[Solved] Install new VM from multiple VMware files

[albus]

Hi, I got a set of files from a VMware virtual machine, which I am trying to clone on my Mac. Does any of you know how to successfully do this?

Here is the list of files:

VM-package-s001.vmdk
...
VM-package-s101.vmdk
package.nvram
package.vmdk
VM-package.vmsd
VM-package.vmx
VM-package.vmxf
caches
vmware-0.log
vmware-1.log
vmware-2.log
vmware.log

[mpack]

The only files VirtualBox will be interested in are the VMDK files, everything else being VMWare-specific. VMDK is VMWare's virtual disk image format.

You appear to have a segmented VMDK (all the xxx-Snnn files are numbered segments). I would expect to see a small descriptor file called "VM-package.vmdk". I would clone that file to VDI format using "VBoxManage clonehd VM-package.vmdk VM-package.vdi --format VDI --variant Standard". Then I would create a new VM around the VDI.

You could also do the conversion to VDI by running CloneVDI under Wine. This would have the advantage that you can enable compaction during the conversion, which should greatly reduce the file size.

p.s. Although I don't see a "VM-package.vmdk", I do see a "package.vmdk", which is probably the correct file. It's hard to say when I don't have the file sizes.

[albus]

Hi, thanks for your suggestions! This is the error I got from VBoxManage clonehd:

0%...10%...
Progress state: VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR
VBoxManage: error: Failed to clone hard disk
VBoxManage: error: Could not create the clone medium '/Volumes/ALBERTO_HD/J-PARC_May2014/Virtual_Machine_BL18/STARGazer-package/STARGazer-package.vdi' (VERR_FILE_TOO_BIG)
VBoxManage: error: Details: code VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR (0x80bb0004), component Medium, interface IMedium
VBoxManage: error: Context: "int handleCloneHardDisk(HandlerArg*)" at line 682 of file VBoxManageDisk.cpp

Is there a way to avoid such a problem? I will now try with CloneVDI.

[mpack]

"Too big" tells me that you're probably trying to write the clone file to a FAT32 partition. FAT32 has a 4GB file size limit.

CloneVDI with compaction should reduce this problem by making the file smaller, but there will still be a limit.

[albus]

Well spotted! I was working on an external hard drive, so all I had to do was to move the folder on my Mac and give the command again... Thanks again!