Virtual HDD on DVD

[keros]

Hi

Is it possible to boot a VM from a DVD with VirtualBox on a Windows host (read only HDD)?
Or is there some way to tell VirtualBox that changes like Log files, ... should only be written into the RAM?

Keros

[vbox4me2]

Only when you can get VBox to write changes elsewhere when using immutable mode (see the manual). The logfiles, that depends which logfiles, from the Guest internally or from the VM process?

[keros]

Thank you

The immutable mode is the thing I searched for. But have anyone an idea where I can change the path where VirtualBox tries to write the temporary files? Currently VirtualBox tries to write to the DVD :/
Best way I think is to write the temporary changes into the RAM.

Keros

[vbox4me2]

Have a look inside VirtualBox.xml

Code: Select all

        <HardDisk uuid="{2cc798bd-95b4-4c02-b05b-bbf55dbae314}" type="immutable">
          <VirtualDiskImage filePath="D:\Datafiles\XP_Experimental.vdi"/>
          <DiffHardDisk uuid="{944d82b9-60ab-4490-8f4e-dcf5a748df9c}">
            <VirtualDiskImage filePath="D:\Datafiles\VBsettings\.VirtualBox\Machines\Experimental\Snapshots\{944d82b9-60ab-4490-8f4e-dcf5a748df9c}.vdi"/>
          </DiffHardDisk>
        </HardDisk>

[keros]

Sorry I have to ask, but I' am to blind to find it ^^. Is there a documentation about the XML Tags in this file? The tags from your example don't work in my case. VirtualBox break down with an error (something like that "<VirtualDiskImage are not allowed at this position").

My XML Tags looks a little different (VirtualBox 2.2.0).

Code: Select all

<MediaRegistry>
<HardDisks>
<HardDisk uuid="{f919c7d3-ab62-47f3-98df-c79e622cbb24}" location="/home/user/.VirtualBox/VDI/Test.vdi" format="VDI" type="Normal"/>
<HardDisk uuid="{4a5b4271-05e8-4fe9-4093-3750b1b6529d}" type="Immutable" format="VDI" location="/cdrom/dvd_hd.vdi"/>
</HardDisks>
<DVDImages/>
<FloppyImages/>
</MediaRegistry>

Keros

[vbox4me2]

This is from 2.08, maybe 2.20 does it differently when it comes to the DiffHardDisk tag, you will have to experiment further to see if this tag pops up anywhere else.

[keros]

I have found it. On 2.2.0 it works this way

Code: Select all

<HardDisk uuid="{4a5b4271-05e8-4fe9-4093-3750b1b6529d}" location="/cdrom/DVD_hd_readonly.vdi" format="VDI" type="Immutable">
<HardDisk uuid="{8545e852-981a-4f64-93d4-16253324812c}" location="/home/user/.VirtualBox/Machines/test2/Snapshots/{8545e852-981a-4f64-93d4-16253324812c}.vdi" format="VDI" autoReset="true"/>
</HardDisk>

Now I have to create a RAM disk and place the temp hard disk file in it

Keros