Migrated data from a clone OS X 10.13 disk but it won't run a 10.13 app

[mlevin77]

I finally got my Fusion to see a USB disk from which to migrate for a Mac OS X 10.13 VM.  It gave a bunch of errors:

 and now won't run a custom app which ran fine on the source system:

 any ideas?

[ColoradoMarmot]

So two things:

Those are migration wizard errors, different from fusion.  It looks like maybe you've installed a bunch of UNIX tools?  Those definitely won't migrate over and will have to be reinstalled.

Second, if the application relies on accelerated graphics, that's not enabled by default because it's in early tech preview for OSX Guests.  There's a post in another thread here (don't have the link handy) on how to enable it...but again, it's beta and YMMV.

[mlevin77]

> It looks like maybe you've installed a bunch of UNIX tools? Those definitely won't migrate over and will have to be reinstalled.

      yeah that's exactly why I need to virtualize. I have one system that runs everything properly and has the right Unix stuff installed. I can't seem to reproduce it by installing by hand on another system, so I thought I'd just clone the working one. Is there no way to convert my working OS X 10.13 system to a virtual machine precisely as-is (with all system files, Unix files, etc. in place)?

[ColoradoMarmot]

Not with Big Sur AFAIK - even Carbon Copy Cloner is having issues making bootable clones last I looked.

[mlevin77]

I'm trying to clone a 10.13 system to use on 10.14 (so not Big Sur).

[ColoradoMarmot]

Ahh, ok.  CCC can definitely make complete image clones (I presume that's how you made your USB drive for the migration wizard before).  The trick is figuring out how to point the target to a virtual disk instead of a physical one.  Might be worth emailing support@bombich.com to see if they have a cookbook that you could use.

[mlevin77]

> The trick is figuring out how to point the target to a virtual disk instead of a physical one

   sorry, I'm not understanding, why do I need a virtual disk?  I used CCC to clone the real system to a portable USB drive. I want to use the USB drive to import when making the VM. Any reason that won't work (stuff will fail to Migrate)?

[ColoradoMarmot]

Migration won't work, because the migration wizard doesn't pull UNIX level tools and installations across in most cases (as you've seen) - I think that's by design (Apple doesn't really encourage the use of Mac's as UNIX boxes - never put anything in / for example).  So you'd need to essentially restore the clone itself to the virtual disk.  I *think* that could be done by:

1) Make a clean OSX VM of the correct OS version (call it the 'cloner')

2) Copy it to become the new target VM (the target)

3) While shut down, attach the target's virtual disk to the cloner VM (use the 'share' option). 

4) Boot the cloner VM, attach the USB clone of your real system to it

5) use CCC in the cloner guest to clone from that attached USB drive to the target's virtual disk

6) shut down the cloner

7) boot the target

In theory that might work to give you a fully copy of the VM in on that virtual disk, but I don't think anyone's actually tested it before

[mlevin77]

I'll try this method!

I suppose that the VMware Converter and the P2V tools are not usable on Macs? 

Also, someone posted a reply suggesting Stellar Drive cloner (but the link seems to be bad now - maybe it got deleted?) - any experience with that?

[ColoradoMarmot]

Nope, none of the P2V stuff works.

Haven't heard of that cloner, and I've been working with mac's since the original, so it sounds a bit sketchy.  SuperDuper is the common alternative to CCC, but CCC has been my go-to since it's very first release.

[mlevin77]

> 3) While shut down, attach the target's virtual disk to the cloner VM (use the 'share' option). 

   sorry, where is this? I can't seem to attach the target VM's disk to the cloner VM. thanks!

[ColoradoMarmot]

Sorry, meant to say add it to the cloner VM - use add device, then 'shared' as the option.  You'll have to navigate inside the target's bundle to find the vmdk file.

[mlevin77]

hmm the other machine is grayed out and won't let me drill down to find the vmdk file:

Btw, I wonder if maybe the "created linked clone" isn't a way to achieve this?

[ColoradoMarmot]

I don't use linked clones, but that may be it.  I'd just make a clean VM, then copy it for both the target and cloner VM's.

[mlevin77]

> I'd just make a clean VM, then copy it for both the target and cloner VM's.

    yep I've got that. What I can't seem to figure out is how to make the cloner see the target's disk as a non-boot 2nd drive onto which I could clone.

[scott28tt]

@mlevin77 

Moderator: Please do not start multiple threads on the same topic/issue, your duplicate has been archived

[mlevin77]

I've tried the steps in

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2005146

    but when I boot the system, which worked fine before I attached this other disk to it, I see:

 

so now it won't boot. It seems like just attaching the other disk broke the VM??  Also, I can't seem to attach or detach anymore, it says "This device cannot be added until the virtual machine is shut down. To add the device, first resume the virtual machine and then shut it down." but the "Shut down" option is grayed out.

[ColoradoMarmot]

if you just add device, existing disk, in the virtual machine preferences, it should show up as a second hard drive inside the guest.

[mlevin77]

I tried that, but it made the host VM unbootable - now I just see the circle with a line through it

[ColoradoMarmot]

boy it shouldn't do that - the target disk vm was shut down when you attached the disk, right?

Try holding down the opt key when booting the cloner guest, and see if you get the boot option screen to pick the original drive.