vboxmanage can't list running vm

[j194]

New to virtualbox user on Debian testing, with Virtual Box 5.2.12

VBoxManage list hostinfo works fine.
I start a vm up from the gui, and vm is working.
VBoxManage list vms --long returns nothing.

Searching forums returned several thousand hits on "vboxmanage", but I do not know enough about this problem to narrow the search.
Is there a way to tell Vboxmanage to look for the vm where the gui finds it? Or is there a more appropriate fix ?

Thanks

[j194]

I found out that vboxmanage will see the vms if the cli is logged as that user but not if as root. Seems this may be enough to modify the vms or clone them, etc. I am unclear on permissions and how they work here, but at least this much is clearer.
Sorry for any inconvenience; Hope the info may help other newbies.

[andyp73]

VirtualBox is a per user application so if you are logged in as user j194 then VBoxManage will show you the virtual machines you have created / have running. If you are logged in as root then they will have a different set of virtual machines that may or may not be running separately.

-Andy.