[TOC]

Quick Reference to VirtualBox CLI commands

vboxmanage list vms
vboxmanage list runningvms
vboxheadless -s VMNAME
vboxmanage snapshot VMNAME list
vboxmanage snapshot VMNAME restore UUID
vboxmanage snapshot VMNAME take SNAPSHOTNAME

VBoxManage createvm -name VM1 -register
VBoxManage createhd -filename VM1.vdi -size 10000 -register
VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -sata on -sataportcount 2 -sataport1 VM1.vdi
VBoxManage openmedium dvd ~/.iso
VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -dvd ~/.iso
VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -memory 768MB -acpi on
VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -nictype1 82540EM -hwvirtex on
VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -bioslogofadein off -bioslogofadeout off
VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -boot1 dvd -nic1 bridged -bridgeadapter1 eth0

VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -vrdp on
VBoxManage modifyvm VM1 -vrdpport 7777


rdesktop -a 16 -N 1.2.3.4:3389
mstsc 1.2.3.4:3389
# https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch07.html

VBoxManage showvminfo VM1


vboxmanage import example.ova --dry-run --vsys 0 --eula accept

VBoxHeadless -startvm VM1 --vrde off

if vrde/vrdp is on 3389 can be used to get to local console, BUT only one vm can run with vrde at a time

vboxmanage controlvm <vm> pause          # suspend the VM, not saving, not snapshotting
vboxmanage controlvm <vm> resume       # resume paused/suspended VM
vboxmanage controlvm <vm> savestate  # graceful shutdown and saves to hard disk the state
vboxmanage controlvm <vm> poweroff   # hard shut down pulling the power cable
vboxmanage controlvm <vm> reset             # hard shut down pulling the power cable and then start the vm again

right ctrl key + fn2 to jump to the second tty console
right ctrl key + right alt key to recapture control of the mouse

Installing VirtualBox using the command line (Ubuntu)

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads wget the Install and the ExtensionPack, e.g.

wget http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/4.2.18/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.2.18-88780.vbox-extpack

dpkg -i virtualbox-4.2_4.2.18-88780~Ubuntu~raring_amd64.deb

errors due to unmet dependencies

apt-get -f install

installs the unmet dependencies

dpkg -i virtualbox-4.2_4.2.18-88780~Ubuntu~raring_amd64.deb`
VBoxManage list extpacks
vboxmanage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.2.18-88780.vbox-extpack
VBoxManage list extpacks

Upgrade the extension pack manually using the CLI

sudo VBoxManage extpack install --replace Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.2.18-88780.vbox-extpack

Importing an OVA and setting the Linux Guest module blacklist

virtualbox import ova

ubuntu based Guest

very long initial boot due to ubuntu expecting a module that virtualbox does not provide

"piix4_smbus 0000.00.07.0: SMBus base address uninitialized - upgrade bios or use force_addr=0xaddr"

after patiently waiting 10 minutes login to the console and...

sudo lsmod | grep i2c_piix4

if it is loaded then...

sudo vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

if the module is not listed then add it to the end

sudo echo "blacklist i2c_piix4" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

update-initramfs -u -k all

reboot

Windows based guest with 3d acceleration (WDDM)

Settings: Ensure the Guest has at least 128MB video memory, 3d Acceleration enabled Start the VM: Devices -> (mount) Guest Additions; Computer -> CD Drive; double click the executable; reboot

Older instructions on installing virtualbox in Ubuntu

sudo apt-get install dkms

VirtualBox host kernel modules (vboxdrv, vboxnetflt and vboxnetadp) are updated if kernel version changes

wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | rpm --import -

sudo echo "deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian saucy contrib" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install virtualbox-4.3

