Thanks, Rudy.
I tried that, using first
/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 10 VM, then
/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 10 VM/Windows 10 VM.vbox
and then, that same command after renaming Windows 10 VM.vbox-prev to
Windows 10VM.vbox.
This is what I got back from the command:
eric@fedora:~$ vboxmanage registervm '/home/eric/VirtualBox VMs'
VBoxManage: error: Document is empty.
VBoxManage: error: Location: '/home/eric/VirtualBox VMs', line 1 (0),
column 1.
VBoxManage: error:
/home/vbox/tinderbox/build-VBox-7.1/svn/src/VBox/Main/src-server/MachineImpl.cpp[691]
(nsresult Machine::initFromSettings(VirtualBox*, const com::Utf8Str&,
const com::Guid*, const com::Utf8Str&))
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005),
component MachineWrap, interface IMachine, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "OpenMachine(Bstr(a->argv[0]).raw(),
Bstr(strPassword).raw(), machine.asOutParam()))" at line 159 of file
VBoxManageMisc.cpp
eric@fedora:~$ vboxmanage registervm '/home/eric/VirtualBox VMs/Windows
10 VM.vbox'
VBoxManage: error: Runtime error opening '/home/eric/VirtualBox
VMs/Windows 10 VM.vbox' for reading VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND (File not found.).
VBoxManage: error:
/home/vbox/tinderbox/build-VBox-7.1/svn/src/VBox/Main/src-server/MachineImpl.cpp[691]
(nsresult Machine::initFromSettings(VirtualBox*, const com::Utf8Str&,
const com::Guid*, const com::Utf8Str&))
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005),
component MachineWrap, interface IMachine, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "OpenMachine(Bstr(a->argv[0]).raw(),
Bstr(strPassword).raw(), machine.asOutParam()))" at line 159 of file
VBoxManageMisc.cpp
eric@fedora:~$ vboxmanage registervm '/home/eric/VirtualBox VMs/Windows
10 VM.vbox'
VBoxManage: error: Runtime error opening '/home/eric/VirtualBox
VMs/Windows 10 VM.vbox' for reading VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND (File not found.).
VBoxManage: error:
/home/vbox/tinderbox/build-VBox-7.1/svn/src/VBox/Main/src-server/MachineImpl.cpp[691]
(nsresult Machine::initFromSettings(VirtualBox*, const com::Utf8Str&,
const com::Guid*, const com::Utf8Str&))
VBoxManage: error: Details: code NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005),
component MachineWrap, interface IMachine, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "OpenMachine(Bstr(a->argv[0]).raw(),
Bstr(strPassword).raw(), machine.asOutParam()))" at line 159 of file
VBoxManageMisc.cpp
I don't know if this means anything to you. I'll also post these results
on my threat at VirtualBox.
I always have the VMs shut down when I run rdiff-backup.
Thanks.
Eric Beversluis
www.ericbeversluis.com
2x Honorable Mention--Writer's Digest Contest
On 2/24/25 12:05 PM, Rudy Zijlstra wrote:
Eric,
When restoring from a file backup, you may need to re-register the VM.
That is fully delete it, put the files in place from backup, and then
vboxmanage registervm <abs path to vbox file>
This is on the assumption the external backup was made while the VM
was NOT running. If it was running during the copy, there is no
guarantee the backup file is consistent. It might still work, but the
key word there is "might"
Cheers
Rudy
On 23-02-2025 20:43, Eric Beversluis via Any discussion of
rdiff-backup wrote:
Eric, sorry about not addressing the list. I don't know what made me
think you had replied off-list.
Thanks for digging into this for me. I'll study the VB forum links
you found and return to the qq I've posted there. Hopefully I'll get
some love there.
Eric Beversluis
www.ericbeversluis.com
2x Honorable Mention--Writer's Digest Contest
On 2/23/25 12:36 PM, EricZolf wrote:
Hi,
please keep the discussion on the mailing list (and don't address me
directly), you never know who might be able to help, or who might
need the solution.
On 23/02/2025 13:07, Eric Beversluis wrote:
Hi Eric,
When I tried to reproduce the original VM by clicking on the .vbox
file, I got this error message:
Failed to open virtual machines located in .../VirtualBox
VMs/Windows10 VM/Windows 10 VM.vbox. Callee RC:
NX_ERROR_INVALID_ARG (0X80070057)
You are probably better off asking in a VirtualBox forum. Reading
through https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=110774 I get
the impression that the issue is some expectations on the devices
(there the ISO) being available on the host, which are most probably
not part of the backup.
See especially the comment
https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?p=544847&sid=1dd533b8b7d03facbea8b6d9e371a3c3#p544847
Nearly as I can tell from searching, that's a kind of generic error
message that doesn't help much.
You are possibly right, I wouldn't know, I haven't used VirtualBox
for decades.
I think I should also be able to create a new VM by importing the
old .vdi image. But when I try that approach, VirtualBox can't find
the .vdi image, even though it's in the 'VirtualBox VMs' directory.
Somewhere in my vague memory, from years ago when I was more active
with this stuff, there's the idea that copying an image as image is
different from copying the files in an image. Could that be
relevant here? I definitely would have run rdiff-backup with the VM
shut down.
Well, you can do backup from within the VM, at the OS level, or from
outside at the VM image level, but apparently here you've done it
from outside.
Sorry I can't help more but it sounds more like a VirtualBox than an
rdiff-backup issue.
KR, Eric
Thanks.
Eric Beversluis
www.ericbeversluis.com
2x Honorable Mention--Writer's Digest Contest
On 2/23/25 2:46 AM, EricZolf wrote:
Hi,
I have no clue of virtual box but which error message do you get?
Did you backup the image while the VM was switched off? Else it
could get inconsistent...
KR, Eric
On February 23, 2025 4:48:18 AM UTC, Eric Beversluis via Any
discussion of rdiff-backup <rdiff-backup-users@nongnu.org> wrote:
I've been backing up my VirtualBox VM as part of my rdiff-backiup
of my Home directory (Fedora 40).
My Window 10 VM got destroyed, and I'm trying to recreate it, but
VirtualBox does not seem to be able to recognize or deal with my
restored rdiff-backup files of the VM. Everything seems to be
there, but VB doesn't seem to recognize the .vdi file at all and
I get an error when I click on the .vbox file, which is
supposedly what retriggers the new VM.
Does anyone know why I can't restore from my rdiff-backup of the
virtual machine? I thought I was being very prudent with backing
up the VM.
