HOWTO: Cloning a complete VM (not only the VDI)

[virtuoso]

There are so many steps involved with cloning a VDI!

I wish I could just right-click on an existing VDI and hit the "Clone..." button!

Why not add that? You can create custom context menu items in Windows, and I'm sure you can do the same for Linux and other OSes.

Hmm that sounds a little advanced for me! I just don't have enough time to research it.

Ideally I'd like to be able to right click within the VBox VDI Manager vs. using the Explorer context menu.

[JFQueralt]

Well, that´s one of the reasons why VMware´s VM Player is useful.
There should be a way to pack machines and distribute them untouched.

Jean.

[dogsthat]

FWIW, I had to copy the Snapshots folder from the original VM. I then had to edit the

Code: Select all

stateFile="..."

line in the XML file so that it is the same as the Snapshots .sav file name in the error message.

Then there's another error message, saying that the saved state is invalid. Go the Virtualbox GUI, right-click on the VM and go to

Code: Select all

Settings...

go to

Code: Select all

Hard disks

and

Code: Select all

add a new hard disk attachment

(the .vdi image that you copied previously).

Finally, it works

Hope that helps. btw I'm using version 2.0.4_OSE on ubuntu 08.10

[cveld]

Some questions:
1. Looks like that in the meanwhile VirtualBox has introduced a specific function in the box for cloning a complete VM making this tutorial obsolete?
2. Is sysprep important when you clone a complete Windows-based VM?
3. Is the procedure different for cloning VHD?

[socratis]

making this tutorial obsolete?

Actually the dates of the posts are a major clue. Everything but the last one (from Jan/2009) are from Oct/2008. That's almost 6 years old!!! Maybe it's time to start a new thread with your questions?

[mpack]

I'm closing this ancient thread. Anyone now looking to clone a complete VM can, since VirtualBox 4.1.0, right click the VM in the GUI and select "Clone" from the menu.