Automatic Start Guest VM ?

[Ravno]

Is there is a (preferably easy) way to automatically start Win XP Guest as soon as the Host (Mac 10.6.x) boots up ?

[rpmurray]

It depends on what you mean by "host boots up". If you mean once you get past the login screen (or if you have automatic login enabled) then yes. You would just need to add the settings file for your guest to the Login Items for your account.

If you mean whenever you turn the host on but before you've logged on then it's more difficult. See this link VBox Daemon for Mac OS X for a discussion that you may be able to adapt to your purposes.

[Ravno]

Thanks, rpMurray,

it's Ok when Guest Machine starts after somebody logged in. I went now to the Login Items and it i'm only able to add the Programm there which hast to be started. So, i can start the VirtualBox automatically now. However, i don't see the way there to specify any Parameters (or specific Guest machine).
Some more help, please ...

thanks !

[rpmurray]

If you have your VM guests stored in their default location, which should be:

[hard disk]/Users/[your account]/Library/VirtualBox/VirtualBox VMs

look for the [VM guest].vbox settings file which should be in a folder with the same name as the VM guest.

You can either drag it to your Login Items window in Accounts within System Preferences or use the + in Login Items to browse to where the settings file is located and Add it.

[Ravno]

thanks, rpmurray, it has worked !

the final polishing would be, if there was the way how to minimize the started VMGuest also automatically (or to let it start in minimized state). Is it possible ?

[rpmurray]

I haven't tried it but I think you can get the guest to start in a minimized state by enabling the Hide checkbox for it in Login Items.