Unable to run x86 OVA file in VirtualBox on macOS 15.2

If your Mac is Apple Silicon, the VM guests must be Apple Silicon (ARM64) compatible, and that rules out X86_64 or X86 guests. Additionally, if a macOS guest, it must be Big Sur or later with an APFS filesystem.

Since you are running macOS 15.2, that means that no X86 software or 32-bit applications can run in a guest even if you have the VM installed on an Intel MacBook Air.

Since you have no fans in that MacBook Air, any Virtual Machine (especially one running macOS guests) will make it run extremely warm if not hot. VirtualBox is years behind Parallels Desktop, VMware, or even UTM VMs and I no longer use it.

Try the VirtualBox Forums

I installed VB 7.1.4 and created an ARM64 Ubuntu 24.04 server guest without an issue. However, when I attempted to install the Ubuntu GUI desktop, it crashed my M4 Mac Mini Pro. I removed all VB 7.1.4 presence on my Mac and will never install it again. That's what I really think… 🤯

I can't remember the last time I ran VBox. Or for that matter, Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion. I must have created over 100 VMs of various Linux flavors. Because for a time, I enjoyed playing with GUIs. Eventually I got bored.

I actually bought a System76 Linux laptop long ago. I think it's almost as heavy and large as my M3 iMac. I haven't booted it for many years. I assume it still works but who knows?

VikingOSX wrote:

VirtualBox is years behind Parallels Desktop, VMware, or even UTM VMs and I no longer use it.

Tell us what you really think. 😎

I just checked and it was actually 1,600+ GUI setups. No wonder I got bored. Last one was March 2012.