How to convert physical Ubuntu operating system into a virtual machine?

Question

A while ago I turned my PC into dual boot with Windows and Ubuntu.
But my experience is, that I rarely boot into Ubuntu, so I wanted to make it available as virtual machine in Windows rather than as a second OS.
Can you provide me some information which is the tool of my choice and how I can achieve this migration? I already have VMWare Player installed.

Solution 1

After much juggling around, I finally found a tutorial which helped me the way through: Virtualizing a Linux System

Basically it's simple but needs a bit of work.

I needed to create images from all the existing partitions on my physical Ubuntu. I recreated a similar virtual machine and then I restored the boot loader. That's it.

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Historically, another method would be to use Remastersys (much easier!) However, the project is now dead.

Solution 2

Have you tried VMWare vCenter Converter (http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/)? The information on the page looks promising as well as being free.

Comments

[dan-lee]

Yeah this looked promising on the first sight, but unfortunately it just converts the running (Windows) or a remote machine, there's no option for another local OS

[Scott Chamberlain]

@DanLee There is a Linux version of the vCenter Converter. It's on the download page right beneath the Windows version.

[dan-lee]

Unfortunately that was a dead end too. Either I am too dumb or it simply does not work like I intend it to. But on that way I found another possibility to it, and it's edited in my answer.

[spuder]

Your link to remastersys links to a manufacturing company. I don't see how that would help with linux.

[opticyclic]

Remastersys is no longer active. The link has been updated to point to a historical version of the site.