Virtualbox With No GUI?

dave · Apr 8, 2010

Is it possible to run virtualbox as a host with no GUI? I want to build machines on a host with a GUI, then copy them to a FreeBSD host with no GUI and run them headless. Thanks.

OH · Apr 8, 2010

Sure you can, just # make config and remove all GUI options.
Shuffling the HDD-ID's can be a bit tricky, but it's certainly possible.

riku · Apr 9, 2010

Yes, Virtualbox support headless vm start , use this command

Code:

VBoxHeadless -s VMname

aragon · Apr 9, 2010

I run it without GUI too. You'll want to read Chapter 8: VBoxManage of the manual.

dave · Apr 9, 2010

I have installed virutalbox-ose from ports, but now am unable to run VBoxManage...

Code:

[dave@xxxx ~]$ VBoxManage import TestMachine.ovf --dry-run
Sun VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.1.6_OSE
(C) 2005-2010 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

ERROR: failed to create a session object!
ERROR: code NS_ERROR_FACTORY_NOT_REGISTERED (0x80040154) - Class not registered (extended info not available)
Most likely, the VirtualBox COM server is not running or failed to start.

I have tried running as root and not as root. I have added my user to the vboxusers group.

Am I missing something?

knarf · Apr 9, 2010

riku said:
Yes, Virtualbox support headless vm start , use this command

Code:

VBoxHeadless -s VMname

No, this command will never return. Better use $ VBoxManage startvm VMname --type headless.

hansivers · Apr 9, 2010

There is an article in the latest BSDMag (04/2010) exactly about running virtualbox-ose on freebsd.

riku · Apr 11, 2010

knarf said:
No, this command will never return. Better use $ VBoxManage startvm VMname --type headless.

This command work on virtualbox 3.1.6.

dave · Apr 11, 2010

To follow up on this...

I installed virutalbox from packages and got it working OK. I will continue to test the version in ports, prob just a config issue.

Once I had virutalbox running, I was able to build a machine on my mac using the GUI, export it, import it on the FreeBSD host and start it up from the command line, and then access it via RDP (Windows), or SSH (*nix).