In this article, we will delve into the process of mounting a VirtualBox Drive Image (.vdi) in Ubuntu. This can be useful in various scenarios, such as when you need to access the files within the .vdi image without starting the virtual machine.
To mount a VirtualBox Drive Image (.vdi) in Ubuntu, you can use the qemu-nbd command, convert the .vdi to a raw image and then mount it, or use the vdfuse tool. Each method has its own steps and requirements, so choose the one that suits your needs and tools available. Remember to always unmount and disconnect the device after use.
Prerequisites
Before proceeding, ensure that you have VirtualBox installed on your Ubuntu machine. If not, you can download it from the official VirtualBox website.
Method 1: Using qemu-nbd
The qemu-nbd command is part of the QEMU emulator package. It allows you to use a file as a block device.
Step 1: Install qemu and qemu-utils
First, you need to install the qemu and qemu-utils packages. Open a terminal and run the following command:
sudo apt-get install qemu qemu-utilsStep 2: Load the nbd module
Next, load the nbd module into the kernel:
sudo modprobe nbd max_part=16The max_part parameter specifies the maximum number of partitions that the kernel can handle.
Step 3: Attach the .vdi image to an NBD device
Now, attach the .vdi image to a Network Block Device (NBD):
sudo qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 drive.vdiThe -c option connects the NBD device to a file.
Step 4: Mount the NBD device
Mount the NBD device to a directory:
sudo mount /dev/nbd0p1 /mntThe /dev/nbd0p1 is the first partition on the NBD device, and /mnt is the directory where you want to mount it.
Step 5: Unmount and disconnect
Once you’re done, unmount the device and disconnect it:
sudo umount /mnt
sudo qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0The -d option disconnects the NBD device.
Method 2: Converting the .vdi to a standard image and then mounting it
This method involves converting the .vdi file to a raw disk image and then mounting it.
Step 1: Convert the .vdi to a raw image
Use the VBoxManage command to convert the .vdi file:
VBoxManage clonehd --format RAW ubuntu.vdi ubuntu.imgThe --format option specifies the output format, and RAW is the raw disk image format.
Step 2: Mount the image
Mount the raw image to a directory:
sudo mount -t ext3 -o loop,rw ./ubuntu.img /mntThe -t option specifies the file system type, the -o option sets the mount options, and loop,rw means to use loop device and mount as read-write.
Method 3: Using vdfuse
vdfuse is a tool that allows you to mount VirtualBox .vdi files.
Step 1: Install virtualbox-fuse
First, install the virtualbox-fuse package:
sudo apt-get install virtualbox-fuseStep 2: Mount the .vdi file
Mount the .vdi file to a directory:
sudo vdfuse -a -f /path-to-vdi-file /mntThe -a option allows all users to access the mount, and the -f option specifies the .vdi file.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered three methods to mount a VirtualBox Drive Image (.vdi) in Ubuntu. Depending on your specific needs and the tools you have at your disposal, you can choose the method that suits you best. Remember to always unmount the device and disconnect it after you’re done to avoid any potential issues.
Yes, you can mount a .vdi image in Ubuntu without starting the virtual machine using the methods described in this article.
Before proceeding, you need to have VirtualBox installed on your Ubuntu machine. If you don’t have it, you can download it from the official VirtualBox website.
The first method described in this article is using the qemu-nbd command, which is part of the QEMU emulator package.
For the first method, you need to install the qemu and qemu-utils packages using the sudo apt-get install qemu qemu-utils command.
Loading the nbd module into the kernel allows you to use Network Block Devices (NBD) to attach the .vdi image.
You can attach the .vdi image to an NBD device using the sudo qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 drive.vdi command, where drive.vdi is the path to your .vdi image.
To mount the NBD device, you can use the sudo mount /dev/nbd0p1 /mnt command, where /dev/nbd0p1 is the first partition on the NBD device and /mnt is the directory where you want to mount it.
To unmount the NBD device, you can use the sudo umount /mnt command. To disconnect the NBD device, use the sudo qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0 command.
The second method described in this article is converting the .vdi file to a raw disk image and then mounting it.
You can use the VBoxManage clonehd --format RAW ubuntu.vdi ubuntu.img command to convert the .vdi file to a raw image, where ubuntu.vdi is the path to your .vdi file and ubuntu.img is the output raw image.
