If I clone a Guest Machine,will it have the same Machine ID?

[ersfsfsf@gmail.com]

Hi there,

So the objective is to create a new Machine ID.

I would like to know if I clone the current Guest Machine, will the new clone create a different Machine ID ?

Sorry if my questions are newb ish, I really am quite new at virtualization.

Thank You.

[loukingjr]

It creates a new UUID.

[mpack]

The purpose of a UUID is, by definition, to uniquely identify an object within a particular domain. So naturally if you clone a VM then the clone will have new UUIDs everywhere (not just the machine UUID).

If you actually meant the hardware UUID: in VirtualBox that defaults to being the same as the machine UUID, so if you leave this default in place then the hardware UUID will also change when you clone the VM. Use "VBoxManage modifyvm <vm> --hardwareuuid <string>" to set a non default hardware UUID. But do it with care, since a misstep deactivates your VM and any software it contains. And yes, if you set a non default hardware uuid then all clones inherit this without change. This is because the hardware UUID is only seen inside the VM, hence each VM is its own domain.

[ersfsfsf@gmail.com]

Use "VBoxManage modifyvm <vm> --hardwareuuid <string>" to set a non default hardware UUID. But do it with care, since a misstep deactivates your VM and any software it contains. And yes, if you set a non default hardware uuid then all clones inherit this without change. This is because the hardware UUID is only seen inside the VM, hence each VM is its own domain.

Not sure how to do this, b/c I am quite inexperienced with virtualization

[mpack]

Well, I gave you the command to use, and detailed syntax instructions are given in the user manual. Also, it isn't clear that you even need this stuff, since you haven't said what you are trying to do.

[noteirak]

So the objective is to create a new Machine ID

The machine ID is simply a UUID (at time of writting for 5.0.12)

If you want to know how to generate a UUID, simply look it up on google for the language you are using. "How to create a UUID in XXXXX" is a good start, replace XXXXX by the language/interpreter.

[ersfsfsf@gmail.com]

Well, I gave you the command to use, and detailed syntax instructions are given in the user manual. Also, it isn't clear that you even need this stuff, since you haven't said what you are trying to do.

This is what I am trying to do: "Achieve a state where I can have a different Machine ID. Also have a new Machine ID every two weeks"

Please guide me how to achieve this.

[mpack]

If you want to have a new machine ID, just clone the VM. The clone will have a new machine ID.

[ersfsfsf@gmail.com]

If you want to have a new machine ID, just clone the VM. The clone will have a new machine ID.

you sure?

[noteirak]

Why don't you try yourself?

[socratis]

Why don't you try yourself?

Because
a) he doesn't know what a UUID is, therefore cannot verify it?
b) he didn't read the link about what a UUID is?
c) he doesn't know how to clone a VM?
d) you didn't explain it adequately?
e) All of the above?

[ersfsfsf@gmail.com]

Why don't you try yourself?

Nope, I just created a full clone, and still the same Machine ID.

[mpack]

Then you don't know what a machine ID is, or you are not explaining yourself adequately.

[ersfsfsf@gmail.com]

Then you don't know what a machine ID is, or you are not explaining yourself adequately.

OK we are required to run this software, it states the Machine ID of the computer.

When I first created this guest, the machine ID was different....but now when I create clones, its still the same.

[mpack]

You are clearly encountering a machine signature, not a machine id.

A machine signature is not a fixed label assigned to a PC, it is an arbitrary metric (a number) calculated by individual applications according to whatever rules they can dream up. A famous example of a machine signature is the one used by Windows Activation - the details of which varies between Windows versions, even on the same PC. It is impossible to say without testing the specific application whether a machine signature will be the same or different after cloning. However, if the VM recipe is kept the same (including MAC), the host CPU is kept the same, and the second VM is a clone of the first then the second signature would be the same as the first, unless it takes DMI differences into account - and you can control which of those it sees - the entire above thread has been about that.

Basically you can control everything the VM sees, except for constraints on how much much you can fake the CPU.