Accessing raw partitions with VMDK (VirtualBox 1.4)
Greetings to all.
i've followed the steps and successfuly managed to install a fresh system via vBox on a separate hard drive set as a rawdisk. I'm very pleased vith the performance since i use vBox to access Photoshop and other graphics software, and all of them work much faster now that they are on a real (physical) and separate drive. I also use a separate rawdisk partition for scratch files which also benefits the performance.
I have only one question. It is said that no concurent access should be allowed, so the rawdisk's partitions shouldn't be mounted into host OS. Does that count only for when the virtual machine is running? I mean, can i mount those partitions into host when i'm not running virtual box without something going bad if i copy some files to and from those partitions ?
thx to everyone here for being so persistent and determined in problem solving. I'm very much into experimentation with virtualBox, and after trying various virtualisation solutions i found it as the best, and hope that it will only be better in the future. Keep up the good work
i've followed the steps and successfuly managed to install a fresh system via vBox on a separate hard drive set as a rawdisk. I'm very pleased vith the performance since i use vBox to access Photoshop and other graphics software, and all of them work much faster now that they are on a real (physical) and separate drive. I also use a separate rawdisk partition for scratch files which also benefits the performance.
I have only one question. It is said that no concurent access should be allowed, so the rawdisk's partitions shouldn't be mounted into host OS. Does that count only for when the virtual machine is running? I mean, can i mount those partitions into host when i'm not running virtual box without something going bad if i copy some files to and from those partitions ?
thx to everyone here for being so persistent and determined in problem solving. I'm very much into experimentation with virtualBox, and after trying various virtualisation solutions i found it as the best, and hope that it will only be better in the future. Keep up the good work
Sure, if the VM is not running then you can access the other partitions. The general rule is you need to avoid simultaneous access to the same filesystem by two different OSs that don't know about each other. It would be the same as if you wrote two programs that both updated a single file without knowing about each other - the file would get horribly corrupted.
Guy Rouillier
@guyr: thanks for confirming mate
btw, if i understood this method (use of raw disk) correctly, the hard drive i used to setup windows on could be set up as primary and booted outside virtualbox on a real computer, but ,of course, would run onto a new and completely different hardware configuration and most probably would not complete the startup sequence (unless i've created a hardware profile for that hardware) ?
btw, if i understood this method (use of raw disk) correctly, the hard drive i used to setup windows on could be set up as primary and booted outside virtualbox on a real computer, but ,of course, would run onto a new and completely different hardware configuration and most probably would not complete the startup sequence (unless i've created a hardware profile for that hardware) ?
..:: http://www.psygraphix.com :: http://nemezees.deviantart.com ::..
-
- Volunteer
- Posts: 3572
- Joined: 28. May 2008, 08:40
- Primary OS: Ubuntu other
- VBox Version: PUEL
- Guest OSses: Ubuntu 10.04 & 11.10, both Svr&Wstn, Debian, CentOS
- Contact:
Guy, dual booting Linux is quite straight forward as long as you reset the udev rules for the MAC addresses on your NICs (physical vs. virtual). VTs post discusses how to do this for Windows. It can be done. I've got a test rig which can boot the XP install on the bare H/W and on the VM. You need to have two profiles -- one which loads your native H/W drivers and one which loads your virtual H/W ones. So it is possible but is not really something that I would recommend you trying unless you really understood virtualisation and Windows configuration.
Read the Forum Posting Guide
Google your Q site:VirtualBox.org or search for the answer before posting.
Google your Q site:VirtualBox.org or search for the answer before posting.
I'm having just as much trouble on Windows;
Anyone know why this might fail here? partition 6 is actually an ext3 partition from an existing Linux install I am hoping to migrate..
Code: Select all
C:\Program Files\Sun\xVM VirtualBox>vboxmanage internalcommands listpartitions -
rawdisk //./PhysicalDrive0
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 2.0.4
(C) 2005-2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Number Type StartCHS EndCHS Size (MiB) Start (Sect)
1 0x07 0 /1 /1 1023/254/63 29996 63
5 0x83 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 258 61432623
6 0x83 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 16386 61962768
7 0x0c 1023/254/63 1023/254/63 29651 95522553
C:\Program Files\Sun\xVM VirtualBox>vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -f
ilename D:\Virtualbox\raw.vmdk -rawdisk //./PhysicalDrive0 -partitions 6 -r
egister
VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 2.0.4
(C) 2005-2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.
RAW host disk access VMDK file D:\Virtualbox\raw.vmdk created successfully.
[!] FAILED calling aVirtualBox->OpenHardDisk(filename, hardDisk.asOutParam()) at
line 1207!
[!] Primary RC = E_FAIL (0x80004005) - Unspecified error
[!] Full error info present: true , basic error info present: true
[!] Result Code = E_FAIL (0x80004005) - Unspecified error
[!] Text = VD: error opening image file 'D:\Virtualbox\raw.vmdk' (VE
RR_FILE_NOT_FOUND)
[!] Component = HardDisk, Interface: IHardDisk, {fd443ec1-000f-4f5b-9282-d7276
0a66916}
[!] Callee = IVirtualBox, {557a07bc-e6ae-4520-a361-4a8493199137}
C:\Program Files\Sun\xVM VirtualBox>
What if I can't run MergeIDE?
