VBoxManage expack should "upgrade" just like the GUI

[ndastur]

Centos 5.6 host, selinux disabled On a headless server using VBoxManage with on GUI un-available.

$ sudo VBoxManage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.0.10-72436.vbox-extpack 
[sudo] password for xxxxxx: 
0%...
Progress state: NS_ERROR_FAILURE
VBoxManage: error: Failed to install "/home/orlando/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.0.10-72436.vbox-extpack":
Extension pack 'Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack' is already installed. In case of a reinstallation, please uninstall it first

At this point why isn't an upgrade performed, as there is no other option and the GUI does that. I don't see the point in informing the user an uninstall is required, just ask to proceed and do it.

But anyway if I then do ...

$ sudo VBoxManage list extpacks
Extension Packs: 1
Pack no. 0:   Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack
Version:      4.0.8
Revision:     71778
Description:  USB 2.0 Host Controller, VirtualBox RDP, PXE ROM with E1000 support.
VRDE Module:  VBoxVRDP
Usable:       true 
Why unusable: 

$ sudo VBoxManage extpack uninstall --forced Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.0.8-71778.vbox-extpack 
0%...
Progress state: NS_ERROR_FAILURE
VBoxManage: error: Failed to uninstall "Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.0.8-71778.vbox-extpack": No error message available!

So can't "upgrade". BTW I have tried without --forced first, but that didn't work either.

[Frank Mehnert]

Please use VBoxManage extpack install --replace, the --replace parameter was not documented. Regarding the 2nd problem: You specified the wrong extension pack. Cut'n'paste the name from the "list" output and keep in mind to use quotes for the name. The error message is misleading of course and will be fixed.

[ndastur]

I am affraid this does not work. Using --replace or -replace results in an error: VBoxManage: error: Invalid option -r

For the second problem the explanation above is not clear. I didn't specify the wrong extension pack, VBoxManage expects

sudo VBoxManage extpack uninstall 'Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack'

Which begs the questions as to why a name even needs to be given. The whole process is about extension packs and presumably two versions can't be installed so what's the point. Also why not just work with the underscore characters.

For consistentcy I would suggest a change from Pack No to Pack name or change the usage string for uninstall from <name> -> <pack no.>

[Frank Mehnert]

Which VBox version did you try now and what was your complete command line?

VBoxManage extpack install --replace EXTPACK

should work.

The point in specifying the name of the extension pack is that different extension packs can be installed. Though there is only one extpack from Oracle available, other contributors can publish their own extension pack and there might be more extpacks available from Oracle in the future.