VBoxManage
lastmod 2025-12-15created 2024-05-207 edits
Oracle VM VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface
VBoxManage list
View system information and VM configuration details.
Synopsis:
VBoxManage list [--long] [--sorted] [ bridgedifs | cloudnets | cloudprofiles | cloudproviders | cpu-profiles | dhcpservers | dvds | extpacks | floppies | groups | hddbackends | hdds | hostcpuids | hostdrives | hostdvds | hostfloppies | hostinfo | hostonlyifs | hostonlynets | intnets | natnets | ostypes | runningvms | screenshotformats | systemproperties | usbfilters | usbhost | vms | webcams ]
Examples:
The VBoxManage list vms command lists all virtual machines (VMs) that are currently registered with Oracle VM VirtualBox. By default this command displays a compact list that shows the name and UUID of each VM
The following command lists the VMs that are currently running.
VBoxManage modifyvm
Change settings for a virtual machine that is stopped.
Remote Virtual Machines
Display RDP connection settings:
VBoxManage modifyvm < uuid | vmname > [--vrde= on | off ] [--vrde-property=property-name= [property-value]] [--vrde-extpack= default | name ] [--vrde-port=port] [--vrde-address=hostip] [--vrde-auth-type= null | external | guest ] [--vrde-auth-library= default | name ] [--vrde-multi-con= on | off ] [--vrde-reuse-con= on | off ] [--vrde-video-channel= on | off ] [--vrde-video-channel-quality=percent]
VBoxManage showvminfo
Show configuration information or log file contents for a virtual machine.
Synopsis:
VBoxManage showvminfo < uuid | vmname > [--details] [--machinereadable] [--password-id] [--password]
VBoxManage showvminfo < uuid | vmname > <--log=index> [--password-id id] [--password file|-]
VBoxManage startvm
The VBoxManage startvm command starts an Oracle VM VirtualBox virtual machine (VM) that is in the Powered Off or Saved state.
Synopsis:
VBoxManage startvm < uuid | vmname ...> [--putenv=name[=value]] [--type= [ gui | headless | sdl | separate ]] --password file --password-id password identifier
Examples:
The following command starts the ol7u6 VM:
The following command starts the ol7u6-mininstall VM in headless mode.
Running in headless mode runs it in Deattach mode (runs in the background, i.e. the command line returns immediately).