Mounting VirtualBox files on openSuse 11.4

Some time ago I experimented (successfully) with running Slackware 3.5 in VirtualBox. After compiling some utilities under a Slackware supported programming language, I was able to mount my fixed .vdi file system to my openSuse 11.4 host using a script called mountDisk.pl. This script required identifying the start location of the .vdi data using a utility called vditool. vditool is no longer available (or if it is I can’t find it by Googling). I have been unable to understand how to duplicate this process. There must be an alternative method of sharing files. I tried mounting a shared file directory from inside Slackware, but it does not support the “-t vboxsf” option.

Could someone suggest an alternative method?

Thanks.

On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:56:02 +0000, ionmich wrote:

> Some time ago I experimented (successfully) with running Slackware 3.5
> in VirtualBox. After compiling some utilities under a Slackware
> supported programming language, I was able to mount my fixed .vdi file
> system to my openSuse 11.4 host using a script called mountDisk.pl. This
> script required identifying the start location of the .vdi data using a
> utility called vditool. vditool is no longer available (or if it is I
> can’t find it by Googling). I have been unable to understand how to
> duplicate this process. There must be an alternative method of sharing
> files. I tried mounting a shared file directory from inside Slackware,
> but it does not support the “-t vboxsf” option.
>
> Could someone suggest an alternative method?
>
> Thanks.

A quick Google search turned up a way to use the qemu-kvm tools to mount
the VDI file as a network block device.

https://n00bsys0p.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/mount-partitions-from-a-
virtualbox-vdi-in-linux/

Jim


Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Administrator
Forum Use Terms & Conditions at http://tinyurl.com/openSUSE-T-C

If I am not mistaken this solution requires me to switch from using Oracle VirtualBox to qemu-kvm as the qemu-kvm tools are specific to qemu-kvm. This runs counter to recommendations in swerdna’s excellent tutorial http://forums.opensuse.org/content/59-how-install-virtualbox-opensuse-11-4-12-1-tumbleweed.html which I followed successfully. I hesitate to regress to a less recommended and unfamiliar method.

In any case, thanks for the assistance.

On Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:16:03 +0000, ionmich wrote:

> If I am not mistaken this solution requires me to switch from using
> Oracle VirtualBox to qemu-kvm as the qemu-kvm tools are specific to
> qemu-kvm.

You are mistaken, it’s just about using the qemu-kvm tools to mount the
VDI file. It has nothing to do with which virtualization solution you
actually use.

Jim


Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Administrator
Forum Use Terms & Conditions at http://tinyurl.com/openSUSE-T-C

That’s excellent news. I love being corrected when I’m wrong. I will pursue this much simpler solution. Thanks for the help.