Assumptions:
- You are doing this from the command line
- You are using Linux (though most everything in this document should work in Windows and Mac too)
- You have a dedicated VM Utility User that is active and can login (will be handy for security and autostart vm’s)
- You are going to the same platform the you are coming from (e.i. Coming from a 4.2.x and going to a 4.2.x or 4.3.x they are both in the 4 class. I cannot say whether or not this will hold true for 4.0.x to 4.3.x)
- You have exported your VM to an .OVA or an .OVF file
- VritualBox and Extension-pack is already installed on the new machine.
- You have the .OVA or.OVF on the new machine
- You want to maintane a VDI format
Create a VirtualBox Default Location (optional)
This part is for those of you who don’t want the virtual machines in your /home/<user>/Virtual VMs directory. Like if your running a server with VM’s that you want public or to autostart. By default VirtualBox creates a VirtualBox.xml in the users home directory,
in virtualbox 4.3.8 /home/<user>/.config/VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml
in virtualbox 4.2.6 /home/<user>/.VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml
Need to edit the VirtualBox.xml and change what is highlighted in the following line
FROM
<SystemProperties defaultMachineFolder=”/home/dsherer/Virtual VMs” defaultHardDiskFormat=”VDI” VRDEAuthLibrary=”VBoxAuth” webServiceAuthLibrary=”VBoxAuth” LogHistoryCount=”3″ exclusiveHwVirt=”true”/>
TO
<SystemProperties defaultMachineFolder=”” defaultHardDiskFormat=”VDI” VRDEAuthLibrary=”VBoxAuth” webServiceAuthLibrary=”VBoxAuth” LogHistoryCount=”3″ exclusiveHwVirt=”true”/>
For security reasons I change the permissions on the virtual machine location to 700 (in windows it would be the same thing as only giving the owner all the rights and no one else)
