P2V Converter – Turn Physical Machines into Virtual Ones

Transform physical disks into qcow2 virtual machine images ready for any hypervisor. Safety-focused tool with intuitive GUI, preventing accidental imaging of running systems. Build a bootable ISO for safe offline conversion of any physical machine.

Features

Core Conversion

Converts physical disks to compressed qcow2 images
Real-time progress tracking with cancel capability
Blocks conversion of active system disks and mounted partitions
Intelligent space analysis based on actual usage
Comprehensive logging to /var/log/disk2qcow2.log

Advanced Tools

QCOW2 Resizer: Optimize virtual disk size
Format Converter: Convert between qcow2, vmdk, vdi, vpc, vhdx, raw
LUKS Encryption: Secure VMs with password-protected containers
Export Manager: Transfer images via RSYNC
File Manager: Workspace cleanup
Virt-Manager Integration: Direct VM management
External Storage Support: Mount and use external drives

Supported Operating Systems

Windows (all versions - XP through 11, Server editions)
Linux (all distributions - Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, Arch, etc.)

Quick Start

Download Pre-built ISO (Recommended)

Download P2V Converter ISO

f64933b9c944f753f81999a0eea20a238c808e6cac98ca85db6b8f43a5be5ae6  p2vConverter-v1.0-KDE-32bits.iso
782faa1ce20c52def6bf8dc9fa21217016216b0f0c8a4a2b34349712a719fb66  p2vConverter-v1.0-KDE-64bits.iso
b16b2db810c8dd476891bbd70a109748647b3edf2567c47b931c249b9fea4e6f  p2vConverter-v1.0-XFCE-32bits.iso
ca22d449e7b094e6d5d0e16ead44e7795a125a9a47487b0a6740b180fa63a6cf  p2vConverter-v1.0-XFCE-64bits.iso

Select ISO version you need, 32 bits or 64 bits, XFCE (lighter) or KDE.

Or Build Your Own

cd iso/
make
make xfce32  # 32 bits XFCE environment (lighter)
make kde     # KDE 64 bits environment
make kde32   # KDE 32 bits environment
make all-iso # All 4 ISOs generated
make clean   # Clean build files
make help    # Display helper message

Requirements

ISO Method (Recommended - No Configuration)

USB drive (8GB+) or DVD
External storage drive for output
No additional setup needed

Native Installation

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install qemu-utils python3-tk gparted rsync cryptsetup virt-manager libvirt-daemon-system

Fedora/CentOS/RHEL:

sudo dnf install qemu-img python3-tkinter gparted rsync cryptsetup virt-manager libvirt

⚠️ Critical for External Storage: Configure libvirt to access external drives:

sudo nano /etc/libvirt/qemu.conf

# Add/modify these lines:
user = "root"
group = "root"

cgroup_device_acl = [
    "/dev/null", "/dev/full", "/dev/zero",
    "/dev/random", "/dev/urandom",
    "/dev/ptmx", "/dev/kvm",
    "/dev/rtc", "/dev/hpet",
    "/dev/sdb", "/dev/sdc", "/dev/sdd",  # Your external drives
    "/dev/disk/by-uuid/*"
]

sudo systemctl restart libvirtd
sudo usermod -a -G libvirt $USER

Usage Workflow

1. Boot from ISO

Write ISO to USB: sudo dd if=p2v-converter.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress (or use Ventoy key)
Boot target machine from USB

2. Connect External Storage

Plug in external USB drive (don't mount manually)

Mount External Storage:

Click "Mount Disk" button
Select your external drive
Click "Mount Selected Disk"
Output directory updates automatically

3. Configure Conversion

Select Source:

Click "Refresh Disks"
Select disk to convert (system disks blocked for safety)

Verify Space:

Click "Check Space Requirements"
Green indicator = sufficient space

4. Convert

Click "Start P2V Conversion"
Monitor progress (cancel anytime if needed)
Typical time: 30-120 minutes depending on size and system

5. Optional Post-Processing

"QCOW2 Resize": Optimize disk size (change filesystem size, reduce virtual size and compress virtual image)
"LUKS Encryption": Secure with password
"Format Converter": Convert to VMDK/VDI/VHD
"Export Image": Transfer via RSYNC
"Print Session Log": Generate PDF report

Running Converted VMs

Using virt-manager

# From ISO (auto-configured) or native installation:
virt-manager

# Then in GUI:
# 1. New VM → Import existing disk image
# 2. Browse to .qcow2 file
# 3. Select OS type (Windows or Linux)
# 4. Choose firmware:
#    - UEFI for modern systems (2010+)
#    - BIOS for legacy systems
# 5. DISABLE Secure Boot
# 6. Start VM

