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Virtual HDD on DVD
Posted: 20. Apr 2009, 11:31
by 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
Re: Virtual HDD on DVD
Posted: 20. Apr 2009, 12:05
by 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?
Re: Virtual HDD on DVD
Posted: 20. Apr 2009, 16:46
by 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
Re: Virtual HDD on DVD
Posted: 20. Apr 2009, 16:59
by 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>
Re: Virtual HDD on DVD
Posted: 21. Apr 2009, 08:14
by 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
Re: Virtual HDD on DVD
Posted: 21. Apr 2009, 11:59
by 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.
Re: Virtual HDD on DVD
Posted: 21. Apr 2009, 15:01
by 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