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There are no specific limitations on the guest operating system, but supported
guests include all of the host operating systems plus FreeBSD, OS/2, and legacy
Windows versions (NT, Windows 98, Windows 3.1, DOS). No special hardware
is required to run VirtualBox, other than an Intel x86-compatible system and
adequate memory to run the guests. If the system has Intel VT-x or AMD-V hard-
ware virtualization extensions and they are enabled in the BIOS, VirtualBox can
take advantage of these items and provide even better guest operational behavior.
Figure 5.1 Platforms Supported by Oracle VM VirtualBox
The modular design of VirtualBox provides a consistent set of features across a
wide range of host platforms. As a consequence, a virtual machine or disk image
created on one host can be loaded and run on any supported host. In addition, a
user or administrator who is familiar with managing guest virtual machines on
one type of host can manage guests on any of the other supported systems.
Advanced desktop features such as Seamless Mode and Shared Clipboard give
users a uniquely intimate experience when interacting with locally running guests.
The built-in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) server makes VirtualBox ideal for
consolidating and hosting remote desktop systems. Recent improvements in disk
and network performance, especially when combined with the advanced resource
management features available in Oracle Solaris, make VirtualBox an excellent
choice for hosting server workloads.
This chapter assumes general knowledge of PC hardware. It also assumes the
use of VirtualBox version 3.1.4.
 
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