Digital software verification.
VirtualBox for Windows is not signed with OpenPGP / gpg. It is signed with authenticode.
After downloading the VirtualBox installer exe and starting it, the user should verify that sure that Verified publisher:
is Oracle Corporation
.
Figure: Windows digital software verification window for VirtualBox
Optional: Digital software verification.
VirtualBox for macOS is not signed with OpenPGP / gpg. It is notarized for macOS's gatekeeper. See also Apple's official documentation Safely open apps on your Mac.
Ubuntu host operating systems:
Tested on October 2022 using Ubuntu version 22.04
. Older versions are not recommended.
1. On the host.
Open a terminal.
2. Update the package lists.
sudo apt update
3. Install VirtualBox and Linux kernel headers.
sudo apt install --no-install-recommends virtualbox linux-headers-generic
4. Add your current user to group vboxusers
. [1]
sudo adduser $(whoami) vboxusers
5. Done.
The procedure of installing the VirtualBox host software is complete.
Ubuntu Software Center can be used to install VirtualBox. The process is similar to installation of most other applications.
This only works for users with computers that do not have "SecureBoot" enabled. If the user's computer is using "SecureBoot" the user need to either disable "SecureBoot" in the BIOS or use the command line based instructions. [2]
1. Open the start menu.
2. Click on the Ubuntu Software Center icon.
Figure: Ubuntu Software Center icon
3. Click on the magnifying glass to search. → Type virtualbox
. → Press enter. → In the search results, click on VirtualBox.
Figure: Ubuntu Software Center - Search For VirtualBox
4. Click on Install and wait.
Figure: Ubuntu Software Center Search Result
5. Installation of VirtualBox has been completed.
When the installation has completed, the install icon changes to the uninstall icon. Do not click the uninstall button.
Figure: Ubuntu Software Center - VirtualBox has been installed
6. Click on Show Applications. → Click on Virtual Box start the VirtualBox graphical user interface (GUI).
Figure: Ubuntu Software Center #4
7. Done.
The procedure of installing and starting VirtualBox is complete.
Debian host operating systems:
- These instructions are for host operating systems running Debian
bullseye
, which is recommended. - Other Debian releases might work, but this is untested. In case of other Debian release:See also "Linux host operating systems" below.See also "Linux" on the right.
- To acquire the Recommended VirtualBox version tested with Kicksecure ™, package
virtualbox
should be installed from Debianfasttrack
repositoryaccording to the following instructions. [3]
1. On the host.
Open a terminal.
2. Add Debian the fasttrack
repository.
Update the package lists.
sudo apt update
Install the Debian fasttrack
signing key.
sudo apt install --no-install-recommends fasttrack-archive-keyring
Add the Debian fasttrack
repository.
echo 'deb https://fasttrack.debian.net/debian/ bullseye-fasttrack main contrib non-free' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/fasttrack.list
3. Add Debian the backports
repository. [4]
echo 'deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports main contrib non-free' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/backports.list
4. Update the package lists again. [5]
sudo apt update
5. Install VirtualBox and Linux kernel headers.
sudo apt install --no-install-recommends virtualbox linux-headers-$(dpkg --print-architecture)
6. Add your current user to group vboxusers
. [1]
sudo adduser $(whoami) vboxusers
7. Done.
The procedure of installing the VirtualBox host software is complete.
Kicksecure ™ host operating systems:
Instructions for Kicksecure ™ are simpler than instructions for Debian. [6]
1. On the host.
Open a terminal.
2. Update package lists.
sudo apt update
3. Install VirtualBox and Linux kernel headers.
sudo apt install --no-install-recommends virtualbox
4. Add your current user to group vboxusers
. [1]
sudo adduser $(whoami) vboxusers
5. Done.
The procedure of installing the VirtualBox host software is complete.
