[SOLVED] virtualbox on slackware

maschelsea · 02-16-2017, 07:36 PM

I have installed Windows 7 in a Virtualbox on my Slackware system. I used mostly default options, including the space-dynamic hard drive. I interpret that option to mean that my vbox hard drive will grow as more space is required. Only, it doesn't. I just tried to install Sims 3 on it, and the game complained that I didn't have enough space. Should I just attach a second drive and hope for the best? I've got the space on my physical hard drive. I guess I'm looking for a little guidance on how to make my vbox dynamic-space drive do it's job...

maschelsea · 02-16-2017, 07:45 PM

I installed a second fixed-size (25GB) onto my Windows 7 VM, but when I loaded Windows, I don't see the drive. Where is it? Windows said that it finished installing necessary drivers for my new device, but not what it is or where it is. The message went away too quickly for me to investigate further...

dijetlo · 02-16-2017, 07:48 PM

You want a pass through disk, not a dynamic disk.
The dynamic disk only allocates what is used so it starts small and grows only as needed, up to its maximum size.
Passthrough disk isn't a specialized format, in certain use cases it can be slower however your entire hard drive is available to it so it will grow right up until disaster strikes...
Be advised

RE: The second disk, when you look a the virtualbox gui you're seeing it as an installed device and when you're looking at the windows device manager you're not seeing it as a mounted device?

frankbell · 02-16-2017, 07:50 PM

The Virtual Box dynamic virtual hard drive will expand until it reaches the maximum size set when the settings for a particular VM were configured. VB's default settings for drive size tend to be rather small if you wish actually to use the VM to do actual computing.

A web search for "increase virtualbox dynamic hard drive size" will turn up a number of articles about how to resize the drive, but be warned that it's a tricky process and any crucial data you might have in that VM should be backed up outside of the VM.

It might be easier simply to recreate the VM with a large maximum HDD size. I normally

maschelsea · 02-16-2017, 07:53 PM

It'll be awhile before it gets too big.

Code:

michael@caitlyn ~ $ df -h
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/root       811G   78G  692G  11% /
devtmpfs        1.9G     0  1.9G   0% /dev
tmpfs           1.9G  984K  1.9G   1% /run
tmpfs           1.9G  972K  1.9G   1% /dev/shm
cgroup_root     1.9G     0  1.9G   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/sda5        98G  6.8G   87G   8% /home
cgmfs           100K     0  100K   0% /run/cgmanager/fs

I'm using the michael account for virtualbox access, but the actual files are outside of /home/michael. There are symbolic links inside /home/michael that point to the main filesystem (michael owns the directories where the actual VM files are as well,) as there is more room out there and I don't want to have to work with huge files in my daily backups.

Habitual · 02-17-2017, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

It might be easier simply to recreate the VM with a large maximum HDD size. I normally

Simply, to me is:
Identify:

Code:

VBoxManage showhdinfo /path/to/hd.vdi

Implement:

Code:

VBoxManage modifyhd /path/to/hd.vdi --resize nnnnn

in the Windows guest, I believe you'll have to run Manage Disks or some such or look for a "Found new hardware" OSD, I'd expect
and proceed from there. It is not "auto-magic" and it won't just show up as "new space", if it's Dynamic.
but the new drive/volume should fire a notification on screen ("OSD").
Can't do squat 'til Windows "sees it".

Good Luck.

maschelsea · 02-17-2017, 12:03 PM

I did this,and got an error:

Code:

michael@caitlyn ~ $ VBoxManage modifyhd VirtualBox\ VMs/Windows\ 7/Windows\ 7.vdi --resize 5000
0%...
Progress state: VBOX_E_NOT_SUPPORTED
VBoxManage: error: Resize medium operation for this format is not implemented yet!

Habitual · 02-17-2017, 03:06 PM

Code:

VBoxManage modifyhd "VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7/Windows 7.vdi"...

maschelsea · 02-17-2017, 04:15 PM

Code:

michael@caitlyn ~ $ VBoxManage modifyhd "VirtualBox\ VMs/Windows\ 7/Windows\ 7.vdi" --resize 5000
VBoxManage: error: Could not find file for the medium '/home/michael/VirtualBox\ VMs/Windows\ 7/Windows\ 7.vdi' (VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND)
VBoxManage: error: Details: code VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR (0x80bb0004), component MediumWrap, interface IMedium, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "OpenMedium(Bstr(pszFilenameOrUuid).raw(), enmDevType, enmAccessMode, fForceNewUuidOnOpen, pMedium.asOutParam())" at line 178 of file VBoxManageDisk.cpp

Habitual · 02-17-2017, 04:46 PM

What do you think is causing that?

hydrurga · 02-17-2017, 05:13 PM

I always run vboxmanage list hdds first to see what I have, and then refer to HDDs by their UUID. You might find that easier.

So, for example,

vboxmanage modifyhd UUID --resize size_in_MB

Afterwards, boot up into the VM from a partition manager and resize the partition to the whole drive size.

maschelsea · 02-18-2017, 11:04 AM

Code:

michael@caitlyn ~ $ vboxmanage list hdds
UUID:           eac1f473-3b15-43fb-8527-8dfe4c4453d1
Parent UUID:    base
State:          locked write
Type:           normal (base)
Location:       /home/michael/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7/Windows 7.vdi
Storage format: VDI
Capacity:       25600 MBytes
Encryption:     disabled
michael@caitlyn ~ $ vboxmanage modifyhd eac1f473-3b15-43fb-8527-8dfe4c4453d1 --resize 5000
VBoxManage: error: Failed to lock media when compacting '/home/michael/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7/Windows 7.vdi'
VBoxManage: error: Details: code VBOX_E_INVALID_OBJECT_STATE (0x80bb0007), component MediumWrap, interface IMedium, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "Resize(cbResize, pProgress.asOutParam())" at line 691 of file VBoxManageDisk.cpp
VBoxManage: error: Failed to resize medium!

hydrurga · 02-18-2017, 11:34 AM

The status "locked write" should really read "created". You'll need to look at that, although I see from some examples on the web that sometimes no action is required.

But, more important than that, "Failed to lock media when compacting": why are you trying to reduce the size of the VDI from 25600MB to 5000MB? I thought that you wanted to expand it?

dijetlo · 02-18-2017, 11:41 AM

Quote:

The status "locked write" should really read "created"

I think that could be because his vdi has maxed out, throw it a couple of bits and let's see if it flips back over.

hydrurga · 02-18-2017, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dijetlo

I think that could be because his vdi has maxed out, throw it a couple of bits and let's see if it flips back over.

That makes sense. Thanks, dijetlo.