export VM disk image format: vdi instead of vmdk (ova or different VM container format)

[adrelanos]

One of the best VirtualBox features is the export feature which currently uses the ova format. Unfortunately the ova format (effectively) requires the vmdk disk format.

However, VirtualBox's default disk format is vdi.

(And also most stable, best supported, most VirtualBox's developer preferred disk format?)

VirtualBox doesn't support resizing vmdk.

feature request: please support export of VMs in vdi format. Using/extending the ova standard or inventing VirtualBox's own format.

​https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=58460

[Klaus Espenlaub]

Where's the problem? Exporting benefits from using VMDK (because the variant used for export uses data compression). What matters is what you do on import.

In VirtualBox 6.1 there is a checkbox (ticked by default) which selects that disks should be imported as VDI.

[adrelanos]

Thanks for your reply! Sorry for late answer. I didn't get any notification for any reply here.

Indeed. If using the relatively new checkbox (checked by default) import as VDI then this feature is kinda already accomplished. No more limitation such as resize which is only supported for VDI but not VMDK.

The only reason to implement this ticket would be now if VDI is considered more stable, preferred and to avoid bugs best to avoid VMDK entirely. Don't know if this is the case.