If you are getting this error:

Unknown error creating VM (VERR_HOSTIF_INIT_FAILED).
VBox status code: -3100 (VERR_HOSTIF_INIT_FAILED).


while trying to start your VirtualBox on Ubuntu, then it's probably because the user by which VirtualBox is running does not have read/write permissions on /dev/net/tun. To solve the problem run this commands:

sudo chgrp vboxusers /dev/net/tun
sudo chmod 660 /dev/net/tun


then add the user that is going to use VirtualBox to the vboxusers group. Run the following command:

sudo gedit /etc/group

Find the vboxusers group:

...
mysql:x:121:
vboxusers:x:1001:
postfix:x:122:
...


And add all the users that will use VirtualBox into it:

...
mysql:x:121:
vboxusers:x:1001:giannis
postfix:x:122:
...


Save the file and exit gedit. You should not get this error any more.

4 Comments

  1. Martin says:

    This doesn't work on my SuSE-Linux 10.3 :(. I still habe this error.
  2. Dylan says:

    Still getting it on my ubuntu 7.10 install too... followed the directions posted here:
    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VirtualBox
  3. ^Rooker says:

    In my case, my "setup application" for TAP interface caused this error. Probably because I already had the tap1/br0 interface up *before* trying to start the VM.
  4. Paul Archer says:

    Adding a user to a group by editing the /etc/group file is the wrong way to go about things. It's much better to use the command designed for that:
    sudo usermod -a -G vboxusers some_username

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