Display GUI for Running VirtualBox Guest Without GUI from Command Line
I tend to start most of my Virtual Box guests from the command line of console with detachable (–type separate) GUI, or with no GUI at all (–type headless). Today I found the need to do some work on a running virtual machine guest through a GUI and wanted to do this from the command line without restarting the guests and realized I didn’t know how.
Powering on VirtualBox Virtual Guests
Typical guest startup methods I use from the command line:
Getting to GUI from Command Line
When I start guests as above and subsequently exit the GUI, if any, and leave the guest running, I can get the GUI to display without restarting via commands like the following:
Conclusion
While there does not appear to be a direct command designated to allow connection to a GUI for a running guest without a GUI, issuing a start command on a running guest with a startup type that displays a GUI does display the guest in a GUI without restarting it. Unfortunately, my initial testing indicates that exiting the GUI of a running guest needs to be done from the GUI, however I may look into this further and will post an updated if I find a command line solution for exiting.