Determine the machine name(s) by issuing: vboxmanage list vms, if you need to backup only particular vm's. Otherwise use the backup script.
[following callously stolen from: https://vorkbaard.nl/how-to-set-up-a-virtualbox-server-in-debian-9-web-interface-autostart-backup/]
I’ve put this in /home/vbox/backupvms.sh.
[code]
#!/bin/bash
# Loop through all VirtualBox VMs, pause, export,
# and restore them to their original states.
#
# Vorkbaard, 2012-02-01, 2018-02-09
# =============== Set your variables here ===============
EXPORTDIR=/var/vmbackup
LOGFILE=/home/vbox/export.log
MYMAIL=root
VBOXMANAGE="/usr/bin/VBoxManage -q"
# =======================================================
# Generate a list of all VMs
for VM in $(vboxmanage list vms | rev | cut -d’ ‘ -f1 | rev)
do
ERR="nothing"
SECONDS=0
# Get VM’s friendly name
FRIENDLYNAME=$(vboxmanage showvminfo –machinereadable $VM | grep "name=" | cut -d’"’ -f2)
# Delete old $LOGFILE file if it exists
if [ -e $LOGFILE ]; then rm $LOGFILE; fi
# Get the vm state
VMSTATE=$(vboxmanage showvminfo $VM –machinereadable | grep "VMState=" | cut -f 2 -d "=")
echo "$VM’s state is: $VMSTATE."
# If the VM’s state is running or paused, save its state
if [[ $VMSTATE == \"running\" || $VMSTATE == \"paused\" ]]; then
vboxmanage controlvm $VM savestate
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then ERR="saving the state"; fi
fi
# Export the vm as appliance
if [ "$ERR" == "nothing" ]; then
vboxmanage export $VM –output $EXPORTDIR/$VM-new.ova &> $LOGFILE
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
ERR="exporting"
else
# Remove old backup and rename new one
if [ -e $EXPORTDIR/$VM.ova ]; then rm $EXPORTDIR/$VM.ova; fi
mv $EXPORTDIR/$VM-new.ova $EXPORTDIR/$VM.ova
# Get file size
FILESIZE=$(du -h $EXPORTDIR/$VM.ova | cut -f 1)
fi
else
echo "Not exporting because the VM’s state couldn’t be saved." &> $LOGFILE
fi
# Resume the VM to its previous state if that state was paused or running
if [[ $VMSTATE == \"running\" || $VMSTATE == \"paused\" ]]; then
vboxmanage startvm $VM –type headless
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then ERR="resuming"; fi
if [ $VMSTATE == \"paused\" ]; then
vboxmanage controlvm $VM pause
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then ERR="pausing"; fi
fi
fi
# Calculate duration
duration=$SECONDS
duration="Operation took $(($duration / 60)) minutes, $(($duration % 60)) seconds."
# Notify the admin
if [ "$ERR" == "nothing" ]; then
MAILBODY="Virtual Machine $FRIENDLYNAME was exported succesfully!"
MAILBODY="$MAILBODY"$’\n’"$duration"
MAILBODY="$MAILBODY"$’\n’"Export filesize: $FILESIZE"
MAILSUBJECT="VM $VM succesfully backed up"
else
MAILBODY="There was an error $ERR VM $VM."
if [ "$ERR" == "exporting" ]; then
MAILBODY=$(echo $MAILBODY && cat $LOGFILE)
fi
MAILSUBJECT="Error exporting VM $VM"
fi
# Send the mail
echo "$MAILBODY" | mail -s "$MAILSUBJECT" $MYMAIL
# Clean up
if [ -e $LOGFILE ]; then rm $LOGFILE; fi
done
[/code]
Chown the script to the vbox user and make it executable:
[code]
# chown vbox /home/vbox/backupvms.sh
# chmod +x /home/vbox/backupvms.sh
[/code]