Hosts using a non-Debian operating system:
- Install VirtualBox as per the normal mechanism for your Linux distribution. No special instructions for Kicksecure ™ are required. The installation of a recent VirtualBox host software is unspecific to Kicksecure ™. Consult the documentation of your Linux distribution.
- Kicksecure ™ has has been tested with, expects VirtualBox version
latest
. - For example the outdated VirtualBox version
5.2.18
is incompatible.
General recommendations for users using Linux as a host operating system:
- Linux kernel version:
- The recommended host Linux kernel version is the same version that Debian
bullseye
is using, seelinux-image-amd64
.
- Newer host Linux kernel versions are likely to break VirtualBox VMs in many ways since these are unsupported by VirtualBox. [7]
- The recommended host Linux kernel version is the same version that Debian
- Host operating system: The recommended host Linux distributions are:
- preferebly the stable version of Kicksecure ™
16
, or - Debian Linux
version
bullseye
.
- preferebly the stable version of Kicksecure ™
3 Import Kicksecure ™ into VirtualBox
For Kicksecure ™ VirtualBox import instructions, please press on expand on the right.
Click on File then choose Import Appliance...
Navigate and select Kicksecure ™ image and press next
Do NOT change anything! Just click on Import
Wait until Kicksecure ™ .ova
has been imported
Now start both Kicksecure ™ and Kicksecure ™
Miscellaneous
There are also Video Tutorials.
If you still need help, please check the Support page.
For command line import instructions, see footnote. [8]
4 Start Kicksecure ™
Start VirtualBox
→ Double-click Kicksecure
.
First time user / Docs / Troubleshooting
First time users information
If you have no idea how Kicksecure ™ works, then read the Design and Goals, Kicksecure ™ Limitations and Tips on Remaining Safe pages to decide whether Kicksecure ™ is the right tool for you based on its limitations.
See Also
- Documentation
- Follow Kicksecure ™ Developments
- In case of issues, see VirtualBox Troubleshooting.
For additional VirtualBox guides and information, please press on expand on the right.
Footnotes → press Expand
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2
Optional: See: https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch02.html#install-linux-vboxusers
Also spams
~/.config/VirtualBox/VBoxSVC.log
log if not done. - ↑
This is unspecific to Kicksecure ™. This is because during package installation of a package that requires kernel modules when "SecureBoot" is enabled, Ubuntu's
dkms
is prompting the user for a password to encrypt the key which will be used to enroll the kernel module signing key. This is Ubuntu usability issue. It is unknown if any bug report / feature request for this exists. Please contribute, research, report this issue on Ubuntu's issue tracker. - ↑
This is non-ideal
but required since VirtualBox in unavailable in official Debian
bullseye
repository and difficult to install due to VirtualBox Installation Challenges. Alternatively you could install VirtualBox from the Oracle (virtualbox.org) Repository, but this comes with different risks. VirtualBox might be updated by VirtualBox developers before being tested with Kicksecure ™ which could then lead to issues. (Described in footnote here.) - ↑
This is required because the Debian
fasttrack
repository depends on the Debian thebackports
repository. - ↑
This is to acquire the Debian
fasttrack
repository package sources. - ↑
This is because by Kicksecure ™ default:
- The Debian
fasttrack
repository is already enabled. - The Debian
backports
repository is already enabled. - Kernel headers package "
linux-headers-$(dpkg --print-architecture)
is already installed.- Debian feature request: please provide linux-image-generic / linux-headers-generic
- Debian feature request: please provide linux-image-generic / linux-headers-generic
- The Debian
- ↑
https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/17055#comment:3
- ↑
On the Linux platform.
1. Read License Agreement: vboxmanage import Kicksecure-XFCE-16.0.9.8.ova --vsys 0 --eula show --vsys 1 --eula show 2. Import Kicksecure and Kicksecure ™. vboxmanage import Kicksecure-XFCE-16.0.9.8.ova --vsys 0 --eula accept --vsys 1 --eula accept