Software Updater updating Linux Kernel modules causes Virtualbox linux kernel driver to go missing

[Aloxite]

Since Zorin 18.1 Core updated to Linux Kernel 7.0.0 and fixing the Kernel Panic caused by VirtualBox DKMS (link below),

Kernel 7.0.0-28 - Kernel Panic or graphics issues notice

Mod Edit: I am linking directly at the outset of those post to an important notice from the ZorinGroup in regards to this issue, in this pinned thread: Now, back to the original beginning: I asked if the 7.0.0-28 generic kernel is safe to use on ubuntu 24.04 systems and here is what i got. Using Linux kernel 7.0.0-28-generic on Ubuntu 24.04 is not recommended right now. The Ubuntu Kernel Team flagged this specific release (7.0.0-28.28) for an AMD GPU regression. Additionally, users are re…

every time that Software Updater updates the kernel and restarting, the next time I try to start a VirtualBox Virtual Machine, it gives out this error.

The only solution I have found to fixing this issue is by running sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) followed by sudo modprobe vboxdrv. If the latter command is executed without the former being done first, the following is observed:

$ sudo modprobe vboxdrv
modprobe: FATAL: Module vboxdrv not found in directory /lib/modules/7.0.0-34-generic

with the current kernel of the OS being listed in the output. This needs to be done every single time the kernel updates.

A copy of the logs for apt is shown below for both software updater and sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r):

$ cat /var/log/apt/history.log

Start-Date: 2026-09-23 11:51:09
Commandline: aptdaemon role='role-commit-packages' sender=':1.2291'
Install: linux-modules-7.0.0-34-generic:amd64 (7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1, automatic), linux-image-7.0.0-34-generic:amd64 (7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1, automatic)
Upgrade: linux-tools-common:amd64 (6.8.0-139.139, 6.8.0-142.142), linux-image-generic-hwe-24.04:amd64 (7.0.0-31.31~24.04.1, 7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1), code:amd64 (1.138.0-1789458761, 1.139.0-1790100840), linux-libc-dev:amd64 (6.8.0-139.139, 6.8.0-142.142)
End-Date: 2026-09-23 11:59:14

Start-Date: 2026-09-23 12:00:44
Commandline: aptdaemon role='role-commit-packages' sender=':1.2291'
Remove: linux-modules-7.0.0-30-generic:amd64 (7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1), linux-image-7.0.0-30-generic:amd64 (7.0.0-30.30~24.04.1)
End-Date: 2026-09-23 12:01:33

Start-Date: 2026-09-23 12:08:00
Commandline: apt install linux-headers-7.0.0-34-generic
Requested-By: a (1000)
Install: linux-headers-7.0.0-34-generic:amd64 (7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1), linux-hwe-7.0-headers-7.0.0-34:amd64 (7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1, automatic)
End-Date: 2026-09-23 12:12:13

Although this is a minor inconvenience and only happens every few days to few weeks, I would like to know what's likely causing the issue and see if there are any fixes.

[Ponce-De-Leon]

Welcome to the Forum!

Is Secure Boot in BIOS disabled? Did You also reinstalled the virtualbox-dkms Package as mentioned?

[Aloxite]

Secure boot is indeed disabled in the BIOS, and attempting to reinstall virtualbox-dkms gives the following.

$ sudo apt install virtualbox-dkms
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
virtualbox-dkms is already the newest version (7.0.16-dfsg-2ubuntu1.3+zorin2).
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 0 to remove and 1 not to upgrade.

It is worth noting reinstalling virtualbox-dkms is not required to fix the issue temporarily as mentioned in the original post.

[nite_route]

yeah that apt history is the whole story. Software Updater pulled linux-image + linux-modules for 7.0.0-34 but skipped the headers, so dkms never rebuilt vboxdrv for the new kernel. thats why modprobe says module not found until you manually install the matching headers.

install the meta package so headers keep tracking:
sudo apt install linux-headers-generic
(or linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 if that is what your image meta uses)

then once:
sudo apt install --reinstall virtualbox-dkms
sudo modprobe vboxdrv

after that future kernel bumps should pull headers with the image and dkms can rebuild on its own. reinstalling virtualbox-dkms alone wont help when headers for the running kernel arent there yet.

[Ponce-De-Leon]

@Aloxite

and attempting to reinstall virtualbox-dkms gives the following.

$ sudo apt install virtualbox-dkms

That is not reinstall. Reinstall would be:

sudo apt reinstall virtualbox-dkms

@Aloxite

It is worth noting reinstalling virtualbox-dkms is not required to fix the issue temporarily as mentioned in the original post.

But it might help to solve it not only temporarily.

[Aloxite]

@nite_route

install the meta package so headers keep tracking:
sudo apt install linux-headers-generic
(or linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 if that is what your image meta uses)

then once:
sudo apt install --reinstall virtualbox-dkms
sudo modprobe vboxdrv

Ok this has been done. I installed linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 instead of linux-headers-generic, as generic seems to pull from kernel version 6.8.0-142?

$ sudo apt install linux-headers-generic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
linux-headers-6.8.0-142 linux-headers-6.8.0-142-generic
The following NEW packages will be installed
linux-headers-6.8.0-142 linux-headers-6.8.0-142-generic linux-headers-generic
0 to upgrade, 3 to newly install, 0 to remove and 12 not to upgrade.
Need to get 17.4 MB of archives.
After this operation, 116 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.

$ sudo apt install linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed
linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04
0 to upgrade, 1 to newly install, 0 to remove and 12 not to upgrade.
Need to get 2,328 B of archives.
After this operation, 9,216 B of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 Index of /ubuntu noble-updates/main amd64 linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 amd64 7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1 [2,328 B]
Fetched 2,328 B in 0s (26.5 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04.
(Reading database… 685823 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack …/linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04_7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1_amd64.deb…
Unpacking linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 (7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1)…
Setting up linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 (7.0.0-34.34~24.04.1)…

I'll update if the issue resurfaces or is fixed when the next kernel update comes around.

[Aloxite]

Latest kernel update. It's now all fixed. Thanks!