Virtual Machines are very useful when doing security/Operating System research. Below are some commandline strings that are useful when working with Virtualbox:
To create/set up a VM:
VBoxManage createvm --name "Windows XP" --register VBoxManage modifyvm "Windows XP" --memory 512--acpi on VBoxManage createhd --remember --format VHD --filename "Windows XP.vhd" --size 20000 VBoxManage storagectl "Windows XP" --name "IDE Controller" --add ide --controller PIIX4 VBoxManage modifyvm "Windows XP" --hda "Windows XP.vhd" VBoxManage openmedium dvd ~/Windows\ XP.iso VBoxManage modifyvm "Windows XP" --dvd ~/Windows\XP.iso VBoxHeadless --startvm "Windows XP" -vrdpport 3389& VBoxManage controlvm "Windows XP" dvdattach none //detach media from VM VBoxManage openmedium/closemedium dvd ~/Windows\ 7.iso //unregister disk image with VBox server VBoxManage controlvm "Windows XP" poweroff/reset/acpipowerbutton //change power state of VM VBoxManage snapshot DC1 discardcurrent --state //discard a VM state and revert to previous snapshot VBoxManage clonehd DC1.vhd DC2.vhd //clone a hdd VBoxManage convertdd hda.img hda.vdi //convert a raw dd'ed image to a vdi disk VBoxManage modifyvm DC1 --nic1 bridged insert VBoxGuestAdditions.iso ***make sure the tun and p8022 kernel modules are loaded and change a line in the .VirtualBox/Machines/<Machine name>.xml file: <BridgedInterface name=""/> -> <BridgedInterface name="eth0"/>*** VBoxManage showvminfo victim //show info about a vm VBoxManage showhdinfo victim.vhd //show info about a hard disk
ctrl+alt+end send ctrl+alt+del to VM
To savestate and resume:
VBoxManage controlvm DC1 savestate VBoxHeadless --startvm "DC1"&
To attach a host dvd(make sure nonroot has read access to /dev/sr0):
VBoxManage storageattach Utilities2 --type dvddrive --type dvddrive --port 1 --device 0 --storagectl "IDE Controller" --medium host:/dev/cdrom
By: Neil Sikka