Install VirtualBox on USB flash drive

[TroyG]

Hi, I'd like to install the OS X version of VirtualBox on a USB flash drive, so that I can take my VM from one mac to another.

I've found an application called "Portable-VirtualBox" that does this for Windows, but can't find any information for OS X.

I do not need to run the host from the USB drive or boot from the USB drive. I'd just like to use the guest OS on any of my mac machines.

Any help would be appreciated.

[mpack]

Portable VirtualBox is someone else's fork of VirtualBox and not supported here.

Provided the VirtualBox app is installed on each host then there should be no problem "Machine|Add-ing" that VM on each host. Of course it will only work on Mac hosts.

[TroyG]

I'd like to be able to install VB directly on the USB drive, and not have to install VB on each of the hosts.

Is there a way to do this?

[Perryg]

Not unless you want to use a different hypervisor or different version of VirtualBox. VirtualBox does not support what you are wanting.

[TroyG]

Thanks for the reply!

OK, so I have to install VirtualBox on each host I want to use.

Once I do this, which files do I need to copy over to the USB drive?

And how do I access the VM files from the new host? I'm afraid if I "import' it will actually copy my VM off the USB drive onto a local drive instead of running the VM from the USB drive itself.

[mpack]

You create the VM on one machine. You then relocate the VM folder to the USB drive, as follows: copy VM folder to USB drive, run VBox and remove the old VM entry, shut down VBox and wait for 1 minute, then run VBox and use "Machine|Add..." menu item to add VM located on USB drive. On other hosts you only need the final step.