Arch Linux

Mac Tzu

Member

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2009-03-26

Posts: 38

Website

How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

Howdy to all you Archers,

Does anyone how my existing windows partition in virtualbox ? as VMplayer is out of date in the AUR's
It is just cause on this laptop has pre-loaded XP (legit) and I need to use lastest itunes for my Iphone and photoshop so I can bring my work home.

Cheers

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rebugger

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2007-10-28

Posts: 229

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

I'm not 100% sure, but I think you can't do this.

Mac Tzu

Member

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2009-03-26

Posts: 38

Website

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

Dang!

could You or anyone please help with install current verison of vmplayer I know that it can do it. ?

Regards

Mac

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Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,549

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

Google tells me:

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=784138
http://www.qc4blog.com/?p=483
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=769883

Good luck.

Last edited by Ranguvar (2009-06-28 04:24:47)

firecat53

Member

From: Lake Stevens, WA, USA

Registered: 2007-05-14

Posts: 1,542

Website

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

As an incentive .... it does work I've been running an existing XP install in Virtualbox for over six months now.  Itunes and winamp work with my ipod (don't use them, but I tested it ), but never tried an iphone before. Honestly I don't remember the tutorial I used to set it up, but Virtualbox has pretty good docs and forum + the links Ranguvar found for you..

Good luck!
Scott

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sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

I remember reading about this a while ago. I can't remember the specifics but basically, you need to create another "hardware profile" from within windows since technically Virtualbox is a different system.

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Mac Tzu

Member

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2009-03-26

Posts: 38

Website

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

Ranguvar, firecat53 sand_man,

Cheers Guys, 

Sorry I am at work at the moment I can't cut 'n' paste the error messages but will post them l8r if needed.  I have successfully made the image file.  But but I get a VD_ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED from virutalbox when I try to load it. 
But (don't Say I haven't learnt anything) "Google tells me" it is because the drive is already mounted that it gives this error.  what should I do doesn't make sense to umount my only phsical disk because I am using it to run Arch.

P.S.
I have gone ahead and created a new hardware profile.

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ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

You don't mount the disk itself, you mount the Windows partition (the C: drive, so to speak) only. Which means you shouldn't have the Windows partition mounted in Arch, obviously.

Just take note, this only works on XP (I've done it before, that was back when my desktop was still alive, really the only 'gotcha' is hardware profiles as previously stated), not on Vista, and so by extension probably not on Windows 7 till 999 I guess.

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Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

Mac Tzu

Member

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2009-03-26

Posts: 38

Website

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

Ok,
I didn't really understand your post but let me see I can clarify my current position.

I am using XP (sweet right ?) .  I don't have the XP partition mounted however the other partitions on the same drive are (that have my arch) are mounted.

i.e.
/dev/sda1 XP
/dev/sda2 ext3 Arch (mounted)
/dev/sda3 swap (mounted)

So this is the kommand that I have used to create the image
sudo VBoxManage -convertSettings internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ~/.VirtualBox/xp_partition-sda.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda

Creates the .vmdk file no whucking Furrries,

But then when I start VirtualBox I go to load existing -> then I find the image file and when it tries to load I get the above mentioned error. 

Mac

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R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

If you are trying to use a raw partition / disk then I believe you need o run virtualbox with root privileges otherwise it will just say sir no sir
At least for me thats how it works ... maybe I'm doing something wrong.

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R00KIE
Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZSwgbW92ZSBhbG9uZy4K

sand_man

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-06-10

Posts: 2,164

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

There must be another way around that. You don't want to be running Virtualbox as root all the time.

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aqamar

Member

Registered: 2008-09-01

Posts: 49

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

maybe this help you (is in spanish) http://casidiablo.net/correr-diferentes … -con-vbox/

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

Well .... I'm not an expert on security but giving permission to anyone to be able to read and write to your HD is a bad idea (it is suggested to chmod 666 /dev/sda).

Maybe a safer approach would be to add yourself to the disk group.

The default permissions are 660, the owner being root and the group being disk. I guess the catch is that you will need to be careful with any disk utilities because after you are in the disk group you can do some serious damage in the blink of an eye.

$ ls -l /dev/sda
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 8,  0 2009-06-30 10:48 /dev/sda

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R00KIE
Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZSwgbW92ZSBhbG9uZy4K

Mac Tzu

Member

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2009-03-26

Posts: 38

Website

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

Kewl,

Really apprectiace the you post.
My sda permission is

ls -al /dev/sda
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 8, 0 2009-07-01 00:08 /dev/sda

and my /etc/group file is

root::0:root
bin::1:root,bin,daemon
daemon::2:root,bin,daemon
sys::3:root,bin
adm::4:root,daemon
tty::5:
disk::6:root,myusername
lp::7:daemon,myusername
mem::8:
kmem::9:
wheel::10:root,myusername
ftp::11:
mail::12:
uucp::14:
log::19:root
locate::21:
smmsp::25:
http::33:
games::50:
network:x:90:
video:x:91:myusername
audio::92:myusername
optical::93:hal,myusername
floppy:x:94:hal
storage:x:95:hal,myusername
scanner:x:96:
power:x:98:myusername
nobody::99:
users::100:myusername
dbus:x:81:
policykit:x:102:
hal:x:82:
vboxusers:x:108:myusername
avahi:x:84:
camera:x:97:
gdm:x:109:
myusername:x:1000:

So I think that I have that stuff cover.  Is it a commend issue how to tell Virtual Box to read /dev/sda1 not the whole paritition ?

Macy

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Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,549

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

/dev/sda1 is a whole partition? Do you mean whole disk? No clue.

Last edited by Ranguvar (2009-06-30 15:03:00)

insanemal

Member

From: Brisbane/Australia

Registered: 2009-05-05

Posts: 140

Re: How to load Existing partitons with VirtualBox

I think your error is trying to mount the whole damn drive.

i think you just want to
sudo VBoxManage -convertSettings internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename ~/.VirtualBox/xp_partition-sda.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/sda1

that way its JUST the Xp partition and not your whole damned harddrive.

Im not expert.. but that would make more sense.