virtualbox - How can I start a VM without getting a window?

VirtualBox has a window showing the display of the guest OS. I am connecting to VirtualBox with Remote Desktop, so I don't need VirtualBox to show that window in the host OS.

Of course, I can minimize it, but is there a way to tell VirtualBox not to display that window?

Answer

First, make sure that the Virtual Box binaries are in your path. This is done by default on Linux, but in Windows, you might have to manually add the installation directory's bin folder to your path.

Then, you need to know either your Guest OS name or UUID number. You can find both of these by typing

VBoxManage list vms

into a terminal. From there, simply type

VBoxHeadless -s 

or

VBoxHeadless -s 

This launches the VM without attaching its display to a window. Now all you have to do is set this command as a boot-time service that runs in the background, and you'll be set.