specify supported kernel version

[Edmund Laugasson]

Please specify on VirtualBox web site (link to supported kernels wiki article, e.g. https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Supported-kernel-versions could be available at https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads) the supported host and guest kernel versions. This applies especially for Linux but also for Solaris and other free UNIX-like operating systems where users can install own version of the kernel. It is always hard to determine whether the current stable and also development version of VirtualBox support the latest stable version or possibly RC of Linux kernel - same applies for other free UNIX'es as well. This applies especially to host but also guest - in both situation the mentioned questions appears. This could be just like:
Virtualbox 5.1.26
Linux host: supported kernel version up to 4.12.10
Solaris host: ...
... like by which VirtualBox version supports up to which kernel version in host.

For guests possibly add additional column with supported kernel version and supported VirtualBox version - https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Guest_OSes

[Edmund Laugasson]

This could save a lot of time and people do not need to test with every VirtualBox and kernel version compatibility (both host and guest).

[Edmund Laugasson]

This VirtualBox and kernel compatibility could be specified also with development versions of VirtualBox and kernels.

[Frank Batschulat (Oracle)]

In general it is relatively easy:

Production versions of Virtualbox do not support Linux mainline (aka. development) kernels. We also do not support -rcX development kernels. Development versions of Virtualbox on the other hand may or may not support mainline/rcX Linux kernel versions as time and resources allow.

The production version of Virtualbox will typically only support the stable Linux kernel versions and LTS kernels.

For a definition thereof, see:
​https://www.kernel.org/
​https://www.kernel.org/category/faq.html

Due to backporting efforts by various Linux distributions and stable/LTS kernel branches, it is possible that Virtualbox gets broken because Interface changes have been backported.

[Frank Batschulat (Oracle)]

we are not going to provide such level of documentation detail.