spacehopper Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 hi, we are looking at implemeting virtualbox to give the students an unrestricted environment on which to run programming tools on the computing course thats starting here next year.. all well so far but i need to be able to remove network access from the Virtualbox's and make it so the students cant re-enable it from the Virtualbox program as currently it gives them unrestricted access to our network..! i also need to maintain the ability to map a network drive to the virtualbox host to allow the students to transfer files between the vbox environment and the local drive.. how has anyone else gone about this? Thanks in advance!
Steve21 Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 Remove the virtual network card, and disable the config screen. Then use shared folders to directly map into VB, without network access. Steve
spacehopper Posted July 5, 2013 Author Posted July 5, 2013 how do you disable the configuration screen?
Steve21 Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 Chapter9.Advanced topics Basically pick which options you want to lockdown, run the command and it'll refuse to let them in that section, or if you lock down the entire settings won't load that up Can also disable all shortcuts, snapshot keys, in VM menus etc Steve
spacehopper Posted July 5, 2013 Author Posted July 5, 2013 so i should be using the following command? VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages OPTION[,OPTION...] like this.. VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages OPTION[,NETWORK...] ? which appears to run from the command line and gives no errors.. but doesnt remove the network settings when i re-open virtualbox =(
Steve21 Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 (edited) The "options" needs to be the actual things. noSelector won't let the whole settings page open. e.g. VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/Customizations noSelector,noMenuBar,noStatusBar or I guess for your example VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages Network But haven't tried that one before Edit - OPTION[,OPTION...] <- Just says put an option, and if you want more put commas Steve Edited July 5, 2013 by Steve21
LosOjos Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 (edited) so i should be using the following command? VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages OPTION[,OPTION...] like this.. VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages OPTION[,NETWORK...] ? which appears to run from the command line and gives no errors.. but doesnt remove the network settings when i re-open virtualbox =( Generally in CLI instructions, ALL CAPS denotes an option that must be passed (so not the word OPTION, but one of the options you want to configure) and text in square brackets are optional extra arguments, though you don't put them in square brackets. So, assuming you have the NETWORK part right, it'd just be: VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages NETWORK though I suspect it'll be a bit more verbose than that... Just read the page @Steve21 linked to and it appears the above would work (although you may have to change the last part simply to "Network" as sometimes these things are case-sensitive), also - @Steve21 you beat me to it Edited July 5, 2013 by LosOjos
spacehopper Posted July 5, 2013 Author Posted July 5, 2013 tried.. VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages NETWORK and VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages Network but it doesnt seem to have worked as i can still access the network settings of the VM's
LosOjos Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 You are closing down all VMs and Virtual Box Manager before you run the CLI commands, aren't you?
spacehopper Posted July 5, 2013 Author Posted July 5, 2013 yup.. its running on 64bit win7 too if that makes any difference.. and the default location for the saved VM's is on the D drive rather than c..
Steve21 Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 yup.. its running on 64bit win7 too if that makes any difference.. and the default location for the saved VM's is on the D drive rather than c.. How are you accessing the network settings, as this is only via the main global selector page remember? Have you tried my line above, just to check to see if it's not working at all, or whether it's just that command? Steve
spacehopper Posted July 5, 2013 Author Posted July 5, 2013 accessing network settings by opening virtualbox.. and then selecting the network settings on each VM (currently have 2VMS) im also able to access the global network settings via file, preferences, network just tried.. VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/Customizations noSelector and that threw up an error on launching virtualbox that said.. cannot run virtualbox in vmselectormode due to local restrictions the application will now terminate..
LosOjos Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 just tried.. VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/Customizations noSelector and that threw up an error on launching virtualbox that said.. cannot run virtualbox in vmselectormode due to local restrictions the application will now terminate.. That sounds like the correct behaviour to me - you should only be able to launch a VM directly, not through the manager. Seems there may be an issue with the option you're trying to set... I'll give it a go on my home machine later - it's W8x64 but if it doesn't work then at least we know it's VirtualBox that's the issue.
spacehopper Posted July 5, 2013 Author Posted July 5, 2013 even more baffling.. ive just tried it on my 32bit win7 machine.. and the VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages Network works... in that it removes the network settings in file, preferences.. but, if i create a VM i can access its individual network settings through virtualbox manager.. would i be better off looking at creating individual VM's for them to access separately without going through (and also disabling) the virtualbox manager? and then remove each VM's network access on a VM by VM basis?
