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Which username and password should you enter?
In VirtualBox Manager, use the unattended setup fields to choose the guest OS account’s username and password. These credentials are for signing in to the virtual machine after installation; they do not change or reuse your host account automatically.
The exact account behavior depends on the guest and setup interface. The Oracle VirtualBox User Guide for release 7.2 says the default user created on Windows is an administrator. For the GUI Linux workflow, it says a root user is also created with the same password. These statements describe the documented unattended-installation configuration, not every guest installer or operating-system release.
VBoxManage defaults and credential options
For VBoxManage 7.2.20, Oracle documents vboxuser as the default login and changeme as the default user password. Those are defaults for the CLI options, not credentials to assume for every VirtualBox Manager screen or guest installation. Provide your own values explicitly.
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| Purpose | VBoxManage option | Documented behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Login name | --user=login |
Default: vboxuser. |
| User password | --user-password=password |
Default: changeme. |
| Full name | --full-user-name=name |
Defaults to the value of --user; it is not the login name. |
| Administrator/root password | --admin-password=password |
If omitted, the user password is reused. |
These options and defaults are documented in Oracle’s VirtualBox 7.2 User Guide. For an unattended Linux install using VBoxManage, the separate administrator/root password option lets you use a different credential; the GUI Linux behavior described in the manual uses the user password for root.
Set credentials with VBoxManage
Replace the VM name or UUID, ISO path, login, and password input with values for your installation. For safer handling than typing a literal password directly into the command, the manual supports reading it from a file or standard input.
-
Run
VBoxManage unattended installfor the target VM, specifying the installation ISO and the guest login. For example:VBoxManage unattended install <VM name or UUID> --iso=<install ISO> --user=<login> --user-password-file=stdin. -
When the command reads the password from
stdin, provide the user password through standard input as appropriate for your shell and environment. The special filenamestdinis documented for--user-password-file.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
If the administrator or root account needs a distinct password, add
--admin-password=...or use--admin-password-file=.... The file option also acceptsstdin.
VBoxManage also accepts a password directly with --user-password=.... Avoid embedding real secrets in shared scripts or shell history. File or standard-input options can keep the literal password out of the command text, but Oracle’s option documentation does not guarantee secrecy in every shell or environment.
What if unattended installation is unavailable?
VirtualBox uses unattended installation by default when the selected ISO supports that mode. If it is unsuitable or unavailable for your ISO, deselect the unattended-installation option in the setup workflow and install the guest OS manually. See the VirtualBox 7.2 User Guide for the version-specific setup details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Version scope
This guidance reflects Oracle VirtualBox 7.2.20, whose User Guide is dated September 22, 2026, and the official release directory current on September 30, 2026. CLI flags and defaults can change in later releases; the VirtualBox 7.2.20 release directory identifies the version used here.
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