using VBoxManage to upgrade Guest Additions

[marcandre42]

Hi !
I'm running VBox since v.2
I have 4 hosts running Ubuntu Server 10, WinXP and OEL 5.4, for a total of 30+ VMs, most of which are WinXP guests, some are Linux guests, etc...
Whenever a new VBOX release comes-up, after binary install, i usually perform the manual update of Guest Additions within each VM's GUI, which is quite time consuming.

I'm currently experimenting with VBoxManage controlvm ... in order to script the GA upgrade process. I didn't find any posts / google hits relating to this so I'm posting here.
I was able to launch the installation using the following cmd (from shell) :

vmmgr@hercules:/usr/bin$ VBoxManage guestcontrol execute vmherwinxpp16 "D:\VBoxWindowsAdditions-x86.exe" --arguments "/S" --username sysadmin --password *** --verbose --wait-for stdout

Output was:
Oracle VM VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 3.2.12
(C) 2005-2010 Oracle Corporation
All rights reserved.

Waiting for guest to start process ...
<...still waiting...>

then... I had to login to the VM's GUI to complete installation
Actually, the process was started in background on this winxp guest...so i had to bring it to foreground prior to being able to proceed with manual-click install.

Q1: am i going in the right direction ?
Q2: how can I specify all other required arguments on the above command line in order to "click next", "agree to continue installation anyway" and "finish" installation when done ?
Q3: should i specify --wait-for stdout or exit ?
Q4: perhaps there is a simpler way to do this.
Q5: if there is already a thread on this, please redirect me.

TIA
marcandre42

[Sasquatch]

Version 4.0.0 and up will have automatic upgrade of the Guest Additions for Windows Guests. Linux Guests are easier to control with VBoxManage like you're doing now. From what I understand with v4 is that the requirement is the v4 GA and just having the ISO mounted.
For Linux, you can always create a script on the Guest that calls the install commands to finish the installation, so all you have to do is call that script from VBoxManage guestcontrol.

[marcandre42]

Understood.
Thanks for the insight & quick reply Sasquatch.
'guess i'm now avidly awaiting v.4 releases...
Regs.
marcandre42