Please,Please,Please vdi-clone-tool inGUI-or-external!

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 2. Jan 2009, 01:20

HappyNewYear to all of you!

I'm using VBox since the 1.5+ release and I'm realy a fan of this.
The User Helge (thank you very much for this!!!) had created this little handy tool "clonevdi". I had used this before I upgraded my host(XP) from 1.5.6 to the actual 2.1 version of VBox. And I have to say: everytime I had cloned a VDI with this tool- I said "THANK YOU!" to Helges Creation...really. This tool had never failed.
So here is the point.
WHY? is it not possible to get this in the VBox-GUI?
WHY? is this not a plugin tool or external app coming with VBox?
I really do not understand this!

The forum & web is full of this problems with cloning VDI-images.

It's ok for -advanced- users to handle ALL THIS CMD-LINE STUFF.
It's ok for -advanced- users to get all this "options" stuff.
BUT WHAT WITH ALL THE OTHER ONES?
Please don't understand me! I am a fan ( so i will be in the future)
BUT THIS IS ESSENTIAL !

-there are many out there clapping hands right now-

PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE
HELP ALL THE LEFT THUMB COMPUTER USERS WITH A TOOL!

All the best to you and thank you spending VirtualBox to the world

Technologov · Post by **Technologov** » 2. Jan 2009, 18:47

Yes, I have also asked about a clone tool in the GUI a while ago.

Even better is to remove all the UUIDS from the *.vdi files, so it will "just work" - like VMDK, VHD, and Qcow2 images do.

Look here - I have opened it in early 2007 - year-and-a-half ago:
http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/449

-Technologov

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 4. Jan 2009, 00:35

@Technologov

Yes, I found your post before. 1 1/2 years... grrrrrrr.
Nothing happend. I found another post too, with a tricky users ".reg" file for clonevdi. And yes! clonevdi is going to run (after some warnings/errors - you have to ignore) but, in my case, it does not write the clone file completely. It stops after ~80% and quits ... sh**t!

If you want to try yourself, here is the workaround: create a new text file > open it with editor > copy the code above into it > save it as "blabla".reg file > doubleclick it and register it to your machine...start clonevdi & select vdi manualy. Please post if this works for you.

CODE:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sun]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Innotek\VirtualBox]
"Version"="1.6.2"
"InstallDir"="C:\\Programme\\Sun\\xVM VirtualBox\\"

I changed "Version" to 1.5.4, because this was my version before upgrade to 2.1.

good luck!

eFloh · Post by **eFloh** » 18. Jan 2009, 17:47

Hi there,

I just did some coding for you, a GUI for vboxmanage clonevdi.

Please contact me if you find any bugs.

internally this applicatio nwill simply call vboxmanage with the right arguments and after cloning, will register the new vdi in the VBox Manager.

Written with .NET 3.5, so you will need the runtimes...

http://www.die-rooter.de/virtualBox/CloneVDIGUI.exe

if anyone is interested in the source code, don't hesitate to ask...

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 10. Feb 2009, 20:47

Thank you very much!
Found this today, will try it later.
Does this work with older versions of VBox too? (1.5+)

Kind regards

eFloh · Post by **eFloh** » 10. Feb 2009, 22:11

This should work with older versions when the vboxmanage command and the registry key for the installation path is there already.
If not, please report back where the installation path is found (somewhere in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\... in regedit) and what post the output of vboxmanage.exe is, then I will upload a version that supports your environment...

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 10. Feb 2009, 23:41

Hello eFloh,
after to much trouble with my upgrades (from 1.5.4 to 2.+) , I finally stepped back to the 1.5.4 version.
The "old" (innotek) install+.exe - paths are/were normally >

C:\Programme\innotek VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe (here: german install)
or
C:\Program Files\innotek VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe

So I'm really sorry, that I can not check out your tool right now.
But there should many out there , who will thank you for this work!
The "cloning" case is really important.

So - please all VBox fans out there - test this please!
and eFloh - many thanks!

eFloh · Post by **eFloh** » 11. Feb 2009, 01:55

you are right

I uploaded an updated version [1] that supports manual selection of the VBoxManage.exe and tries the path given by you.
I would much appreciate if anyone could look up the registry value for the "innotek" versions, so I could use these values for auto-detection.

[1] ClodeVDIGUI.exe - 793 KB, Fileversion 1.2009.0211.0049 - check your browsercache if the version is older (newer would be ok, in this case I uploaded another version...)

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 11. Feb 2009, 23:10

Hello eFloh!

Thanks again!
I tested it , got some errors - but I think it is working.

1. got an error box
2. ignored it = continue
3."VBoxManage.exe not found"...
-> so I wrote the full path of the .vdi in the upper box.
4. Your tool started and wrote the clone.vdi in the same direction (good speed!,same size)

to error 1. -> I have Netframework 2 installed (don't want to mess my system to much), so I think the error-box is related to this.
But it seems to work , if you follow my steps.
I will later clone again and check all steps again - incl. testing the clone.
Not done this yet.

