Probably the best open-source virtualization software available in the market now, VirtualBox by Oracle Corporation, has just released its third beta version for its upcoming major release, version 4.0. The version 4.0 boasts its new Extension pack mechanisms that allows 3rd party developers and Oracle to add more functionalities to VirtualBox. Think of that mechanism as a sort of a plugin. A few bug fixes were included in the Beta 3, according to the virtualbox forums:
This is the third beta of the upcoming 4.0 release. The following items were added/fixed since VirtualBox 4.0.0 Beta 2:
- Solaris hosts: another fix for installing ExtPacks on Solaris
- Solaris hosts: properly register mime types
- GUI: fixed a crash if maximizing a guest window is not allowed
- GUI: remember recent mounted mediums
- GUI: fixed additions mounting
- GUI: added hint how to get out of the scale mode
- GUI: fixed black fullscreen minitoolbar on KDE4 hosts (bug #5449)
- GUI: allow to update / downgrade / reinstall ExtPacks
- 3D support: fixed incorrect rendering for some d3d8/9 apps
- 3D support: fixed OpenGL support for 32bit apps on 64bit Windows XP SP2
- 3D support: fixed installation on Linux without DKMS
- 3D support: fixed OpenGL support for libMesa 7.9
- VGA: fixed crash when booting VMs with older additions
- OVA: allow individual files greater 8GB
- Storage: performance optimization by not using our own block cache for read-only mediums
- BIOS: implemented multi-sector reading, speeds up booting of certain guests (e.g. Solaris)
- VMM: fixed FreeBSD 8.1 boot hang for unrestricted guest execution with VT-x
- VMM: fixed performance regression for 32-bit SMP guests (VT-x + nested paging)
- VMM: fixed performance regression (VT-x with preemption timer only)
- VMM: improved fix for blocking NMIs triggered by active performance counters (Linux hosts in non-VT-x/AMD-V mode only; bug #7819)
- User Manual: Windows help file (.chm) is searchable again
- Windows Additions: fixed Windows 2000 guests (4.0.0 Beta 1 regression)
- Solaris Additions: fixed guest X11 drivers
- Solaris Additions: fixed unexpected termination of VBoxService
- Linux Additions: fixed xorg.conf patching for older Linux (3.2.12 regression)
VirtualBox 4.0.0 Beta 3 binaries are available for download on the VirtualBox site. Check out the official announcement on their official forums.
Update: VirtualBox 4.0.0 Beta 4 has just been released!