$Date: 2025-08-11 19:18:47 +0200 (Mon, 11 Aug 2025) $

VBoxManage unattended

VBoxManage-unattended 1
VBoxManage-unattended unattended guest OS installation &product-name;
`VBoxManage unattended detect` --iso=install-iso --machine-readable `VBoxManage unattended install` uuid vmname --iso=install-iso --user=login --user-password=password --user-password-file=file --admin-password=password --admin-password-file=file --full-user-name=name --key=product-key --install-additions --no-install-additions --additions-iso=add-iso --install-txs --no-install-txs --validation-kit-iso=testing-iso --locale=ll_CC --country=CC --time-zone=tz --proxy=url --hostname=fqdn --package-selection-adjustment=keyword --dry-run --auxiliary-base-path=path --image-index=number --script-template=file --post-install-template=file --post-install-command=command --extra-install-kernel-parameters=params --language=lang --start-vm=session-type

## Description

### unattended detect

Detects the guest operating system (OS) on the specified installation ISO and displays the result. This can be used as input when creating a VM for the ISO to be installed in.

`--iso=install-iso`

  The installation ISO to run the detection on.

`--machine-readable`

  Produce output that is simpler to parse from a script.

### unattended install

Reconfigures the specified VM for installation and optionally starts it up.

`uuid | vmname`

  Either the UUID or the name (case sensitive) of a VM.

`--iso=install-iso`

  The installation ISO to run the detection on.

`--user=login`

  The login name. (default: vboxuser)

`--user-password=password`

  The user login password. This is used for the user given by `--user` (default: changeme)

`--user-password-file=file`

  Alternative to `--user-password` for providing the user password. Special filename `stdin` can be used to read the password from standard input.

`--admin-password=password`

  The admin / root login password. If not specified, the password from `--user-password` will be used.

`--admin-password-file=file`

  Alternative to `--admin-password` for providing the admin / root password. Special filename `stdin` can be used to read the password from standard input.

`--full-user-name=name`

  The full user name. (default: --user)

`--key=product-key`

  The guest OS product key. Not all guest OSes requires this.

`--install-additions`, `--no-install-additions`

  Whether to install the VirtualBox guest additions. (default: --no-install-additions)

`--additions-iso=add-iso`

  Path to the VirtualBox guest additions ISO. (default: installed/downloaded GAs)

`--install-txs`, `--no-install-txs`

  Whether to install the Test eXecution Service (TXS) from the VirtualBox ValidationKit. This is useful when preparing VMs for testing or similar. (default: --no-install-txs)

`--validation-kit-iso=testing-iso`

  Path to the VirtualBox ValidationKit ISO. This is required if `--install-txs` is specified.

`--locale=ll_CC`

  The base locale specification for the guest, like en_US, de_CH, or nn_NO. (default: host or en_US)

`--country=CC`

  The two letter country code if it differs from the specified by `--location`.

`--time-zone=tz`

  The time zone to set up the guest OS with. (default: host time zone or UTC)

`--proxy=url`

  Proxy URL to use.

`--hostname=fqdn`

  The fully qualified domain name of the guest machine. (default: vmname.myguest.virtualbox.org)

`--package-selection-adjustment=keyword`

  Adjustments to the guest OS packages/components selection. This can be specified more than once. Currently the only recognized keyword is `minimal` which triggers a minimal installation for some of the guest OSes.

`--dry-run`

  Do not create any files or make any changes to the VM configuration.

`--start-vm=session-type`

  Start the VM using the front end given by session-type. This is the same as the `--type` option for the `startvm` command, but we have add `none` for indicating that the VM should not be started. (default: `none`)

Advanced options:

`--auxiliary-base-path=path`

  The path prefix to the media related files generated for the installation. (default: vm-config-dir/Unattended-vm-uuid-)

`--image-index=number`

  Windows installation image index. (default: 1)

`--script-template=file`

  The unattended installation script template. (default: IMachine::OSTypeId dependent)

`--post-install-template=file`

  The post installation script template. (default: IMachine::OSTypeId dependent)

`--post-install-command=command`

  A single command to run after the installation is completed. The exact format and exactly when this is run is guest OS installer dependent.

`--extra-install-kernel-parameters=params`

  List of extra Linux kernel parameters to use during the installation. (default: IMachine::OSTypeId dependent)

`--language=lang`

  Specifies the UI language for a Windows installation. The lang is generally of the form {ll}-{CC}. See the detectedOSLanguages results from `VBoxManage unattended detect`. (default: detectedOSLanguages[0])