Removing default Virtualbox guest additions?

I don't want guest additions.

I have Virtualbox on a Windows host running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS as a guest. How do I make sure that all the guest additions are removed from the Ubuntu guest? I so far have run, in Terminal, these:

dpkg -l | grep virtualbox

Which returned: unity-scope-virtualbox

lsmod | grep -io vboxguest

Which returned: vboxguest

Although it doesn't show up as having the typical virtualbox guest additions, the Ubuntu screen size still resizes to the virtual machine's window. Is that actually a part of Ubuntu or from guest additions?

When first installed as a virtual machine, Ubuntu supports mouse pointer integration and screen (virtual machine window) resizing, which are typically from guest additions being installed.

Is there a way to remove the vboxguest kernel module as well?

Thank you.

1 Answer

From using the commands:

dpkg -l | grep virtualbox
ii unity-scope-virtualbox 0.1+13.10.20130723-0ubuntu1 all VirtualBox scope for Unity

And

lsmod | grep vboxguest
vboxguest 282624 6 vboxsf,vboxvideo

Since you want to remove these packages do as follows:

1. modules vboxguest:

   • Change into /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-<version_number> folder

     cd /opt/VBoxGuestAdditions-<version_number>

   • In there run:

     sudo ./uninstall.sh 

2. For the guest additions unity-scope-virtualbox:

   sudo dpkg-query -s unity-scope-virtualbox
   Package: unity-scope-virtualbox
   Status: install ok installed
   Priority: optional
   Section: gnome
   Installed-Size: 77
   Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <>
   Architecture: all
   Version: 0.1+13.10.20130723-0ubuntu1
   Replaces: unity-lens-vm
   Provides: unity-lens-vm
   Depends: python3, python3-gi, gir1.2-unity-5.0 (>= 7), gir1.2-dee-1.0 (>= 1.2.5), unity-scopes-runner, gir1.2-glib-2.0
   Conflicts: unity-lens-vm
   Description: VirtualBox scope for Unity
   This package contains the "virtualbox" scope which allows Unity
   to search for VirtualBox content.
   Original-Maintainer: David Callé <>
   Homepage: 

   • This is used by unity for search and probably be left alone.