how to get a existing static vhd to a dynamic vhd an what happens to installed OS?

[Dirk_Lehmann]

Please see subject. My server is running out of space:

Fehler: The table '#__ucm_history' is full und
E: Sie haben nicht genug Platz in /var/cache/apt/Archives/

Installed on this vhd or vhdx OS is Ubuntu 16.04 LTS with some servers (Apache, MySQL, PHP-parser etc.)

[socratis]

My server is running out of space

You can't convert a static to a dynamic in place, you will need additional space to do the conversion. That won't help you immediately...

But if you manage to free some space or get an external HD and you're in 5.2.x, go the VirtualBox Manager and right-click on the medium that you're interested, select "Copy...". Choose "Dynamic". Do *not* choose VHD if you want to be able to compact it, select the native VDI.

You then release the current VHD from your VM, you can choose to delete the actual file as well. You move the new VDI to the location that the old VHD used to be, and you re-attach it to your VM.

IMPORTANT
Dynamic does NOT mean smaller. Dynamic means smaller initially. The more you use your VM, the bigger it gets, up to the maximum theoretical size. So, be aware of that; space is allocated dynamically (that's the dynamic part), but it does not shrink automatically.

[mpack]

IMHO no sane person would base a dynamic server on the VHD format. Convert static VHD -> dynamic VDI.