VMWare Fusion Reclaim Free Space of OS X Guest: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
As pointed out [https://communities.vmware.com/thread/272457 here] and [http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1001934 here], the [[OS X]] guest does not actually delete files, it just won't remember where the file is stored on the disk. So all the file's data is still stored on the disk. We need to permanently delete the file's data, and then the freed space can be reclaimed. | As pointed out [https://communities.vmware.com/thread/272457 here] and [http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1001934 here], the [[OS X]] guest does not actually delete files, it just won't remember where the file is stored on the disk. So all the file's data is still stored on the disk. We need to permanently delete the file's data, and then the freed space can be reclaimed. | ||
=== The Solution === | === The Solution (more like a Workaround) === | ||
* Startup your guest os | * Startup your guest os | ||
* Log in as administrator | * Log in as administrator | ||
Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
* Now, reclaim the free space:<br>[[Image:VMWareFusion6ReclaimSpace01.png]] | * Now, reclaim the free space:<br>[[Image:VMWareFusion6ReclaimSpace01.png]] | ||
=== The Solution === | |||
Thanks to Marco, there is another way<ref>not tested yet</ref>: | |||
sudo /Library/Application\ Support/vmware-tools-cli disk shrinkonly | |||
[[Category:Mac OS X]] | [[Category:Mac OS X]] |
Revision as of 22:25, 12 February 2014
After installing OS X in a VMWare Fusion v6, I noticed that the disk images are continously growing. And VMWare Fusion won't let me reclaim the free space.
The Problem
As pointed out here and here, the OS X guest does not actually delete files, it just won't remember where the file is stored on the disk. So all the file's data is still stored on the disk. We need to permanently delete the file's data, and then the freed space can be reclaimed.
The Solution (more like a Workaround)
- Startup your guest os
- Log in as administrator
- Get your root-device (the /):
Mac-OS-X-108-Mountain-Lion-VM:~ appleadmin$ mount /dev/disk0s2 on / (hfs, local, journaled) devfs on /dev (devfs, local, nobrowse) map -hosts on /net (autofs, nosuid, automounted, nobrowse) map auto_home on /home (autofs, automounted, nobrowse) .host:/VMware Shared Folders on /Volumes/VMware Shared Folders (vmhgfs) Mac-OS-X-108-Mountain-Lion-VM:~ appleadmin$
- Erase the free space:
Mac-OS-X-108-Mountain-Lion-VM:~ appleadmin$ sudo diskutil secureErase freespace 0 /dev/disk0s2 Started erase on disk0s2 Macintosh HD Creating a temporary file Securely erasing a file Creating a secondary temporary file Mounting disk Finished erase on disk0s2 Macintosh HD Mac-OS-X-108-Mountain-Lion-VM:~ appleadmin$
- Shutdown your VM
- Remove all Snapshots (think of the consequences!)
- Now, reclaim the free space:
File:VMWareFusion6ReclaimSpace01.png
The Solution
Thanks to Marco, there is another way[1]:
sudo /Library/Application\ Support/vmware-tools-cli disk shrinkonly
- ↑ not tested yet