This issue is very interesting to me too. I enabled lucid-backports and downloaded the newer version of virtualbox. Unfortunately it does not seem to have the VNC option enabled any more as of 5th Jan 2011.
~# VBoxManage --version 3.2.8_OSEr64453 Typing 'VBoxManage --help' includes the following snippet: VBoxManage startvm <uuid>|<name> [--type gui|sdl|headless] -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/420190 Title: VBoxHeadless has no way of accessing graphical console -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs