APFS File System

Discussions about using Mac OS X guests (on Apple hardware) in VirtualBox.
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LU611
Posts: 4
Joined: 9. Feb 2017, 10:29

APFS File System

Post by LU611 »

The Mac os 10.13 Beta version is available.
With this version, it seems possible to have a file system in APFS.
Does VirtualBox support this format?

Thanks.
socratis
Site Moderator
Posts: 27330
Joined: 22. Oct 2010, 11:03
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Win(*>98), Linux*, OSX>10.5
Location: Greece

Re: APFS File System

Post by socratis »

VirtualBox couldn't care less what your format is, either on the host or on the guest. On the host side, it asks for file allocation from the host using standard APIs, which don't really know if you're using HFS, HFS+, HFS+ Case Sensitive, exFAT, NTFS or ZFS.

On the guest side (and since you posted in the OSX guests section), VirtualBox doesn't care, know or can know what your guest's underlying filesystem is. It only provides a (virtual) "hard disk". What you do with it, is up to you and your guest OS, not VirtualBox.
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maker675
Posts: 90
Joined: 30. Oct 2015, 08:16

Re: APFS File System

Post by maker675 »

I read that (wikipedia):

APFS adds the ability to have multiple logical drives (referred to as Volumes) in the same container where free space is available to all volumes in that container.[9] An APFS container can be either a single physical partition or built from two partitions on separate drives such as a Fusion Drive.


Does this mean that it will be possible for Virtualbox to reserve less space for a Guest OS Volume and then extend that space as it needs to on the fly?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: APFS File System

Post by mpack »

As Socratis said, VirtualBox doesn't care two hoots for the host filesystem. A VDI is just a file on the host. The host cares about the filesystem, the apps running on the host do not. The filesystem has no effect whatever on the internal structure of the VDI, or its size (except of course by limiting it).
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