One suggestion:
After cloning, your tool is binding the clone directly into the VBox drives manager. I know your intention was fine...! - but I think most of the time you are using clones for backup reasons or for deploying to another host.
So after every cloning, I will be forced to manually kick it out...
(it's not a really problem at all, hear what other users say...)

I want to give you a reg-path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\innotek\VirtualBox

it's from a XP pro / german install / VBox 1.5.4
It should be similar to other "older" versions

Thanks again - nice work!

Kind regards

PS.: I'm a little bit surprised - about the low reaction of all the other users out there ! Perhaps, they don't know about this tool at this time ?

eFloh · Post by **eFloh** » 12. Feb 2009, 16:16

Here we go:

CloneVDIGUI Version 1.2009.0212.1513 is ready for download under the known URL http://www.die-rooter.de/downloads/CloneVDIGUI.exe.

* .NET Framework 2.0 is enough to go now,
* Registry and default installation path for innotek versions (< 2.0) should be found automatically.
* Auto-Registering in VBoxManager is disabled and selectable by default
* Free space on target drive is checked prior to cloning.

Please report any bugs and thanks for your Feedback, right-or-am-i-wrong.
As I am a native german, you may also psot in german, I will answer so german and english speakers will understand whats the question/answer about.

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 14. Feb 2009, 23:05

Hi eFloh,
thanks a lot! The selection box "to register/or not" ,is really fine and comfortable.

I have tested the tool yesterday and the cloned vdi is working 100%!
Fine,fine,fine!

In my case , the starting "error" of your tool still exists...:

************** Exception Text **************
System.MissingMethodException: Method not found: 'System.String System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog.get_SafeFileName()'.
at dierooter.Harbich.CloneVDIGUI.MainWin.MainWin_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl()
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl()
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
CloneVDIGUI
Assembly Version: 1.2009.212.1513
Win32 Version: 1.2009.0212.1513
CodeBase: file:///P:/CloneVDIGUI-f%FCr%20alte%20VBox%20Versionen-NetFrame2.exe
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.42 (RTM.050727-4200)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------

Perhaps , it's not a problem with your tool, but with my PC configuration.(?)

But finally it's not a problem at all. If you click "continue" (ignoring it) , the GUI pops up and you only have to fill in the path of your .vdi (you want to clone)
This tool is realy cool. Hope that more users realizing your work!

I'm really wondering about the fact, that the SUN development is ignoring this very usefull feature over a so long period... but I think they are working hard on all the other stuff.

greetings

eFloh · Post by **eFloh** » 15. Feb 2009, 17:33

Hi,

it was a problem of mine, I have .NEt 3.5 installed, but set the project version to 2.0.
Seems that my Visual Studio still accepts (and compiles) methods only available in V3.5: OpenFileDialog.SafeFileName.

I replaced the new method with another one existing already in V2.0, now the error should be gone.

But I still wonder why you have to manually select the vboxmanage command...
Could you check if you have the registry key for the 2.x versions of virtualbox (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sun\xVM VirtualBox, Key InstallDir)?
In this case, the _last version_ tried to use that path even if the directory no longer exists on the disk.

With the new version 1.2009.0215.1628, these two issues should be fixed.

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 15. Feb 2009, 23:47

Hello eFloh,
no , there is nothing left in my registry in this direction.
I found some "button config" keys under HKCU including the (old) sun path,
but nothing in HKLM. ( from my 2.1.2 installation)

> "VBoxManage not found" (above the upper input field)

It would be nice , if some other users could check this out too !

Perhaps, it's really because of my PC config.

But it is no problem to copy the path into it !

it's cool -anyway! Thanks a lot

eFloh · Post by **eFloh** » 16. Feb 2009, 23:05

The message "VBoxManage not found" (above the upper input field) you mentioned should never be visible, but the program should close again in that case.
I can only image you seeing this message in the version where you get the MissingMethodException you mentioned above, or does this happen still in the latest version (maybe including the Exception)?

I that case, I think I will set up a virtual WinXP with .NET 2.0 and try this myself...

right-or-am-i-wrong · Post by **right-or-am-i-wrong** » 17. Feb 2009, 23:05

It's with your latest release (net.2 - compatible).
First popup: " Netframework" error box.

I 'm ignoring this, by clicking "continue".

The GUI pops up and the "VBoxmanage.exe not found" message is visible ,
the GUI does not close.( I'm lucky with that!...)
After this, I can input the path to the vdi image I want to clone and select the output path, if I want to change this (the tool itsself is setting this to the original input path with renaming it to "original-image_1.vdi")

After this, the tool works 100%

greets