Vbox autostart on CentOS 7

The basic steps is as follows: 

1. Install Virtualbox through the following commands: 

• # yum install epel-release -y
• # yum update -y
• # yum install gcc make patch  dkms qt libgomp kernel-headers kernel-devel fontforge binutils glibc-headers glibc-devel  -y
• # wget http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/rpm/rhel/virtualbox.repo
• # yum install VirtualBox-5.2
• # /usr/lib/virtualbox/vboxdrv.sh setup
• # usermod -a -G vboxusers USERNAME

2. Configure Vbox for Autostart: 

• # cd /etc/vbox/
• vim /etc/default/virtualbox

       Enter the following in the file virtualbox: 

          VBOXAUTOSTART_DB=/etc/vbox
          VBOXAUTOSTART_CONFIG=/etc/vbox/autostart.cfg

• # vim autostart.cfg 

         Enter the following in the file autostart
         (Can enter more users depending on access):
         # Create an entry for each user allowed to use autostart
          USERNAME = {
            allow = true
          }

Change access permissions of Vbox folder:

• sudo chgrp vboxusers /etc/vbox
• sudo chmod 1775 /etc/vbox

Provide acess right for USENAME to the group:

• sudo usermod -aG vboxusers USERNAME

3.  vboxmanage is the command comes with VirtualBox software for management. Few handy Vbox command for practice is as follows:

• vboxmanage list vms                      # list the names of all VMs
• vboxmanage list runningvms # list currently running VMs
• vboxmanage list systemproperties | grep folder            # Display current setting repository
• vboxmanage startvm NAME-OF--VM --type headless     # Command to start VM from the shell
• VBoxManage controlvm NAMEOFYOURVM savestate  # Command to hibernate VM from the shell

4. Enable autostart for individual machines: 

• vboxmanage setproperty autostartdbpath /etc/vbox

5. Set a particular VM to start on boot:

• vboxmanage modifyvm {UUID-or-Name-of-VM-Here} --autostart-enabled on --autostop-type poweroff

6. Enable vboxautostart-service to run at start up:


• sudo systemctl enable vboxautostart-service
• sudo systemctl start vboxautostart-service