[gentoo] VBoxHeadless

[RabbieBurns]

Run virtual box in headless mode for a couple of vms. No issues, except I have deleted the .iso file that one was using. Now it wont start as it cant find the .iso

 

I cant figure out how to de-register the .iso from the VM at all...

 

any tips ?

[kmount]

Hi, I just looked at one of mine which has an iso included and it has an entry like below in its machine xml file under ~/.Virtualbox/Machines/machinename/machinename.xml

 

Might be worth trying to remove it.

[linescanner]

Run virtual box in headless mode for a couple of vms. No issues, except I have deleted the .iso file that one was using. Now it wont start as it cant find the .iso

 

I cant figure out how to de-register the .iso from the VM at all...

 

any tips ?

 

Is there something under VBoxManage modifyvm ?

 

 

Will look at mine in a bit

[RabbieBurns]

Ive royally messed this up now. I tried removing the enrty for the dvd in the virtualbox.xml before I saw kmounts post, which most probably is the correct solution.

 

Now I get invalid machine name when trying to start the VM.

 

I guess i should have taken a copy before I started messing with it ;p

 

Can I create a new VM but use an existing vdi file ?

[kmount]

Yup, with VBoxManage modifyvm

 

VBoxManage createvm -name "Ubuntu 8.04 Server" -register

VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu 8.04 Server" -memory "256MB" -acpi on -boot1 dvd -nic1 nat

VBoxManage createvdi -filename "Ubuntu_8_04_Server.vdi" -size 10000 -register

VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu 8.04 Server" -hda "Ubuntu_8_04_Server.vdi"

VBoxManage registerimage dvd /home/ubuntu-8.04.1-server-i386.iso

VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu 8.04 Server" -dvd /home/ubuntu-8.04.1-server-i386.iso

 

VBoxHeadless - Running Virtual Machines With VirtualBox 2.0 On A Headless Ubuntu 8.04 Server | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

 

Granted its for an older version and I don't have tools at hand to test atm but should point you in the right direction.

[RabbieBurns]

seems theyve changed the syntax a bit for 3.1.0

 

what used to be

 

VBoxManage modifyvm "2008Server" -memory "2048MB" -acpi on -boot1 dvd -nic1 hostif -hostifdev1 eth0

 

is now

 

VBoxManage modifyvm "2008Server" --memory 2048 --acpi on --boot1 dvd --nic1 hostif --hostonlyadapter1 eth0

 

for my settings.

 

Also, you have to now spefically create a storage controller first:

 

VBoxManage storagectl "2008Server" --name 2008server --add sata --controller IntelAhci

 

and then assign the file

 

VBoxManage storageattach "2008Server" --storagectl 2008server --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium /root/.VirtualBox/VDI/2008Server.vdi

 

Only now can I start the VM

 

oasis ~ # VBoxHeadless -startvm 2008Server
VirtualBox Headless Interface 3.1.0
(C) 2008-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Listening on port 3389.

 

Might be worth me posting up a warning somewhere here not to upgrade to 3.1.0 blindly like I did without reading the changelog as this has changed dramatically.. and Im sure is also the reason my other VMs keep dropping out.

[RabbieBurns]

OK well that was causing the VM to bluescreen at boot

 

So Im thinking that as it was a IDE drive before and now I made it a sata, Ill try setting it back to IDE

 

VBoxManage storagectl "2008Server" --name 2008server --remove

to remove the sata drive

 

to remove it and then

 

VBoxManage storagectl "2008Server" --name 2008server --add ide

 

to create an IDE controller..

 

and then the same previous command to attach the existing .vdi to the new controller:

 

VBoxManage storageattach "2008Server" --storagectl 2008server --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium /root/.VirtualBox/VDI/2008Server.vdi

 

And now it boots fine...

 

Hope these ramblings might help someone else...

[kmount]

All fun and games

 

My gentoo is still on 3.0.12

[RabbieBurns]

finally got 2008 and 2008R2 x64 up and running together for the first time.. cheers all