virtualbox

[vsreeser]

Want to copy my install to a virtualbox install so I can try new stuff without messing up main kubuntu machine. What is the easiest way to do this, assuming it can be done

[vsreeser]

Booted livecd of 14.04 I can see the external usb drive as /dev/sdb1 and internal drive as /dev/sda1 using fdisk -l, but the command

dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/storage/ubuntu.img bs=1024

returns an error saying failed to open /dev/sdb1/kubuntu.img: not a directory not sure what to do here. I can mount the drive using the system tray and read/write contents.
Have tried with drive mounted and unmounted. Since it is running usb2, I know the copy may take a while, but then I can have an image to try new stuff on. If it blows up, will
just replace blown up vdi with a copy I made right beforehand

FYI, the external usb drive is formatted ntfs

[jlittle]

(I don't know anything about virtual box, though I wouldn't expect to be able to copy or move an existing non-virtual install into a virtual environment; the drivers would be wrong at least).

I think your dd command is complaining about the output file. What is "/storage"? Did you try to mount /dev/sdb1 on /storage? The error message suggests that /storage is a link to /dev/sdb1, and that won't work.

Also, if /dev/sda1 is mounted, and perhaps has the root of the running install, the copy will be dirty and no use I'd imagine. You'd want to be booted from another install, or a live CD or USB.

Be careful, a small error in typing a dd command can hose a system.

[Wheel Inventor]

Real system to virtual

I have not tried these:

- How do I migrate currently installed Ubuntu to a Virtual Machine?: http://askubuntu.com/questions/27040...irtual-machine
- Convert my physical Operating System to a VirtualBox Disk: http://askubuntu.com/questions/34802...irtualbox-disk
- make image of existing Ubuntu installation for VirtualBox: http://superuser.com/questions/21605...for-virtualbox



Virtual to real - this I have tried - working:

- Migrate from a virtual machine (VM) to a physical system: http://askubuntu.com/questions/32499...hysical-system

[vsreeser]

I made a clonezilla image. But I can't get virtualbox to see it. I can use another virtualization software if needed. The goal is to have a system to try out stuff on before I put it on the main system. and if it blows up the virt system, I can just copy the backed up virt hard drive and try again