[GRLUG] VirtualBox question

[Bill Littlejohn]

On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 1:09 PM, Bill Littlejohn <billl at mtd-inc.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 1:06 PM, John-Thomas Richards <jtr at jrichards.org>wrote:
>
>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 12:05:34PM -0500, Bill Littlejohn wrote:
>> > On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 11:40 AM, John-Thomas Richards <
>> jtr at jrichards.org>wrote:
>> > > I'm confused about why I need to move the partition into another
>> > > partition (on a USB drive).  Is it so it has a bootloader?  Can I not
>> > > install a bootloader into the restore partition and accomplish the
>> same
>> > > thing?  (Perhaps my ignorance is showing here...)  The restore
>> partition
>> > > would only be used to install the VM and then it could be removed (at
>> > > the least unmounted).
>> > >
>> > > > If you have a spare drive large enough to copy your existing drive
>> into,
>> > > > then you can attach that to the VM and boot the VM using a live CD
>> ISO,
>> > > > repartition the drive to turn sda2,sda3,sda4 into one ntfs
>> partition,
>> > > reboot
>> > > > the VM without the live cd and run the restore, then when it's all
>> done
>> > > and
>> > > > youv'e successfully booted the restored OS, shrink the OS partition
>> as
>> > > small
>> > > > as practical (and obviously somewhat <38GB).
>> > > > After all that you'll have a working VM, and all you have to do is
>> > > convert
>> > > > the physical drive into a virtual one and change the VM config to
>> use the
>> > > > new virtual disk.
>> > > > I may be wrong, but other methods seems to get rather complicated
>> rather
>> > > > quickly.
>> > > > This of course all hinges on having another 130GB+ drive laying
>> around.
>> > >
>> > > Why would I repartition sda2-4 into one ntfs partition?  I don't want
>> to
>> > > get rid of my Linux install.  I just want to boot the restore
>> partition
>> > > via VirtualBox to create a VM of the factory install of my laptop,
>> after
>> > > which I can delete the restore partition and continue running Debian
>> as
>> > > my operating system, booting <gulp> the Vista VM as needed.
>> > > --
>> > > john-thomas
>> >
>> > Apologies for being unclear.
>>
>> I'm pretty sure it's not you being unclear.
>>
>> > I essentially meant to make a copy of your existing disk, and then to
>> modify
>> > those partitions. In the end having a single (restored) OS in a VM, no
>> > dual-boot.
>>
>> I'm still confused why I would modify the partitions on my drive.  Do you
>> mean the USB drive?
>>
>> > I also did not mean to confuse the issue by sending something mildly
>> > related, that was only to provide that Virtualbox can boot a partition
>> and
>> > some associated commands that may help shed some light.
>> >
>> > I'm installing V.B. on another pc right, and I'll be back shortly.
>>
>> I think I need to reread this thread.  Thanks for your help!
>> --
>> john-thomas
>> ------
>> Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.
>> Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)
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>
> I'm still confused why I would modify the partitions on my drive.  Do you
> mean the USB drive?
> Yes.
> I'm making an image of the restore partition on this pc I have right now.
> I'll try to see if there's a way to boot it without using another drive.
>

Running out of time for today, but I did get the restore partition on a
virtual drive.
After I get a bootloader on there and actually boot it I'll let you know how
I did it.
Bill
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