nonfree packages found with virtualbox

Support
1

[WARNING] [whonixcheck] Check nonfree Result: nonfree packages found. This is non-ideal but okay if you know what you are doing. For more information, see:

vrms_output:

            Contrib packages installed on host

virtualbox x86 virtualization solution - base binaries
virtualbox-dkms x86 virtualization solution - kernel module sources fo
virtualbox-guest-dkms x86 virtualization solution - guest addition module so
virtualbox-guest-utils x86 virtualization solution - non-X11 guest utilities
virtualbox-guest-x11 x86 virtualization solution - X11 guest utilities
virtualbox-qt x86 virtualization solution - Qt based user interface

6 contrib packages, 0.4% of 1388 installed packages.

Can anyone tell me how to fix this error? (without disabling it) Wasn’t virtualbox opensource to begin with? This error came by after upgrading whonix (non-qubes).

2

This only shows when running whonixcheck with --verbose?

Should not happen out of the blue. Did you install virtualbox within the VM?

It’s not an error. It’s a warning. Background information can be found here: Avoid Non-Freedom Software

If you want to avoid it, only option is to uninstall non-free software.

In case of VirtualBox probably not useful since we install VirtualBox guest additions by default in VirtualBox. ( VirtualBox Guest Additions and Shared Folders )

See:
Whonix Virtualization Platforms

3

Indeed, it was installed inside the whonix workstation. It shows up with regular “whonixcheck”. Should I remove all the packages? I do want to retain the guest additions in whonix but not sure if that is one of the packages listed. Please clarify this for me Patrick (VB whonix)

Thanks in advance

4

PrivacyF:

Should I remove all the packages?

No, that does not seem useful in your case.

“There are non-free and non-free packages.” In case of VirtualBox it is
minor. Since guest additions are installed by default, the gain of not
installing VirtualBox are non-existent.

If you had for example lets say flashplugin-nonfree installed, then it
would make sense to avoid that or to use compartmentalization and only
use that in more untrusted VMs.

5

https://github.com/Whonix/whonixcheck/commit/6044bbcdd8fa6ac9067fc824077338f64ea2d027

6

I received the same warning message as PrivacyF from whonixcheck on my whonix gateway, but then for vrms_output I get first a perl warning about setting locale failing, and then it says:

No non-free or contrib packages installed on host! rms would be proud.

I am running whonix on KVM and have never installed any packages except those recommend after doing a normal sudo update followed by sudo dist-upgrade, as recommended by whonixcheck.

I never got this warning until recent update of openssl and libssl a day or two ago. I do not receive the warning on my workstation. Do I or don’t I have non-free packages installed? Whonixcheck warns I do, vrms_output says I do not.

1 Like
7

https://github.com/Whonix/whonixcheck/commit/2730ebb073d3b2c4afeb04761a58888704726c88

8

That is the root cause most likely. Would also happen if you manually run vrms or some other applications. This should not happen. Somehow your locale settings were messed up.

The whonixcheck warning is just a follow up error.