export disk with snapshots to vmware workstation

[rykle]

# Introduction

I am a teacher of IT in the Netherlands. We want to start a new Linux course for 10 weeks for students in which they can experience different types of GUI's with different Linux OS.

# Problem
I started to make a multiboot virtual machine in proxmox. Because of the different types of GUI's i made snapshots (snapshot of xfce, gnome etc.).

Student dont use Proxmox on their laptop obvious, so i want to export the disk (.img).

# Question
Can i export (rsync or what so ever) the disk which include snapshots made in Proxmox and import the same disk to a virtual machine in vmware Workstation and use the snapshots?

I would be really great full if someone could provide me some information.

 

[LnxBil]

Hi and welcome,

Because of the different types of GUI's i made snapshots (snapshot of xfce, gnome etc.).

That is one way to go, but another would be to just install every GUI, which is normally not a problem. With the normal login manager you can choose to boot a bootmanger, or you can create user account like KDE, XFCE, Gnome etc. which have the respective window manager configured.

Can i export (rsync or what so ever) the disk which include snapshots made in Proxmox and import the same disk to a virtual machine in vmware Workstation and use the snapshots?

It would be possible to export the VM data as raw from each snapshot, if you have QCOW2 as the virtual disk format and just switch to each VM snapshot and do an VM disk export directly via qemu-img. You cannot easily use the snapshots inside of VMware, yet if should still be possible with fiddling around with it. rsync is filebased, you need some blockbased tool like dd of qemu-img.

If you would go this route (and not one VM with all window managers installed), I recommend using the same sourde as the target environment - so VMware - to create and distribute the VM images, so that you don't need to fiddle around with PVE and VMware. You can - if VMware is not already set in stone - go with VirtualBox or even just install PVE, but I would always try to stay inside of the same virtualization environment.

 

[rykle]

Hi and welcome,


That is one way to go, but another would be to just install every GUI, which is normally not a problem. With the normal login manager you can choose to boot a bootmanger, or you can create user account like KDE, XFCE, Gnome etc. which have the respective window manager configured.


It would be possible to export the VM data as raw from each snapshot, if you have QCOW2 as the virtual disk format and just switch to each VM snapshot and do an VM disk export directly via qemu-img. You cannot easily use the snapshots inside of VMware, yet if should still be possible with fiddling around with it. rsync is filebased, you need some blockbased tool like dd of qemu-img.

If you would go this route (and not one VM with all window managers installed), I recommend using the same sourde as the target environment - so VMware - to create and distribute the VM images, so that you don't need to fiddle around with PVE and VMware. You can - if VMware is not already set in stone - go with VirtualBox or even just install PVE, but I would always try to stay inside of the same virtualization environment.

Hi LnBil,

Thank you for your reply.

I am going with your first option which is great!

Thank you so much. I cant believe i did not come up with this my self. KISS (not for you, but keep it simple stupid me).