VIrtual Box for students

[itgeek]

Hi

 

I want to install virtualbox for student to use. I have installed virtualbox created a VM. The problem I am having is that went the students log on to the machine and open up Virtual box no machines are there. How do I change the default location so that everything is stored in the c:\ and not the users profile. This would allow anyone to then open up the VM would start automatically without having to configure everything?

 

Thanks

[buzzard]

Create a Folder, dont use the root of C:, you dont want students with access there! If you create it in say Public Docs on each machine and set the relevant permissions, all doable through GPO and basic scripts..

[free780]

I though the xml is in the .virtual box folder in the profile. You need to point the program to the central one.

[synaesthesia]

I installed to C:\VM - doesn't matter where, students won't see it wherever it's installed.

The VM is set to be a volatile disc (all changes lost on power up) and the tools installed so it maps a drive in the virtual machine to the local users my documents (N: drive here) so they save their stuff there.

 

See thread http://www.edugeek.net/forums/how-do-you-do/95325-virtualbox-image-programming-classes-2.html regarding the shortcut I use to lock Virtual Box itself down so nothing can be changed/broken by the users. I went into good detail there regarding the setup.

[itgeek]

Thanks

 

Where is the central xml file to tell it where the VM is? Is it possible to deploy Virtualbox via msi and then deploy xml file to a central location?

[synaesthesia]

Don't worry about any XML files you shouldn't need to touch them. If you see the batch file I pasted the first lines register the VM so it knows where it is (you can see the location I put the VMs there)

[itgeek]

Thanks synaesthesia

 

When I have edited the script you provided nothing happend the script opened then closed again. Do you have any idea why this would be?

 

Thanks

[synaesthesia]

It's not a script, it's a batch file to launch virtual box in the first place (your shortcut would point to this batch file)

Obviously you need to edit the paths to match your installation for each PC.

 

Breakdown:

*** Register the VM with VirtualBox ***

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" registervm "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox"

 

*** Set VirtualBox startup parameters, hide anything we don't want them to have etc ***

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata global GUI/SuppressMessages remindAboutAutoCapture,remindAboutMouseIntegrationOn,showRuntimeError.warning.HostAudioNotResponding,remindAboutGoingSeamless,remindAboutInputCapture,remindAboutGoingFullscreen,remindAboutMouseIntegrationOff,confirmGoingSeamless,confirmInputCapture,remindAboutPausedVMInput,confirmVMReset,confirmGoingFullscreen,remindAboutWrongColorDepth

 

*** Restrict menus in Virtual Box ***

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages General,Input,Update,Language,Display,Network,Extensions,Proxy

 

*** More menu restrictions ***

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" GUI/RestrictedRuntimeMenus Machine,View,Devices,Help,Debug

 

*** More restrictions, stops them using usb features, removable media etc ***

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" GUI/RestrictedStatusBarIndicators HardDisks,OpticalDisks,FloppyDisks,Network,USB,SharedFolders,Features,Mouse,Keyboard

 

*** More restrictions - stops them from doing anything other than a safe shutdown***

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox" GUI/RestrictedCloseActions SaveState,PowerOff,Restore

 

*** Start the VM ***

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" startvm "C:\VM\Programming\Programming.vbox"

 

 

All of that means you get a headless virtual box client - they never see Virtual Box itself, all they see is the VM in a window with no menus, options or anything. It's nearly infallible. Obviously the virtualbox installation folder must match, you must edit where your VM is stored.

Edited September 25, 2013 by synaesthesia

[zag]

Thanks @synaesthesia that seems to work great.

 

One thing though, I get a too many parameters message coming up, is anyone else seeing this?

 

C:\>REM  Register the VM with VirtualBox 

C:\>"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" registervm "C:\VM\Lubuntu\Lubuntu.vbox" 

C:\>REM  Set VirtualBox startup parameters, hide anything we don't want them to have etc  

C:\>"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata global GUI/SuppressMessages remindAboutAutoCapture,remindAboutMouseIntegration On,showRuntimeError.warning.HostAudioNotResponding ,remindAboutGoingSeamless,remindAboutInputCapture, remindAboutGoingFullscreen,remindAboutMouseIntegra tionOff,confirmGoingSeamless,confirmInputCapture,r emindAboutPausedVMInput,confirmVMReset,confirmGoin gFullscreen,remindAboutWrongColorDepth 

[b]Syntax error: Too many parameters[/b]

C:\>REM  Restrict menus in Virtual Box  

C:\>"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata global GUI/RestrictedGlobalSettingsPages General,Input,Update,Language,Display,Network,Exte nsions,Proxy 

[b]Syntax error: Too many parameters[/b]

C:\>REM  More menu restrictions  

C:\>"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Lubuntu\Lubuntu.vbox" GUI/RestrictedRuntimeMenus Machine,View,Devices,Help,Debug 

C:\>REM  More restrictions, stops them using usb features, removable media etc  

C:\>"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Lubuntu\Lubuntu.vbox" GUI/RestrictedStatusBarIndicators HardDisks,OpticalDisks,FloppyDisks,Network,USB,Sha redFolders,Features,Mouse,Keyboard 

[b]Syntax error: Too many parameters[/b]

C:\>REM  More restrictions - stops them from doing anything other than a safe shutdown 

C:\>"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" setextradata "C:\VM\Lubuntu\Lubuntu.vbox" GUI/RestrictedCloseActions SaveState,PowerOff,Restore 

C:\>REM  Start the VM  

C:\>"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" startvm "C:\VM\Lubuntu\Lubuntu.vbox" 
Waiting for VM "C:\VM\Lubuntu\Lubuntu.vbox" to power on...
VM "C:\VM\Lubuntu\Lubuntu.vbox" has been successfully started.

 

EDIT: Nevermind, I found some sytax errors (spaces)

 

Must have been the copy and paste from the forum

Edited January 30, 2014 by zag

[free780]

I find it funny that vboxmanage doesn't work when elevated.

[PEbrey]

Hello,

 

I have used this batch file to lock down the use of a VM that we use as a programming environment and it is working great!

 

However, we use Windows 7 and the students can right click on the task, in the task bar, then with the options open up the VrtualBox Manger, additionally they can edit the settings of the VM and add the C Drive as s shared folder giving them read access the the local C Drive.

 

Does anyone have an ideas how we can lock this down.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[synaesthesia]

You should disable context menus in GPO - that's a windows security issue rather than VB.

 

User policies, admin templaces, start menu/taskbar I would imagine.

[PEbrey]

Its not possible to disable certain options for certain programs?

[synaesthesia]

Not as far as I know; there are next to no reasons why anyone would need to right click something on the task bar.

[PEbrey]

Yeah.

 

We care going t disable this for all Students. Thank you

[PEbrey]

I forgot to provide an update for this,

 

We didn't end up disabling context menus.

 

However, we restricted access to the .vbox files. So if a student manages to open the vboxmanager, they go to change a setting for the vbox, it then throws up an error as they do not have permission.