virtualbox.org

Sorry in case this question has been asked before, but I have not found any answers so far in the documentation or Google.

The file "Global.cpp" apparently defines the list of "Versions" that can be selected in the New Virtual Machine wizard. Let's take Type "Linux" for example, which provides Version "Oracle" and "Oracle (64 bit). From what I can gather, the only difference between the two are: VBOXOSHINT_HWVIRTEX, VBOXOSHINT_64BIT and VBOXOSHINT_IOAPIC. VBOXOSHINT_IOAPIC obviously enables I/O APIC in the system settings of the virtual machine, but what are the other options used for?

The Windows version of VirtualBox does not provide any 64 bit machine versions, so I suppose I/O APIC must be enabled separately. Why?

Thanks!

The 64-bit option (in the GUI) will not be available on 32-bit hosts or 32-kernels. However you can run 64-bit if your host supports hardware virtualization, and yes io apic is a must.

Unfortunately I do not have have a Windows machine to test so I installed VirtualBox inside a 64-bit virtual machine running 64-bit Windows 7. This was only done so I can see the available options, but Oracle (64 bit) or any other 64 bit "Version" was not available. The host system where I run VirtualBox is a Mac Pro 4.1 running in 64-bit kernel mode. So you are saying, that on a native Windows machine running 64 bit I should also see "Oracle (64 bit)" as well?

Is there any other difference between "Oracle" and "Oracle (64 bit)" besides I/O APIC being enabled? Do you know what the other options VBOXOSHINT_HWVIRTEX, VBOXOSHINT_64BIT are supposed to do?

Thanks for the response.

So you are saying, that on a native Windows machine running 64 bit I should also see "Oracle (64 bit)" as well?

Only *IF* you have hardware virtualization and it is enabled in bios.

Thanks!

Perryg wrote:The 64-bit option (in the GUI) will not be available on 32-bit hosts or 32-kernels. However you can run 64-bit if your host supports hardware virtualization, and yes io apic is a must.

I finally tested the VirtualBox options using a Bootcamp partition on a Macbook Pro under Windows 7 x86 and x64. The 64-bit option was available with both, the 32-bit and 64-bit kernel. The same applies to Mac OSX as the host system when booting the kernel in 32-bit and 64-bit mode. So it seems the only thing that is requried for the option to be avaiable is hardware virtualzation.