xdissent/ievms

ievms is a tool that automates the provisioning of Internet Explorer virtual machines in VirtualBox, enabling cross-browser compatibility testing across multiple IE versions on a single host. It downloads and configures Microsoft's official IE virtual machine images into separate VirtualBox VMs using a single command-line script, handling the entire setup process from image acquisition to guest configuration.

The project distinguishes itself through several automation features that streamline the testing workflow. It installs VirtualBox Guest Additions and configures guest control, allowing programmatic VM management from the host. For older XP-based VMs, it boots with a custom ISO that edits the Windows registry to enable guest control with a blank password. To conserve bandwidth and disk space, it duplicates an existing IE6 XP image for IE7 and IE8, and an IE9 Win7 image for IE10 and IE11. After initial setup, it creates a clean snapshot, enabling one-command reversion to a pristine state for repeatable testing.

The tool covers the full lifecycle of managing Internet Explorer virtual machines for testing, from automatic installation and image reuse to snapshot-based state management and host-based VM control. Its documentation provides the necessary guidance for setting up and using the provisioning scripts.