vdi files

[bicol_willem]

I am a bit at lost at the moment and hope someone can set me on the rails again.
I used to simply copy a OS (.vdi file) installed in Virtualbox. That was nice for to be used to quickly run it again in i.e. a new install (testing etc.) and as backup of the same.
However, these OS's did meanwhile grow and so did the vdi file representing it.
Now I can't copy these things anymore for it simply stops at 4GB ......
I know (or better knew somewhere in the past) the "missing link" but right now I am at lost. 
Anyone?

[menotu]

Hi bicol_willem ,

Couple of things to ask:

When you created your VDI hard disks can you remember whether you used "Dynamically expanding Storage" or "Fixed Size Storage" ?

And can you remember what size you allocated to them ?

Edit: I just found this which may help.

http://www.attackr.com/resize-an-existing-vdi-virtualbox-image-easily/

[pags]

What method are you using to copy the files?

Have you tried using VBoxManage?

Some benefits include re-organizing the .vdi drive data (especially if you zero-out and de-frag in the Virtual OS, prior), resulting in a smaller file, and creating a new UID (which would actually allow you to use the two .vdi's in seperate virtual machines concurrently on the same host).

The command format is:

Code:

VBoxManage clonehd /full/path/to/original/vdi/file /full/path/to/copy/of/vdi/file_new_name

[bicol_willem]

Hi bicol_willem ,

Couple of things to ask:

When you created your VDI hard disks can you remember whether you used "Dynamically expanding Storage" or "Fixed Size Storage" ?

And can you remember what size you allocated to them ?

Yes, dynamically expanding and about 12Gb max. The vdi's in question shows in their properties at a size of resp. 5.0 and 5.6 Gb. Nothing really special imho.
It wasn't any of a problem at the times these where less then 4 Gb. It now copies to exact 4 Gb and then fail to copy .... I tried to copy these to a external USB (hard)drive as I actually use to do.
Memory? Swap? Where is the missing link?  
This machine has 3Gig's RAM and 4 Gig's Swap. Not enough?
Tried as user(s) and root as well, no go.
Tried to burn them to a dual layer DVD, no go as well.
System fully updated and running fine.
Any idea?

[bicol_willem]

What method are you using to copy the files?

Have you tried using VBoxManage?

Some benefits include re-organizing the .vdi drive data (especially if you zero-out and de-frag in the Virtual OS, prior), resulting in a smaller file, and creating a new UID (which would actually allow you to use the two .vdi's in seperate virtual machines concurrently on the same host).

The command format is:

Code:

VBoxManage clonehd /full/path/to/original/vdi/file /full/path/to/copy/of/vdi/file_new_name

No, didn't use VBoxManage. You see, I never needed it ....  (so far that is). But if nothing comes around I will sure give that a swirl, thanks for this tip.

[pags]

What method are you using to copy the files?

Have you tried using VBoxManage?

Some benefits include re-organizing the .vdi drive data (especially if you zero-out and de-frag in the Virtual OS, prior), resulting in a smaller file, and creating a new UID (which would actually allow you to use the two .vdi's in seperate virtual machines concurrently on the same host).

The command format is:

Code:

VBoxManage clonehd /full/path/to/original/vdi/file /full/path/to/copy/of/vdi/file_new_name

No, didn't use VBoxManage. You see, I never needed it ....  (so far that is). But if nothing comes around I will sure give that a swirl, thanks for this tip.

I've used this to copy file in excess of 4GB.  My laptop only has 2 GB mem and 3 GB swap (although it had 4 GB swap when I did the copies).  I use the program as my regular (non-root) user, since I own all the VM files 

[menotu]

It now copies to exact 4 Gb and then fail to copy .... I tried to copy these to a external USB (hard)drive as I actually use to do.

What file format is on the drive your copying to?

[bicol_willem]

It now copies to exact 4 Gb and then fail to copy .... I tried to copy these to a external USB (hard)drive as I actually use to do.

What file format is on the drive your copying to?

To have my external drive as much compatible with it all out there, I use there FAT32 (Not sure if I always did so).
The crazy thing is that I faced the same kind of problem in the past, overcame it somehow and .... forgot how! Rather annoying 

[Was_Just19]

It now copies to exact 4 Gb and then fail to copy .... I tried to copy these to a external USB (hard)drive as I actually use to do.

What file format is on the drive your copying to?

To have my external drive as much compatible with it all out there, I use there FAT32 (Not sure if I always did so).
The crazy thing is that I faced the same kind of problem in the past, overcame it somehow and .... forgot how! Rather annoying 

FAT 32 has a file size limit of 4GB
You want something bigger use a better filesystem.   

[pags]

It now copies to exact 4 Gb and then fail to copy .... I tried to copy these to a external USB (hard)drive as I actually use to do.

What file format is on the drive your copying to?

To have my external drive as much compatible with it all out there, I use there FAT32 (Not sure if I always did so).
The crazy thing is that I faced the same kind of problem in the past, overcame it somehow and .... forgot how! Rather annoying 

FAT 32 has a file size limit of 4GB
You want something bigger use a better filesystem.   

Yep.  That's it, exactly!

FAT32 is only required if you'll being using the drive with W9x, etc.  If you need to share the drive with Windows XP (or, 2000, or Vista, or 7...), try formatting it as NTFS.  Using the ntfs-3g software under PCLOS, you'll be able to write to it.
If you use the drive under Linux only, you should consider ext3.  I get great performance from external USB HDDs w/ ext3 (apparently, ext4 can be problematic with external drives...no experience there, myself)

[bicol_willem]

So in short, you suggest to reformat the external drive to i.e. NTFS or EXT3 and simply try again?

[pags]

So in short, you suggest to reformat the external drive to i.e. NTFS or EXT3 and simply try again?

Yes.
As long as you don't lose any data on it!    Backup what's on it, if it's important to you...

If you're going to go the NTFS route (which presumes you have access to hardware running Windows), I personally would format the drive on Windows.
If EXT3, then obviously...Windows doesn't come into consideration at all 

[bicol_willem]

Yeah right ... well, Windows is "out of reach" for now. Guess I will have to try Pmagic to get NTFS on it .... I would prefer EXT3 but as I said earlier, sometimes I got to share things, even with Windows fan's 
Thanks for all the suggestions, will post later (Tomorrow, it's late here now) in how far this is/was the solution.

[pags]

Yeah right ... well, Windows is "out of reach" for now. Guess I will have to try Pmagic to get NTFS on it .... I would prefer EXT3 but as I said earlier, sometimes I got to share things, even with Windows fan's 
Thanks for all the suggestions, will post later (Tomorrow, it's late here now) in how far this is/was the solution.

There is software for Windows that will allow it to access an ext3 filesystem (not sure what it is ... Google should help).

As such, a possible approach (and if you don't care to go down this road, that is, of course, fine!) would be to re-partiton the drive with a small (relative, depending on the total size of the drive ... 1 GB, perhaps, for >20GB ... 1/2 GB for <20GB?) FAT partition.  The balance could then be one big ext3 filesystem.
The ext3 Windows software could be stored on the FAT partition, and then used on any Windows machine that may need to access the larger partition.

In reality, the single NTFS approach is simpler.  I just trust ext3 more  .

[menotu]

There is software for Windows that will allow it to access an ext3 filesystem (not sure what it is ... Google should help).

Is this it Pags ?

http://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/