Start a VM from telnet on Windows XP

[sheperson]

Hi,
Here is my situation:
I have installed VirtualBox 3.0.8 on a remote machine running Windows XP SP3. Inside VB, I have installed Ubuntu Jaunty.
I connect to the host OS using Telnet and when I try to run the VM from command line, I get this error:

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VBoxManage startvm Jaunty
ERROR: Could not find a registered machine named 'jaunty'
Details: code VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0x80bb0001), component VirtualBox, interface IVirtualBox, callee IUnknown
Context: "FindMachine(Bstr(VMName), machine.asOutParam())" at line 512 of file VBoxManage.cpp

Here Jaunty is the name of the VM.

When connect to the remote machine using Remote Desktop Connection, and execute the same command, it starts the VM, but from Telnet, it doesn't.
Does anyone have any idea?
Thanks in advance.

[MarkCranness]

Perhaps try setting the VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable? (See section 9.1 of the manual).

[sheperson]

Perhaps try setting the VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable? (See section 9.1 of the manual).

Well I had seen that suggestion in another post. I tried it before posting, but that doesn't work.

[MarkCranness]

What do:

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VBoxManage -q list systemproperties
VBoxManage -q list vms

... show?
I wonder if the lower-upper-case in 'jaunty' is significant?
(I know that usually VirtualBox is case significant, but in your example, you started 'Jaunty' but the error message was 'jaunty'. Was that a transcription error or is there some case conversion going on behind the scenes?)

[sheperson]

What do:

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VBoxManage -q list systemproperties
VBoxManage -q list vms

... show?
I wonder if the lower-upper-case in 'jaunty' is significant?
(I know that usually VirtualBox is case significant, but in your example, you started 'Jaunty' but the error message was 'jaunty'. Was that a transcription error or is there some case conversion going on behind the scenes?)

Well I ran both commands and here are the outputs:

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C:\>VBoxManage -q list vms
C:\>

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C:\>VBoxManage -q list systemproperties
Minimum guest RAM size:      4 Megabytesge -q list systemproperties
Maximum guest RAM size:      1500 Megabytes
Maximum video RAM size:      128 Megabytes
Maximum VDI size:            2097151 Megabytes
Default hard disk folder:    C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\.VirtualBox\HardDisks
Default machine folder:      C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\.VirtualBox\Machines
VRDP authentication library: VRDPAuth
Webservice auth. library:    VRDPAuth
Log history count:           3

And

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C:\>set
//Some more stuff here
VBOX_USER_HOME=c:\Documents and settings\Sheperson\.VirtualBox\

I have completely confused!
The set command gives one thing forVBOX_USER_HOME but VBoxManage gives something different for Default machine folder!!!

[MarkCranness]

Is it an access rights issue? What happens if you:

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notepad "c:\Documents and settings\Sheperson\.VirtualBox\VirtualBox.xml"
notepad %VBOX_USER_HOME%VirtualBox.xml

[sheperson]

Is it an access rights issue? What happens if you:

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notepad "c:\Documents and settings\Sheperson\.VirtualBox\VirtualBox.xml"
notepad %VBOX_USER_HOME%VirtualBox.xml

Well I cannot do it, because I am connecting via telnet.
However, I don't think it is an access rights problems, because I use the same user for telnet and Remote Desktop.
In Remote Desktop Connection, I can run it VBoxManage from command line with no problem.

[MarkCranness]

Well I cannot do it, because I am connecting via telnet.

Doh!

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cacls "c:\Documents and settings\Sheperson\.VirtualBox\VirtualBox.xml"
type "c:\Documents and settings\Sheperson\.VirtualBox\VirtualBox.xml"
type %VBOX_USER_HOME%VirtualBox.xml

[sheperson]

Hi,
It is now working!
To my great surprise, it is working now. I think the problem was with the VBOX_USER_HOME environment variable. Not with setting it, because it was set right.
I hadn't restarted my PC since setting the variable, and now after a reboot, it is working. I think it is the VirtualBox's problem (actually the service) which is faulty in checking environment variable.
Thanks again for your help.