1. A method for a post-install configuration of virtual appliances comprising: providing a first activation tool and a second activation tool as a portion of a packaging and distribution format for a virtual machine in communication with memory, said second activation tool being appliance specific; a processor in communication with said first activation tool, said first activation tool configuring said virtual machine with an activation startup script during a boot operation; and said first activation tool calling said second activation tool with a configuration script for a virtual appliance application, wherein the configuration script is independent of the activation startup script and disassociated from an image binary of the virtual machine.