Convert a VirtualBox ova file to a Docker image

convert_ova_docker.md

Requirements

• qemu — brew install qemu

• guestfish — https://hub.docker.com/r/curator/guestfish/

Steps

1. Backup VM

• Select VM
• Export Appliance (⌘ + E)

2. Extract files from .ova file

$ tar -xvf <file.ova>

3. Convert .vmdk to .img

$ qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O raw <file.vmdk> dev-ubuntu18.img

4. Create an .xz image for Docker with guestfish

• get into image

$ guestfish -a /root/$PWD/dev-ubuntu18.img --ro

• run guestfish

$ ><fs> run

• list filesystems

$ ><fs> list-filesystems
/dev/sda1: ext4
/dev/VolGroup/lv_root: ext4
/dev/VolGroup/lv_swap: swap

• mount your *_root to /

$ ><fs> mount /dev/VolGroup/lv_root /

• create an .xz image

$ ><fs> tar-out / - | xz --best >> /root/<absolute_path_to_current_directory>/dev-ubuntu18.xz

• exit

$ ><fs> exit

5. Import image to docker

$ cat dev-ubuntu18.xz | docker import - dev-ubuntu18

6. Run docker image

$ docker run -it -p 8080:80 -v ~/Projets/PlateformeDEV/:/data/apache/base/dev dev-ubuntu18 bash

• params -p: port -v: mount host folder to docker image <host_folder>:<docker_path_to_mount_to>

7. Run services

• apache

$ service apache2 start

if you get this error

mktemp: failed to create directory via template `/var/lock/apache2.XXXXXXXXXX'

do that:

$ mkdir /run/lock
$ service apache2 start

source: https://askubuntu.com/a/308046

• mysql

$ service mysql start

• memcached

$ service memcached start

8. Commit changes to the docker image

• exit bash

$ exit

• list docker containers to get the ID

$ docker ps -a

• commit changes

$ docker commit <CONTAINER_ID> dev-ubuntu18

9. Add alias to make it simple

• add an alias to your (.zshrc|.profile|.bash_profile) file

[...]
# Docker ubuntu virtual machine
alias vm-ubuntu18="docker run -it -p 8080:80 -v ~/Projets/PlateformeDEV/:/data/apache/base/dev dev-ubuntu18 bash"