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

sudo dpkg -i virtualbox_4.3....deb # helps if DKMS doesn't prevent virtualbox kernel extensions getting clobbered

wget -O virtualbox_1.6.2-31466_Ubuntu_hardy_i386.deb

apt-get install elinks

elinks to text browse to virtualbox.org and download the right .deb

echo "deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian hardy non-free" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list

sudo wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/sun_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

apt-get update

apt-cache search virtualbox apt-get install -f virtualbox-2.2

still doesn't work, unmet dependencies...

apt-get update //(ensure your apt sources are good... ) apt-get -u upgrade //upgrade packages with -u verbose option

sudo dpkg -i virtualbox_2.2.2 ... Ubuntu_hardy_i386.deb

To fix the "required dependencies" errors (you can't even apt-get install -f libqt...)

virtualbox-2.2: Depends: libqt4-core (>= 4.3.4)
Depends: libqt4-gui (>= 4.3.4) 
Depends: libsdl1.2debian (>= 1.2.10-1)
Depends: libxmu6 
Depends: libxt6

sudo apt-get -f upgrade

apt-get install -f //this installs all needed dependencies?

Now you get "old vboxdrv kernel modules found... purge..." /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Should the kernel module be compiled now (yes!)

FAILS because I didn't do...

//the following gets the necessary files to compile the vbox kernel module //it can only be run after the above unmet depencies are fixed...

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential virtualbox-2.2

In order to have write permissions to /dev/vboxdrv

sudo adduser [your username] vboxusers

usermod -a -G vboxusers [username]

If you install ubuntu server as a guest (hmmm Virtual UBU on Real UBU?)

"Enabling PAE/NX on virtualbox solved my ubuntu server boot error."

In my adventure I had to get access to my boot iso image and copy it to my home dir

sudo mount -t smbfs -o username=winntuser,password=mypassword //windowsserver/sharename /mnt/win

cp /mnt/win/acronis-uni-restore-bartpe-mustang.iso ~/.Virtualbox

ctrl-z //to suspend current job bg //to make current job background job jobs //to see background jobs

cd ~ ls -ahl //to see how much of the file is transferred

vbox commandline for headless control (ie server w/o GUI) # NOTE: Linux is case sensitive! help via which virtualbox; /usr/bin/virtualbox

VBoxManage createhd -filename "winxp.vdi" -size 10000 -register # created in /home/USER_NAME/.VirtualBox/HardDisks/

VBoxManage createvm -name winxp -register # created in /home/USER_NAME/.VirtualBox/Machines/

VBoxManage modifyvm "winxp" -hda "winxp-hd"

VBoxManage registerimage dvd /~/.Virtualbox/acronis-uni-restore-bartpe.iso

VBoxManage modifyvm "winxp" -dvd /full/path/to/iso.iso

VBoxManage modifyvm "winxp" -memory "1024MB" -acpi on -boot1 dvd -nic1 nat

VBoxManage modifyvm "winxp" -vrdp on

vBoxManage showvminfo winxp

VBoxHeadless -startvm winxp

ctrl-z //to suspend current job bg //to make current job background job jobs //to see background jobs

Remote Desktop (port 3389) into the BARTPE cd loading...

Since we're using NAT we can ping around...

BartPe Networking -> cmd

net use \192.168.1.35\external /user:domain\username # It will then prompt for the password

Now we can use the Mustang Plugin for universal restore to access our backup image file on z:\

VBoxManage controlvm pause|resume|reset|poweroff|savestate

VBoxManage unregistervm [vmname] -delete

Virtualbox commandline headless summary install extpack import ova

Quick Reference to VirtualBox CLI commands

Installing VirtualBox using the command line (Ubuntu)

Upgrade the extension pack manually using the CLI

Importing an OVA and setting the Linux Guest module blacklist

Windows based guest with 3d acceleration (WDDM)

Older instructions on installing virtualbox in Ubuntu

vbox commandline for headless control (ie server w/o GUI) # NOTE: Linux is case sensitive! help via which virtualbox; /usr/bin/virtualbox

Published

Category

~891 words

Tags