Integrate the "VM" extension pack into the VM

[byronhawkins]

On my Ubuntu server, VirtualBox always needs the matching version of the extension pack named "Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack". Why is it an extension pack? While I appreciate all the timely releases of new features and patches, I dread upgrading VirtualBox because everything always goes wrong. This is because the extension pack is not automatically upgraded with the application, even though it is required for my guest to run. Please integrate this extension pack into the application, so that they upgrade together, relieving the user of a rewardless hassle. If some users need to run VirtualBox without this extension pack, then please add a runtime option to disable whatever features are problematic for that very small subset of users. Thanks for your help.

[loukingjr]

My vague understanding is the extension pack is not included because of licensing. Told you it was vague.

[mpack]

Exactly. In fact they used to be merged together. There was a separation between the OSE (GPLed) version of VirtualBox, which did not include the closed source features, and the PUEL executable only version, which did. A deliberate decision was made to separate the closed source features into an extension pack, leaving the main application fully GPL.

I assume that there are legal and pragmatic reasons why the closed source features can't be open source.

[loukingjr]

@byronhawkins, Think of it the same as free packages available for Linux that need to be installed separately because they can't be included in the distribution. Free is not necessarily open source. Ask the nice Debian folks. They are fanatical about open source.