System requirement table

[Russw]

Is there a table somewhere of which versions of Virtualbox are supported on which host OS? I looked and can't find it.
We've got a mix of various Mac and PC systems, some with old OS and some newer, but short of trial and error installing various Virtualbox versions, I was trying to find out which VB versions I need for each system. I tried VB 5.1 on Snow Leopard, for example, and it won't install. Will 5.0? Do I need 4.3? And this is just one of a handful of systems, hence my request for a version compatibility table.

Thanks.

[scottgus1]

The only list that would be definitive is the Downloads page, which as I have seen always has releases for each supported OS in the new version being released. Meaning, for example, 5.1.8 is good for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Solaris. I don't think I have ever seen a particular host OS getting held back.

If you get issues with a particular OS not installing a particular VB version then you should post in the appropriate OS host subforum about it. Other users will be able to tell you if they also have issues or it is something peculiar to your computer(s).

[scottgus1]

You can see the supported host OS's here:
https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch01. ... tossupport
I do see that Snow leopard as host isn't mentioned, neither is XP.
XP got dropped as a host in version 5, since it was old. But 4.3 still works in XP.
Maybe the same in Snow Leopard?

Try a search or two in Google, with the words "site:forums.virtualbox.org" added (witnout the quotes) to restrict your search to these forums.

[mpack]

IMHO the best guide is to compare release dates. The further back in the past the guest OS release date is, relative to the VirtualBox version release date, the more likely it is that VirtualBox supports it as either host or guest.

Of course there are practical limits: it's well known that a time machine could never go back to before the moment of its own creation...

[socratis]

Maybe the same in Snow Leopard?

Not only 10.6, but 10.7 and 10.8 as well were dropped with VirutalBox 5.x.x

@Russw
I haven't seen something like the table you're asking for. But it would be a great help if you could compile one! I could help you on the Mac side!!!

[rpmurray]

Not only 10.6, but 10.7 and 10.8 as well were dropped with VirutalBox 5.x.x

Umm, not quite.

According to the Distribution files in the VB installers:

VB 4.3.40 required 10.6 and above
VB 5.0.28 requires 10.8 and above
VB 5.1.x requires 10.9 and above

[socratis]

@rpmurray
Yeap, you're right. I went straight from 10.6.8 to 10.9.5 during the 5.0.x beta, so I must have had the requirements wrong in my head. Or I foresaw the requirements for 5.1.x

PS. I'd hate to have to update to OSX 10.1x, for VirtualBox 5.2.x. The iOS-ification of OS X is getting worse by the day...