usage.sh

# Start your VM either manually or using vboxmanage
#
# /!\ The VM has to be started in non-headless mode for this script to work

# When you want to make it headless (dettached window) use
$ vboxsw "VM Name" d

# When you want to get the window back use
$ vboxsw "VM Name" a

# Here is an example using the IE9 VM from xdissent/ievms :
$ vboxmanage startvm 'IE9'
# Do some work inside the VM...
$ vboxsw "IE9 (clean)" d # Detach the VM's window
# Do whatever you want on your host machine or on the VM via SSH or something else
$ vboxsw "IE9 (clean)" a # Re-attach the VM's window
# Do whatever you want inside the VM using its GUI
$ vboxmanage controlvm 'IE9' poweroff

# /!\ Something important to notice : 
# As you can see in the previous example, vboxmanage works with the VM real name whereas 
# vboxsw works with window name. 
# It's partially hard coded in the script but you'll still have to give the 
# VM Name + Current snapshot name to the vboxsw script

vboxsw

#!/bin/bash

NAME=$1

ID=$(xwininfo -name "$NAME [Running] - Oracle VM VirtualBox" -int \
	| grep -e "Window id: [0-9]*" \
	| grep -oe " [0-9]* " \
	| sed 's/ //g')

if [ $2 = "d" ]
then
	[ ! -z $ID ] && xdotool windowunmap $ID
fi

if [ $2 = "a" ]
then
	[ ! -z $ID ] && xdotool windowmap $ID
fi

Had an issue or want to make feedback ?

use this: https://github.com/jubianchi/gist
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