[kwlug-disc] Unique VM Installation

[Raul Suarez]

In my experience, the recover images for a particular computer only work on the 
computer they were intended for. Trying to install to a virtual will complain.
 Raul Suarez


Technology consultant
Software, Hardware and Practices
_________________
Twitter: rarsamx
http://rarsa.blogspot.com/ 
An eclectic collection of random thoughts



----- Original Message ----
From: John Van Ostrand <john at netdirect.ca>
To: kwlug-disc <kwlug-disc at kwlug.org>
Sent: Fri, April 8, 2011 10:07:36 AM
Subject: [kwlug-disc] Unique VM Installation

Hi All,

Can anyone think of how I might go about installing from the system partition of 
my Lenovo workstation into a VM? 


The system partition (sda1) is a Windows PE environment with recovery and 
restore tools that will image the other partition on the disk with the copy of 
Windows that was licensed with the system. Windows users are normally not shown 
that partition, it's hidden. Normally the Lenovo rescue will install into 
another partition on the disk, but with VM it seems we don't use partitions any 
more. I bet it avoids installing on another disk to avoid the issue of pirating 
(yeah DRM :-().

I figure I could:

1. try to find a way to have KVM see a disk as a partitioned device and DD the 
system partition into the virtual partition,
2. Trick the Lenovo restore utility into installing onto another disk,
3. Find the image and somehow do an install with another tool,
4. Wipe my Linux box, do the install, take an image, re-install Linux and 
re-image back.

I'm hoping to avoid the obvious #4 option.

-- 
John Van Ostrand 
CTO, co-CEO 
Net Direct Inc. 
564 Weber St. N. Unit 12, Waterloo, ON N2L 5C6 
Ph: 866-883-1172 x5102 
Fx: 519-883-8533 

Linux Solutions / IBM Hardware 


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