New Feature Request, VM Lock/Unlock

[lostsole2014]

Add Lock/unlock feature to prevent Base Images(used for linked clones) from being started.

or to just lock the VM from accidentally being started if you are doing some testing.

[mpack]

How do you mean, start a base image? Only VMs can be started, not disk images, and if a disk image has been used as a base for a linked clone then it will have been automatically separated from the original VM and replaced with a diff image, so it isn't possible to accidentally modify the base image by starting any VM. For damage to occur you would have to manually create a new VM which directly accesses the base disk even though it already belongs to another VM... and if you are the type to do that then I doubt any additional software protections would be very effective.

[kevincox]

Super necropost but this would be super useful for me too. The reason isn't because I am trying to prevent corruption but because I want to keep a "clean" base VM that I can clone a number of times. I want to prevent myself from accidentally "tarnsihing" my clean base by accident.

What I do currently is I export the VM so that if I accidentally mess up the base I can reimport it, however this isn't ideal because it is a pain to manage and it uses a lot more disk space.

Having an options that pops up a warning when trying to run the VM would be a simple way to prevent accidents.

[socratis]

Exporting isn't the best solution in your case. A lot of things change when exporting a VM, such as the UUID of the machine, which may either affect its operation or (let's say) Windows activation. A better solution would be to back up the whole VM folder. That, incidentally would solve your lock request quite nicely. You changed the basic VM? Restore from read-only backup. Done.

[mpack]

I want to keep a "clean" base VM that I can clone a number of times.

Then you obviously need a full clone, not a linked clone.

[KYPYL]

The request to have a way to lock the base VM from starting seems very reasonable.

Anyway, while this feature is not available, what I'm doing to prevent the boot of the base VM is just uncheck all the checkboxes in the System>Matherboard>Boot Order list in the config of the base VM .

[socratis]

Or you could simply unregister (remove without deleting) the base VM.

[mpack]

Or you could simply unregister (remove without deleting) the base VM.

I believe that would kill any linked clones. It isn't a feature I used, but I assume that the base VM must continue to register the base media.

@KYPYL: One of us isn't understanding this issue. I guess I have to shout what I already said earlier in this thread: RUNNING THE BASE VM CANNOT CORRUPT A LINKED CLONE SO WHY DO YOU WANT TO LOCK THE BASE VM DOWN?

[socratis]

Or you could simply unregister (remove without deleting) the base VM.

I believe that would kill any linked clones. It isn't a feature I used, but I assume that the base VM must continue to register the base media.

I'm not using that feature either, but, the base.vdi still is registered in the clone.

Quick test: I made a VM "FreeDOS Base" with its corresponding VDI. I link-cloned that VM to a "FreeDOS Base Clone". Unregister the "FreeDOS Base" VM from VirtualBox. The resulting .vbox of the "FreeDOS Base Clone" has:

Code: Select all

<MediaRegistry>
  <HardDisks>
    <HardDisk uuid="{85e75ab9-8f99-42b4-9861-b20e915903d8}" location="/Users/Shared/VirtualBox/Machines/FreeDOS Base/FreeDOS Base.vdi" format="VDI" type="Normal">
      <HardDisk uuid="{0f0b983f-32ae-43df-8538-9a0d8bcd92ca}" location="Snapshots/{0f0b983f-32ae-43df-8538-9a0d8bcd92ca}.vdi" format="VDI"/>
    </HardDisk>
  </HardDisks>
</MediaRegistry>

So the "FreeDOS Base.vdi" is still referenced in the "FreeDOS Base Clone.vbox" and in the Media Manager.

I guess I have to shout what I already said earlier in this thread: RUNNING THE BASE VM CANNOT CORRUPT A LINKED CLONE SO WHY DO YOU WANT TO LOCK THE BASE VM DOWN?

I believe it's a gross misunderstanding on the OP's part. They don't realize that when they create the linked clone(s), the Base VM gets a snapshot where the starting point of the VDI literally freezes and does NOT get modified, even if you run the Base by accident...

To sum it up:
This suggestion/feature request is moot. The base *is* locked even if you don't want it. You *cannot* modify the base if you run it by accident.