Arch Linux

Zopper

Member

Registered: 2010-02-02

Posts: 15

Boot from VHD on LUKS+LVM - is it possible?

I know it is possible to grub boot an VHD file (like here http://www.vmlite.com/appliances/ubuntu-910-readme.html), but I would like to boot an VHD file placed inside of LUKS+LVM (and later ideally on btrfs).
I'm trying it in virtualbox at first. I've installed arch.

Disc partitioning:

sda1 is /boot, sda2 is LUKS: /dev/mapper/lvmpool
On lvmpool is in LVM created swap and the "/" -> /dev/mapper/vgroup-swap and vgroup-root
vgroup-root has the ext3 FS 

The VHD file is placed in /archlinux.vhd (I only cloned the VM's hdd to VHD and copied it inside ).

In grub.cfg I have copied the normal archlinux menuentry and added vloop=/archlinux.vhd to the linux line, but this still boot original system, not that in VHD. When I tried to modify it another way, I was not able to boot (grub was not able to find files).

With linux in VHD I'm only trying it, at the final I will need to boot windows like this.

Can anyone suggest me what to do or if it is impossible? Thanks.

Zopper

Member

Registered: 2010-02-02

Posts: 15

Re: Boot from VHD on LUKS+LVM - is it possible?

After lots of using google it seems that vanilla grub cant boot VHD and is needed something from VMWare (i'm not sure this but I didn't manage it to work). But I've probably found oposite way - use physical partition instead of virtual disc in Virtualbox http://geekery.amhill.net/2010/01/27/vi … partition/ Seems to could work without big troubles...