howto backup virtualmachine safely

[mikromike]

Hello

I would like swap ose_2.1.4 version to Puel 3.0.
I'm running virtualbox under Ubuntu 9.04

Before that I want make backup of my virtualmachines.

I have found tips from
http://www.derekhildreth.com/blog/how-t ... chine-vdi/

"This is the proper way to backup your VirtualBox Machine:

VBoxManage clonevdi source destination

Example:
VBoxManage clonevdi ~/.VirtualBox/VDI/WindowsXP.vdi ~/WindowsXP_Backup.vd "

But look likes command does not work on 2.1.4_ose :_)?

it's gives error "

mika@mika-desktop:~/.VirtualBox$

Code: Select all

 [b]sudo VBoxManage clonevdi /home/mika/.VirtualBox/VDI/[/b]

Centos5.2.vdi SME Server.vdi windows home.vdi xp pro.vdi
mika@mika-desktop:~/.VirtualBox$

Code: Select all

[b]sudo VBoxManage clonevdi /home/mika/.VirtualBox/VDI/windows\ home.vdi /var/backups/[/b]

VirtualBox Command Line Management Interface Version 2.1.4_OSE
(C) 2005-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All rights reserved.

WARNING! The following VirtualBox settings files have been automatically
converted to the new settings file format version '1.6-linux':

/root/.VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml (1.5-linux)

The current command was aborted to prevent overwriting the above settings
files with the results of the auto-conversion without your permission.
Please put one of the following command line switches to the beginning of
the VBoxManage command line and repeat the command:

-convertSettings - to save all auto-converted files (it will not
be possible to use these settings files with an
older version of VirtualBox in the future);
-convertSettingsBackup - to create backup copies of the settings files in
the old format before saving them in the new format;
-convertSettingsIgnore - to not save the auto-converted settings files.

Note that if you use -convertSettingsIgnore, the auto-converted settings files
will be implicitly saved in the new format anyway once you change a setting or
start a virtual machine, but NO backup copies will be created in this case.

Pls Advice and point to correct direction.
I'm new with virtualbox


Thanks Mika

[Perryg]

All I do is copy the VDI file to a different location. Unless you have multiple drives connected to you VM or snapshots this will work. Be sure that you write down the settings for the guest.
Or depending on the version of VBox you have you can export it and have a duplicate that you can use somewhere else. Only drawback is that it exports to a VMDK but works in VBox and others.