Steve21 Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 I disable the VM selector completely, then create a new shortcut to a VM via vboxsdl. Steve
synaesthesia Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Could I please trouble you for the command line you use for that?
Steve21 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Could I please trouble you for the command line you use for that? Which bit? Steve
synaesthesia Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Sorry, the vboxsdl bit. Using "vboxsdsl --startvm "c:\VM\programming.vbox" and getting various errors. Just finished setting up our VM, really pleased with it - just a "Lite" version of windows 7, Netbeans with Python support and notepad++ on an immutable (non-persistent) drive. Just doing the "getting the UI locked down" bit done now, or trying to!
Steve21 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Don't need all the gubbins if it's in the normal folder that'as assigned to virtualbox. Ignore the extra rubbish, I've got it in an exe launcher rather than direct shortcut, but: Shell("""C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxsdl.exe"" -vm ""Python Ubuntu""", vbHide) so: "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxsdl.exe" -vm "Python Ubuntu" Steve 1
synaesthesia Posted July 15, 2013 Posted July 15, 2013 Ours is now complete and I'm over the moon My startup shortcut for it is a batch file as follows, if anyone is interested: "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" registervm "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" GUI/SuppressMessages remindAboutAutoCapture,remindAboutMouseIntegrationOn,showRuntimeError.warning.HostAudioNotResponding,remindAboutGoingSeamless,remindAboutInputCapture,remindAboutGoingFullscreen,remindAboutMouseIntegrationOff,confirmGoingSeamless,confirmInputCapture,remindAboutPausedVMInput,confirmVMReset,confirmGoingFullscreen,remindAboutWrongColorDepth "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages General,Input,Update,Language,Display,Network,Extensions,Proxy "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" GUI/RestrictedRuntimeMenus Machine,View,Devices,Help,Debug "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" GUI/RestrictedStatusBarIndicators HardDisks,OpticalDisks,FloppyDisks,Network,USB,SharedFolders,Features,Mouse,Keyboard "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" GUI/RestrictedCloseActions SaveState,PowerOff,Restore "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" startvm "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" In a nutshell, first command registers the virtual machine with the local install of virtual box. Second command suppresses all the warning messages (warnigns about colour depth, auto capture yadda yadda) Third hides all the global settings pages Fourth hides all the menus from the top bar Fifth hides the status bar icons Sixth removes any unwanted shutdown options (so the kids don't forcibly power it off - I know the drive is immutable but reduces risk and stops them saving/restoring snapshots) Last starts the VM 2
gmj Posted August 2, 2013 Posted August 2, 2013 Hi All. On a RM CC4 network here, Packaged Virtual Box with the RM application wizard, and allocates out fine to my test workstation. However, the shortcut I'm allocating out is "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" startvm "C:\VM\XP VM.vbox" so that clickview clicked with will fire up the virtual machine. This works fine for an admin account, but fails under student and staff account, the cmd promt window pops up briefly and then closes. Have added the locations and files to Software Restriction Polices, but still no joy. Anyone got any ideas? Why oh why couldn'y Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 support USB drives? Would be sorted then and not have to go down this route....grr....
tj2419 Posted August 2, 2013 Posted August 2, 2013 Hi All. On a RM CC4 network here, Packaged Virtual Box with the RM application wizard, and allocates out fine to my test workstation. Hi When you made the package did you install virtual box and make the image then do the second scan with application wizard? Cheers
synaesthesia Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 As a precautionary method with CC4 try another package but install the VM into the program files folder. CC4 can be picky - software restriction should sort it out but if it's in program files there's no excuse not to work if the package is OK.
Arthur Posted August 3, 2013 Posted August 3, 2013 (edited) packaged Virtual Box with the RM application wizard When you run the main VirtualBox installer (VirtualBox-4.2.16-86992-Win.exe), it extracts an .msi and .cab to "%TEMP%\VirtualBox". I would use this instead of repackaging it. Anyone got any ideas? You could create an AutoIt script to launch VirtualBox with the correct parameters, compile it to an EXE and then create a shortcut to that e.g. #NoTrayIcon $VBoxDir = @ProgramFilesDir & "\Oracle\VirtualBox" $VBoxManage = $VBoxDir & "\VBoxManage.exe" $VM = EnvGet("SystemDrive") & "\VMs\XP.vbox" If FileExists($VM) Then Run($VBoxManage & ' startvm "' & $VM & '"', $VBoxDir, @SW_HIDE) Else MsgBox(4096, "VM", "Cannot find " & $VM, 60) EndIf Edited August 3, 2013 by Arthur
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