Default VM Start Method

[jeremywj]

Would like to see the ability to set detachable mode as the default start method when pressing the big green start button in the GUI.

[Nick Hibma]

Yes, me too (not other way to CC: this bug to me too).

[domiel]

Ditto for me. The VirtualBox UI has improved greatly over the last few years but this is my current bug bear... I have clumsy fingers and often I will accidentally launch a VM in "Normal Start" mode...

Perhaps, being able to define what "Normal Start" means via the preferences would be a better choice; users that like the way things are can keep the status quo and those of us who would like to change it could customise.

[nixomose]

For what it's worth I vote for this too, it would be awesome. Not sure what the point is of a normal start actually, since you get the functionality of normal with detached.

[Socratis]

There is already a key combination Shift+Start which launches the VM in a headless mode. Maybe the solution would be to add another combination, like Ctrl+Shift+Start. Detachable is an experimental new mode and maybe they didn't have enough time to refine its behavior.

@nicomose: You may get the same functionality, but you do not get the same performance. From the user manual:

Starts a VM with detachable UI (technically it is a headless VM with user interface in a separate process). This is an experimental feature as it lacks certain functionality at the moment (e.g. 3D acceleration will not work).

[winrar]

Replying to domiel:

Perhaps, being able to define what "Normal Start" means via the preferences would be a better choice; users that like the way things are can keep the status quo and those of us who would like to change it could customise.

This option makes the most sense to me, whether to start Normal, Detachable, or Headless.

Also, does a keyboard shortcut exist to start a VM?

[Socratis]

Replying to winrar:

Also, does a keyboard shortcut exist to start a VM?

Not by default, but you can define one in the preferences.

[vlad88sv]

Voting for this feature! - as of VBox 6.0.4r128413 it's still cumbersome to click the little arrow under the big green start button.

Thanks!

[Socratis]

@vlad88sv

As I said in the comment right above yours, you can assign a hotkey to that operation:

VirtualBox Preferences » Input » VirtualBox Manager » Headless Start » assign a key.

For example I have Cmd+O assigned to my "Normal Start", I don't even want to be clicking that arrow.

[sylr]

I'd also appreciate this.

[g-de]

Also looking for this.

Tbh, I can't understand why the default isn't "Detachable". It gives the benefit of launching and showing the user a UI immediately and the benefit of being able to hide the UI without having to stop the VM.

[Socratis]

g-de,

Please read the thread from the beginning, all the answers are already in there...

[Akito]

Also looking for this, as I want the arrow in the UI defaulting to "Detachable Start", without needing to use any hotkeys.

[Auracle]

No way after 6 years this havn't changed Do I really need to selected detachable start at each start, come on

[Belth245]

I would very much vote for something like this in some way, shape, or form to be implemented.

Maybe not as a general setting but as a setting on a per-VM basis so you can set headless VMs to start headless (e.g. for servers providing services like Mattermost, Puppet, ...), GUI-VMs to start with a GUI (e.g. for Desktop OSes) and so on.

[ebenfo]

I can only fully agree with the previous speakers! Six years of testing phase should be enough to make a startup mode, which practically always fits and never disturbs, simply the standard behavior in the GUI. Also the programming effort for this should be very limited :o)

[pentagonik]

Feel free to improve this by sending in a contribution!