Thread: Please...a simple answer to a simple problem...thanks!!

Doesn't anyone know how to boot VHD's from grub....really????

VHD files are Microsoft Virtual PC files.

Microsoft are not open source, and I don't think you are going to have much luck even opening VHD files under Linux, let alone being able to boot from them...

A bit of a google search shows that you don't generally even have much chance opening them in VMWARE either.

Why do you want to boot off a VHD anyway? What are you actually trying to accomplish here?

Originally Posted by Chester

VHD files are Microsoft Virtual PC files.

Microsoft are not open source, and I don't think you are going to have much luck even opening VHD files under Linux, let alone being able to boot from them...

A bit of a google search shows that you don't generally even have much chance opening them in VMWARE either.

Why do you want to boot off a VHD anyway? What are you actually trying to accomplish here?

Trying to setup recovery options on my grub menu for XP and Windows 7(I use grub as the default bootloader for my three OS's because its the easiest and most rugged of the three...and I use a custom grub splash themed for my Chrysler 300m that brings them all together nicely and OEM looking), using XP as the default OS with RR as the default user GUI for one of my two users, but I also plan to install Mac OS X (will not run well in VirtualBox inside of the OS on my hardware(M10000 mobo with 1Gig of ram)) onto a 20Gig Flash drive that I will have attached to my car key ring. I can create the virtual hard disk as any type of virtual hard format disk out there...just need to know how to boot it from grub is all! Still in the learning process with Linux, and learning fast...I can do lots of stuff now...just found a new hurdle I'm trying to leap over with this one.

PS: All of my OS's have recovery options...Ubuntu's installed by default, XP's installed from disk, and Windows 7 installed using EasyBCD to create a WinPE image of my Windows 7 Recovery disc that I downloaded(google). Now I am trying to link them all together like the OS's are so if ever I need to use them, I will have access to anyone of them from any OS(with the exception of Ubuntu, since I can fix anything from the LiveCD, and if I lose it or scratch it up I can always burn another one at no extra cost other than the disc I'm burning to. Got to fork out money with Microsoft!!!

Don't really want to depend on disks anyway in the car(just like I don't depend on wireless keyboards or a wireless mouse...got me a keyboard with a mousepad built in sitting on a custom sliding mount...I REALLY need to post updated pics to my worklog), even though I have a disc drive installed its always faster to do it from the HDD(by the time I get this all working like I really want SSD's will have come down on price, and I plan to clone my whole system to a decent sized SSD, get a better mobo, better touchscreen, max out the ram, staying with the M4 as my PSU, and rebuild my whole system(with the software already configured it will save me a lot of time setting it up). I wont have to re-fabricate the bezel since I built it in a way that everything can be removed and replaced...even the mobo...without much difficulty since my bezel is really nothing more than a custom tower without a backside, since the back is in the dash.

This is my 1st install and its off the hook!!!

Originally Posted by locs4dayz

Trying to setup recovery options on my grub menu for XP and Windows 7(I use grub as the default bootloader for my three OS's because its the was the easiest and most rugged of the three...and I use a custom grub splash themed for my Chrysler 300m that brings them all together nicely and OEM looking), using XP as the default OS with RR as the default user GUI for one of my two users, but I also plan to install Mac OS X (will not run well in VirtualBox inside of the OS on my hardware(M10000 mobo with 1Gig of ram)) onto a 20Gig Flash drive that I will have attached to my car key ring. I can create the virtual hard disk as any type of virtual hard format disk out there...just need to know how to boot it from grub is all! Still in the learning process with Linux, and learning fast...I can do lots of stuff now...just found a new hurdle I'm trying to leap over with this one.

PS: All of my OS's have recovery options...Ubuntu's installed by default, XP's installed from disk, and Windows 7 installed using EasyBCD to create a WinPE image of my Windows 7 Recovery disc that I downloaded(google). Now I am trying to link them all together like the OS's are so if ever I need to use them, I will have access to anyone of them from any OS(with the exception of Ubuntu, since I can fix anything from the LiveCD, and if I lose it or scratch it up I can always burn another one at no extra cost other than the disc I'm burning to. Got to fork out money with Microsoft!!!

Don't really want to need disks anyway in the car, even though I have a disc drive intalled its always faster to do it from the HDD(by the time I get this all working like I really want SSD's will have come down on price, and I plan to clone my whole system to a decent sized SSD, get a better mobo, better touchscreen, max out the ram, and rebuild my whole system(with the software already configured it will save me a lot of time setting it up). I wont have to refabricate the bezel since I built it in a way that everything can be removed and replaced...even the mobo...without much dificulty since my bexel is really nothing more than a custom tower without a backside, since the back is in the dash.

The Microsoft VHD format is a file that is read by a specific program (Microsoft Virtual PC, Virtual Server, etc). I don't think it's a VHD in the sense that Linux would understand. Now there might be a Linux hack out there that can read it, but mounting it in the sense that you would mount a virtual Fat32 disk or NTFS disk isn't going to happen, as far as I know.

VegasGuy

Originally Posted by VegasGuy

The Microsoft VHD format is a file that is read by a specific program (Microsoft Virtual PC, Virtual Server, etc). I don't think it's a VHD in the sense that Linux would understand. Now there might be a Linux hack out there that can read it, but mounting it in the sense that you would mount a virtual Fat32 disk or NTFS disk isn't going to happen, as far as I know.

VegasGuy

Does that mean I can mount a virtual NTFS drive? I could redo the two virtual drive as NTFS drives easily using this program... http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/U...ive_Image.html What would I need the grub menu entry to be?


My OS Partition is at (hd0,2)
The virtual drive will be at \boot\{whatever the hard drive name is}

Originally Posted by locs4dayz

Does that mean I can mount a virtual NTFS drive? I could redo the two virtual drive as NTFS drives easily using this program... http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/U...ive_Image.html What would I need the grub menu entry to be?


My OS Partition is at (hd0,2)
The virtual drive will be at \boot\{whatever the hard drive name is}

I have no idea what it means in regards to NTFS and grub, I'm not familiar with the product.

Just so you know, the EULA for Microsoft VHDs prohibits their use with anything other than Virtual PC or Virtual Server, and those applications prohibit thier use in any OS other than a licensed copy of Windows.

Now that the legalese is out of the way, look here for some info on how to convert and run a VHD on Linux.

http://www.qc4blog.com/?p=84

Cheers!

VegasGuy

I'm not quite sure I'm understanding why you want to be able to do this vs booting from a partition with windows installed? Why a virtual drive? It's almost just as easy to clone/restore a partition as it is a virtual drive.

Holy Thread Restore Batman! :P

I'm curious!