[VBoxVmService] -> Announcements

[mattz]

Foreword by Technologov:

VBoxVmService is a service, that allows you to control VirtualBox without logging in, as a server.

This is the current list of features:

* start your virtual machines from a native windows service at boot time

* safely shut down your serviced VMs when the host system is shut down or rebooted

* no need for a user to be logged on to the host system at any time

* configuration through a simple ".INI" file

* control up to 127 virtual machines with a single service instance

* parallel installation of multiple service instances makes it possible to run one VM per service or to group VMs within service instances

* register additional VMs with a service instance even during runtime

* supporting console tools to control (startup / shutdown) single VMs that have been (bulk-) started or stopped by the service

* supports VirtualBox 4.0


====================
Ok everyone, this will be the new announcements and info thread. Please post all support issues and discussion here: http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=4762

--mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService rel20081009 has arrived!

What's new this time?

Based on user feedback from the VirtualBox forums, the logging mechanisms have been completely revamped to provide more and detailed information on the software components' status within the logfile. This release should make troubleshooting VBoxVmService a whole lot easier. Thanks to all the guys here at the forums for their suggestions and solutions.

Furthermore the software now supports Windows Users to have whitespaces within their login-name (e.g: "Marc Smith").

The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService rel20081010 has arrived!

What's new -- since yesterday???

FIXED SOME URGENT ERRORS, THAT MIGHT PREVENT VBoxVmService FROM BRINGING UP THE VIRTUAL MACHINE(S) AT ALL.

The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService has reached EOL (end of life).

Hello everyone,

since VBoxVmService has reached 2000+ downloads and is working for the desired purpose on many windows based hostsystems now, I have decided to not furthermore contribute to this project. Personally I had hoped to gain some developer interest and to inspire other developers to help refine the code but that just did not happen.

Nevertheless, I decided to start a new VirtualBox related project:

vboxWebAdmin (currently hosted here: http://vboxwebadmin.blogspot.com/)

I want to take the opportunity and thank all the users that helped VBoxVmService with their constructive feedback in the discussions and support thread (http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=4762&start=75), especially Technologov, TerryE, originofstorms, nimrod, moonty & mrpeggit. The project page on sourceforge (http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice/) will remain online and since all sourcecodes are supplied any interested developer can decide to pick up and continue the project or start a spin-off at any later point.

Best regards,

-- mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService rel20091103-win7 has arrived!

What's new in this release?

- Windows 7 support was added.
- Buggy code of runserv / runasv has been removed from the project.
- Documentation was reworked.
- Config file VBoxVmService.ini was slimmed by 3 parameters.


Thanks to user FB2000 for his extensive research, his supplied patches and his testing efforts!


The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService rel20091109-win7 has arrived!

What's new in this release?

- No more hardlinking during install procedure.
- Support for the VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable was added.
- Documentation was reworked.


Thanks to user FB2000 for his continuous testing efforts!


The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz

[IT.NeverEnds]

VBoxVmService rel20091109-win7 has arrived!

What's new in this release?

- No more hardlinking during install procedure.
- Support for the VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable was added.
- Documentation was reworked.


Thanks to user FB2000 for his continuous testing efforts!


The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz

Thanks for the effort, i have no need for this utility now but it's good to know that it's out-there

[mattz]

VBoxVmService rel20091210-win7 has arrived!

What's new in this release?

- fixed startup issues with Virtualbox 3.1.0


Thanks to user FB2000 for his continuous testing efforts!


The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService rel20100817-win7 has arrived!

What's new in this release?

- Support for VBOX_USER_HOME now set up during installation process.

- Support for the VBOX_INSTALL_PATH parameter.

- Minor overall code improvements.

- Reworked documentation.



Thanks again to FB2000 for his contributions!


The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService welcomes FB2000!

This very forum's user FB2000 has decided to officially join the VBoxVmService project as a maintainer and developer.

Most of you will already know him from his various posts in the support forum ( http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4762 ) and from the many patches and ideas he already contributed to VBoxVmService over the past few months.

I am convinced, that he will be of great value to the project.

Cheers, mattz

[mattz]

The Red Dragon is rising...

Hi guys - this will be just a quick heads up, so here we go:

A lot has been cooking, since FB2000 joined VBoxVmService's development team. The architecture has been reassessed, the code has been almost completely rewritten from scratch and we found a new interaction concept, that is both simpler and way more elegant. (Plus it gives us and other developers an easy approach to develop further options for VBoxVmService.)

We have decided to mark this huge leap forward in VBoxVmService's development by switching to a new naming scheme. The next release will be our version 2.0.
For additional identification purposes, each version will carry a unique codename starting with the upcoming release.

VBoxVmService 2.0 is almost ready and we should be deploying it within the next 48 hours. So you better cancel your weekend plans and stay tuned.

Cheers, mattz

[mattz]

VBoxVmService 2.0 - "Red Dragon" has arrived!

What's new?

- Codebase almost rewritten from scratch
- No more batch-, run- and lock-files
- Configuration slimmed by several parameters
- New interaction model with VmServiceControl
- Supports XP, 2003, VISTA & Win7

The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Cheers, mattz & FB2000

[mattz]

VBoxVmService hit 15.000+ downloads

What's up?

Well... nothing much actually.

I just wanted to state that I really think that VBoxVmService's latest rework has been the most sophisticated step forward in all it's 2 and a half years of project-lifespan so far.
(Most of the credits for that have to go to FB2000, who has done amazing redesigns in a very short period of time!)

To sum it up: Support requests have dropped notably - I choose to take this a good sign regarding stabilty and ease of use...

Furthermore I noted that VBoxVmService has just recently passed a total of 15.000(!) downloads from Sourceforge, which is amazing, given that it is quite a "special purpose app".

So I would like to take this moment of peace to start an official "Call for features" regarding VBoxVmService. The call for features will stay open until November, 30th this year. After that, there will be a period of evaluation, which of the demanded features will be put into existance. I strongly encourage further developers to join in on the project - if you think you can contribute to VBoxVmService, you will be more than welcome!


To centralize all proposals in one place, please post your suggestions and feature requests here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35147&start=0


Best, FB2000 & mattz



The latest release (2.0 - "Red Dragon") is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Cheers, mattz & FB2000

[FB2000]

Merry Christmas, VBoxVmService 2.1 - "Reindeer" has arrived!

What's new?

- PauseShutdown now became global setting. When service is stopped, it doesn't make sense to wait VM0 to shutdown, then VM1, then VM2, ..., etc. Now all the VMs will start shutting down at once, and all are expected to finish within time specified as PauseShutdown.
- Added too way communication between the service and control program. Show service output after control command get executed.
- Added new commands to show current VM status and check service environment.
- Better input sanitizing.


The release is available from the official Sourceforge Site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/vboxvmservice


Now run off and grab it, while it's hot!


Also note: New member in development team

Runar joined the project in December 2010, bringing lots of creative improvements like too way communication between the service and control program, new commands to show current VM status and check service environment, etc. Runar is the hero behind this 2.1 "Reindeer" release.


Cheers,
The VBoxVmService Development Team

[mattz]

PLEASE NOTE THAT REINDEER HAS NOT BEEN TESTED OR APPROVED FOR VIRTUALBOX 4.0 SO FAR. SO FOR NOW AND UNTIL WE APPROVE VIRTUALBOX 4.0 TO WORK WITH VBOXVMSERVICE 2.1 REINDEER, YOU WILL USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

-- Merry Christmas to all of you from the VBoxVmService Dev Team