Cannot create the machine folder in the parent folder

[vbox-users]

I consider this a bug, and hope it can be addressed in a future release. Running VirtualBox 4.2.6 on OpenIndiana 151a7:

Is this a good place to report something as a bug, and see it have a bug ticket created?

Normally, up to and including 4.1.x, I create a new zfs filesystem for each virtualbox guest.
sudo zfs create virtualmachines/foomachine
And then go into Virtualbox, and create a new machine named "foomachine"

But, I just upgraded to 4.2.x, and the new behavior is, if a directory already exists, virtualbox refuses to allow you to create a new machine in that directory. It says "Cannot create the machine folder foomachine in parent folder /virtualmachines"

The workaround, at present, is this:

Don't zfs create before creating the new machine.
Start by creating the new machine, with no hard drive. This will create the directory, with .vbox file in it, only.
Close VirtualBox.
Now rename the directory "mv /virtualmachines/foomachine /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp"
zfs create virtualmachines/foomachine
mv /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp/* /virtualmachines/foomachine/
rmdir /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp

Launch VirtualBox, Edit your machine and add a virtual hard drive.

[Angelo GIRARDI]

Post by vbox-users
Is this a good place to report something as a bug, and see it have a bug ticket created?
Normally, up to and including 4.1.x, I create a new zfs filesystem for each virtualbox guest.
sudo zfs create virtualmachines/foomachine
And then go into Virtualbox, and create a new machine named "foomachine"
But, I just upgraded to 4.2.x, and the new behavior is, if a directory already exists, virtualbox refuses to allow you to create a new machine in that directory. It says "Cannot create the machine folder foomachine in parent folder /virtualmachines"
Don't zfs create before creating the new machine.
Start by creating the new machine, with no hard drive. This will create the directory, with .vbox file in it, only.
Close VirtualBox.
Now rename the directory "mv /virtualmachines/foomachine /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp"
zfs create virtualmachines/foomachine
mv /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp/* /virtualmachines/foomachine/
rmdir /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp
Launch VirtualBox, Edit your machine and add a virtual hard drive.

Hi,

I remember you.

Do you install it from crash and set the right rights to the user?

Sometimes everybody forget the rights for a directory.

Regards

[vbox-users]

Post by Angelo GIRARDI
Do you install it from crash and set the right rights to the user?
Sometimes everybody forget the rights for a directory.

I don't know what you mean "install it from crash," but yes I set the rights that I know of -

I have a user account called "eharvey" and eharvey is the owner of /virtualmachines, and eharvey is a member of the "vboxuser" group, and when I "sudo zfs create virtualmachines/newvm" I then "sudo chown eharvey /virtualmachines/newvm" before trying to create the new VM. Yes I can create files (touch /virtualmachines/newvm/foo ; ls -l /virtualmachines/newvm/foo ; rm /virtualmachines/newvm/foo) in that directory. So I've solidly confirmed I have the right permissions - at least - the right permissions as far as I know.

In fact, just as a test, I tried this:
cd /virtualmachines
mkdir newvm
ls -l
Confirm the "newvm" directory is owned by me, and writable.
Now launch VirtualBox, and try to create a new machine called "newvm"
Same error:
Cannot create the machine folder newvm in the parent folder /virtualmachines
This folder already exists and possibly belongs to another machine.
Only option is "Copy" or "OK" where "Copy" just copies the error message to clipboard. So VirtualBox refuses to move forward, as long as the destination directory already exists. Even if it's just an empty directory.

[vbox-users]

No responses to the message below. Are there any virtualbox developers here? Should a bug report be created somehow, and if so, where and how?

The behavior is cross-platform, but I won't call it a bug for windows or mac, because there isn't an obvious use-case in windows or mac. I call it a bug, because in solaris or linux (if you're using btrfs) you're very likely going to want to create a new zfs filesystem for a new VM, which means virtualbox really should have an option to happily move forward and create a new VM in a pre-existing empty directory.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 6:07 PM
Subject: [VBox-users] Cannot create the machine folder in the parent folder
I consider this a bug, and hope it can be addressed in a future release.
Is this a good place to report something as a bug, and see it have a bug ticket created?
Normally, up to and including 4.1.x, I create a new zfs filesystem for each
virtualbox guest.
sudo zfs create virtualmachines/foomachine
And then go into Virtualbox, and create a new machine named "foomachine"
But, I just upgraded to 4.2.x, and the new behavior is, if a directory already
exists, virtualbox refuses to allow you to create a new machine in that
directory. It says "Cannot create the machine folder foomachine in parent
folder /virtualmachines"
Don't zfs create before creating the new machine.
Start by creating the new machine, with no hard drive. This will create the
directory, with .vbox file in it, only.
Close VirtualBox.
Now rename the directory "mv /virtualmachines/foomachine
/virtualmachines/foomachine_temp"
zfs create virtualmachines/foomachine
mv /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp/* /virtualmachines/foomachine/
rmdir /virtualmachines/foomachine_temp
Launch VirtualBox, Edit your machine and add a virtual hard drive.

[Pablo Sanchez]

[ Comments below, in-line ]

Post by vbox-users
No responses to the message below. Are there any virtualbox
developers here?

Hi,

Frank is but his time is limited.

Post by vbox-users
Should a bug report be created somehow, and if so,
where and how?

See https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Bugtracker

Cheers,