Passwordless Guest control execute fails

[Technologov]

Host: Windows XP 32-bit, Intel Core 2 Q6600, VBox 3.2.8

Guest(s): Windows 7/Vista 32/64bit, RHEL 5 x64.

According to VBox docs, section "8.28. VBoxManage guestcontrol", if I omit --password parameter, it is empty. However in practice this doesn't work. I have also tried: --password ""

In both cases command fails, until I set user's password in my Windows guest, and use it in VBoxManage.

In RHEL 5 Linux guest, I have deleted the user password in /etc/passwd by modifying the second column:

:x: --> ::

VBoxManage returns:

VERR_LOGON_FAILURE (Windows guest)

Invalid user/password credentials (Linux guest)

There is no difference whenever I use ( --password "" ) or simply skip this parameter.

If this is expected behavior, then it is worth adding a note in VBox manual.

-Technologov, 10.9.2010.

[pentagonik]

Please take another look at the user manual; there it says:

... Also, for using accounts without or with an empty password specified, the group policy needs to be changed on the guest. To do so, open the group policy editor on the command line by typing gpedit.msc, open the key Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options and change the value of Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only to Disabled. ...

[Technologov]

Aha, now I see it under section "4.7. Guest control".

And what about passwordless Linux guests ?

-Technologov

[Frank Mehnert]

Passwordless Linux guests are not supported.