I have the "Check for viruses" etc. screen problem. I've read through this thread, and the wiki entry. It looks like MergeIDE would solve my problem... except that it has to run on the original system. But, my original system is dead. That's why I want to boot the drive with VirtualBox -- I pulled the drive from my dead laptop, and put it in an external case.
I can mount the drive under Linux and write to it. Is there a way to apply the necessary changes from there?
I can mount the drive under Linux and write to it. Is there a way to apply the necessary changes from there?
-
- Volunteer
- Posts: 3572
- Joined: 28. May 2008, 08:40
- Primary OS: Ubuntu other
- VBox Version: PUEL
- Guest OSses: Ubuntu 10.04 & 11.10, both Svr&Wstn, Debian, CentOS
- Contact:
Re: What if I can't run MergeIDE?
IIRC, if you look at Vkov's tutorial at the head of Windows Guests you will see this discussed and the links to a Linux tool that can edit the registry hives on the Windows boot partition.wmcbrine wrote:I can mount the drive under Linux and write to it. Is there a way to apply the necessary changes from there?
Of course, the alternative is to boot from your Windows media in recovery mode in the VM and make the fixes that way.
Read the Forum Posting Guide
Google your Q site:VirtualBox.org or search for the answer before posting.
Google your Q site:VirtualBox.org or search for the answer before posting.
Re: What if I can't run MergeIDE?
I don't see that there.TerryE wrote:IIRC, if you look at Vkov's tutorial at the head of Windows Guests you will see this discussed
I did find that. Unfortunately, it's very... manual. It won't just accept a .reg file and apply it. But I couldn't find any other way, so I started going through the steps in MergeIDE by hand -- extracted the files with cabextract, and started creating the registry entries. At one point, I stopped. I realized that most of them wouldn't actually be needed, although I wasn't sure which would. So I just tried with what I had, and I got lucky. Then all I had to do was reactivate XP.and the links to a Linux tool that can edit the registry hives on the Windows boot partition.
Yeah, I couldn't do that either. No media -- I got this laptop without it. (It had been a display unit, not that that excuses it.)Of course, the alternative is to boot from your Windows media in recovery mode in the VM and make the fixes that way.
Anyway, that was a lot more of a chore than I expected, but I'm happy now.
-
- Volunteer
- Posts: 17798
- Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
- Primary OS: Debian other
- VBox Version: PUEL
- Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
- Location: /dev/random
Re: What if I can't run MergeIDE?
It's a sticky. You can't miss it.wmcbrine wrote:I don't see that there.TerryE wrote:IIRC, if you look at Vkov's tutorial at the head of Windows Guests you will see this discussed
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org
Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org
Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
Re: What if I can't run MergeIDE?
I saw the tutorial. It's the discussion of my issue within it that I don't see.Sasquatch wrote:It's a sticky. You can't miss it.wmcbrine wrote:I don't see that there.TerryE wrote:IIRC, if you look at Vkov's tutorial at the head of Windows Guests you will see this discussed
-
- Volunteer
- Posts: 3572
- Joined: 28. May 2008, 08:40
- Primary OS: Ubuntu other
- VBox Version: PUEL
- Guest OSses: Ubuntu 10.04 & 11.10, both Svr&Wstn, Debian, CentOS
- Contact:
Re: What if I can't run MergeIDE?
Yes, you are correct. This is because some Virus packages check for changes to the MBR and that's what happens when you P2V. You click "ignore" and carry on. That still doesn't prevent any of the other driver chain issues causing your boot to stall.wmcbrine wrote:I have the "Check for viruses" etc. screen problem. ...
I can mount the drive under Linux and write to it. Is there a way to apply the necessary changes from there?
Read the Forum Posting Guide
Google your Q site:VirtualBox.org or search for the answer before posting.
Google your Q site:VirtualBox.org or search for the answer before posting.
-
- Volunteer
- Posts: 17798
- Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
- Primary OS: Debian other
- VBox Version: PUEL
- Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
- Location: /dev/random
Re: What if I can't run MergeIDE?
The Tutorial is meant as a step by step approach of how to get it working. Try it from the beginning, remove your RAW Disk VMDK images, then start all over again using that Tut. If you get errors along the way, report them here, or it's discussion topic (should be a link in that Tut).wmcbrine wrote:I saw the tutorial. It's the discussion of my issue within it that I don't see.Sasquatch wrote:It's a sticky. You can't miss it.wmcbrine wrote: I don't see that there.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org
Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org
Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
-
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 15. Nov 2010, 15:17
- Primary OS: Ubuntu other
- VBox Version: OSE other
- Guest OSses: Windows XP
Re: Accessing raw partitions with VMDK (VirtualBox 1.4)
The right way to solve this problem is this:
1) sudo su
2) umount /dev/sda2
3) chmod 666 /dev/sda* OR add current user kilou to the group disk and login again
4) VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename /home/kilou/.VirtualBox/WinXP.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 2 -relative -register
5) chown kilou:users /home/kilou/.VirtualBox/WinXP.vmdk
6) exit
1) sudo su
2) umount /dev/sda2
3) chmod 666 /dev/sda* OR add current user kilou to the group disk and login again
4) VBoxManage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename /home/kilou/.VirtualBox/WinXP.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda -partitions 2 -relative -register
5) chown kilou:users /home/kilou/.VirtualBox/WinXP.vmdk
6) exit