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this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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That's not quite true. Virtualbox is free but the extension pack is not. It says on the website that it's under a different license.
Just don't get it from the website but from a distro's repos instead and you'll be fine. Distros usually patch out telemetry as well.
But yeah, Oracle and similar schemes are why software installation is so restricted on corporate devices. It's basically ransomware, freeware that people are willing to sue over.
Edit: it should be noted that charging people for licensed software in a corporate environment is okay. I have heard stories of Oracle making people buy licences for EVERY computer even if only one person downloaded the software...
The behavior I described spans multiple Oracle products, not just virtual box. There are plenty of other sins they’d committed too.