Create disk format for guest system

[edwardleung]

Hello to you,

Which following method ( file type ) is recommend for creating the guest on host ( Windows / Linux ) ?
1, VDI
2, VMDK
3, VHD
4, HDD

Thanks !

Edward.

[Perryg]

VDI is the native (default) format for VirtualBox. Unless you have a specific reason to chose something else you should stay with the default.

[edwardleung]

How can we split into around 2GB size for each file ?

Thanks !

[stefan.becker]

Not supported with vdi.

Possible in vmdk format from VMWARE. No idea, if VBOX can do this at creation point, never tested.

For what do you need 2 GB pieces?

[edwardleung]

If the VDI support 2GB pieces :
1, Backup the data in USB or other fat32.
2, It is sample to do the VM data backup in another location in schedule.

[stefan.becker]

If you have problems with backup, then use a filesystem like ntfs. FAT32 is crappy old garbage.

Its always better to have one vdi file. No snapshots, no clones, no 2 GB pieces.

You may use the search function. You will not often found problems with crashed vdi files. But there are much topics for clones, snapshots etc.

If i will test something, i copy the whole vdi file to a recovery medium.

[edwardleung]

Hello,

Do you means the usb token support with ntfs format by today ?

Thanks !

[stefan.becker]

Yes, why not using NTFS for external hard discs?

Every OS like Windows, Mac or Linux supports NTFS.

[mpack]

Windows does not make it easy to use NTFS on portable media, so I don't agree with Stefan on this.

However...

Backup tools are available which will split a large hdd file into 2GB chunks for backup purposes. There is no need to hamstring VirtualBox with your backup needs. Also disk imaging tools such as Acronis will pack the entire source disk image into one humungous image file which it will split if needed to store on FAT32 backup media. Again there is no reason to inflict the shortcomings of the backup media onto VirtualBox.

So, use VDI.

[Sasquatch]

I think the user meant by making a backup, he just copies the files from one location to another and that other location just happens to be a FAT32 drive.

If you're really concerned about the max file size of the destination location, then you can always use 7zip, Quickpar or similar to split the file into multiple chunks to restore later on. All archiving software has options to make split files while compressing.

[stefan.becker]

Windows does not make it easy to use NTFS on portable media, so I don't agree with Stefan on this.

Why not? Just for interest, i only use ntfs with windows and linux with ext3/4.

[mpack]

Windows does not make it easy to use NTFS on portable media, so I don't agree with Stefan on this.

Why not? Just for interest, ...

Well, for example (1) NTFS isn't even offered as a format option for a portable drive, as long as the drive is optimized for quick removal. (2) Since quick removal isn't an option it means that absent mindedly removing the drive may corrupt it, not an attractive feature in a backup drive.