VM box hanging

Kali Linux Forums Kali Linux Troubleshooting
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What have you tried: Install kali on VMbox on macbook pro mid 2012

What is the error: While using kali the screen has been very hang and lagging

What device is this on: Macbook pro mid 2012 with new updation Sequia

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How much RAM are you giving the VM?

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4gb RAM mine has been 8gb RAM

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It really sounds more of a Virtual Box issue than a kali issue.

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I think as you are using an old device so it might be not fully compatible with the VirtualBox, maybe that’s why it is struggling. Virtual machines can lag due to insufficient resources, outdated VirtualBox settings, or missing drivers.

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You can follow these steps once and let me know the result:

1. Increase Resources for Kali

  • Increase CPU cores to 2 or more (but leave one core free for macOS).

2. Enable 3D Acceleration

  • In Settings → Display, enable 3D Acceleration.
  • Increase Video Memory to 128MB.

3. Install VirtualBox Guest Additions

  • Open Kali and run this command:

    sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y virtualbox-guest-x11

  • Restart Kali and check if the lag improves.

4. Switch to a Lighter Desktop Environment
If the default GNOME desktop is too heavy, switch to XFCE for better performance:

sudo apt install -y xfce4 xfce4-goodies echo "exec startxfce4" > ~/.xinitrc startx

5. Try a Different Virtualization Software
If VirtualBox is still lagging, consider switching to UTM (for Mac) or VMware Fusion for better macOS support.

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As it’s an old device so I think 4GB should be the the maximum range of RAM that can be allocated otherwise it may result in memory swapping or again slowing the system.

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And I’d say if you have force installed Mac OS Sequoia on that old macbook it will have barely any chance of running the OS properly, let alone a VM on top.

That macbook’s last official Mac OSX was High Sierra, and anything later is going to have issues running a VM on top of it.

That age of Macbook I have had Kali running natively on, bit of a faff getting WiFi working, and drivers for keyboard and mouse pad from what I recall, but ran well on those platforms.

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Thanlk you guys for your kind updates, @Shaunak dear i tried the commands half of the issue has been done from your command appreciate. :blush: :100:

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That’s great news. I am glad that my suggestions were useful for you.:smiley:

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