Using QEMU CLI

BIOS boot:

qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4096 -drive file=vm.qcow2,format=qcow2 -enable-kvm

UEFI boot:

qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4096 \
  -drive file=vm.qcow2,format=qcow2 \
  -drive if=pflash,format=raw,readonly=on,file=/usr/share/OVMF/OVMF_CODE.fd \
  -enable-kvm

From external drive:

sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/external
qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4096 -drive file=/mnt/external/vm.qcow2,format=qcow2 -enable-kvm

Format Conversion

Platform	Format	Command
VMware	vmdk	`qemu-img convert -f qcow2 -O vmdk src.qcow2 output.vmdk`
VirtualBox	vdi	`qemu-img convert -f qcow2 -O vdi src.qcow2 output.vdi`
Hyper-V	vhdx	`qemu-img convert -f qcow2 -O vhdx src.qcow2 output.vhdx`
Generic	raw	`qemu-img convert -f qcow2 -O raw src.qcow2 output.img`

Or use the GUI "Format Converter" tool.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Disk Unavailable"

Boot from ISO to convert system disks
Unmount partitions: sudo umount /dev/sdX1

"Insufficient Space"

Use "Mount Disk" for larger external drive
Check available space matches requirement

"Cannot Mount External Drive"

Verify detection: lsblk
Unmount if already mounted: sudo umount /dev/sdX1

"VM Won't Boot"

Try both UEFI and BIOS modes
Disable Secure Boot
Windows may need reactivation after conversion

"Permission Denied" (native installation)

Configure libvirt as shown in Requirements
Or run with: sudo python3 code/main.py

"External Drive VM Fails to Start"

Native installation: Configure libvirt cgroup_device_acl
ISO method: No configuration needed

Windows-Specific Issues

"Windows requires activation"

Normal after hardware change
Use original product key to reactivate or slmgr /rearm command

"Missing drivers after boot"

Install virtio drivers in guest
Or use IDE disk mode in VM settings

"BSOD on first boot"

Use BIOS mode instead of UEFI
Disable virtio, use IDE initially

Logs

Check /var/log/disk2qcow2.log for detailed diagnostics or use "Print Session Log" for PDF reports.

Project Structure

disk2qcow2/
├── code/                          # Application
│   ├── main.py                    # Entry point
│   ├── p2v_dialog.py              # Main GUI
│   ├── vm.py                      # Conversion engine
│   ├── utils.py                   # Disk utilities
│   ├── log_handler.py             # Logging & PDF
│   ├── disk_mount_dialog.py       # Mount manager
│   ├── qcow2_resize_dialog.py     # Resize tool
│   ├── image_format_converter.py  # Format converter
│   ├── ciphering.py               # LUKS encryption
│   ├── export.py                  # RSYNC export
│   └── virt_launcher.py           # VM management
├── iso/                           # ISO builders
│   ├── forgeIsoKde.sh             # KDE ISO 64 bits
│   ├── forgeIsoXfce.sh            # XFCE ISO 64 bits
│   ├── forgeIsoKde32.sh           # KDE ISO 32 bits
│   ├── forgeIsoXfc32e.sh          # XFCE ISO 32 bits
│   └── makefile                   # Build automation
└── README.md

Best Practices

✅ Use ISO method for safe conversions
✅ Use USB 3.0+ external drives for performance
✅ Create a backup before resizing partitions using Backup button ✅ Keep source disk intact until VM validated
✅ Use LUKS encryption for sensitive systems
✅ Generate PDF logs for documentation

Technical Details

Format: QCOW2 with zlib compression
Source Support: Windows & Linux, any filesystem
Log Location: /var/log/disk2qcow2.log
GUI: Python 3 + Tkinter
Tools: qemu-img, cryptsetup, rsync, libvirt, virt-manager, qemu-utils
Target Platforms: QEMU/KVM, VirtualBox, VMware, Hyper-V

Quick Example

# 1. Boot from ISO → Launch P2V Converter
# 2. Click "Refresh Disks" → Select /dev/sda (Windows disk)
# 3. Click "Mount Disk" → Select external /dev/sdb1 → Mount at /mnt/external
# 4. Click "Check Space Requirements" → Verify green indicator
# 5. Click "Start P2V Conversion" → Wait ~45 min for 250GB disk
# 6. Click "Print Session Log" → Save PDF report
# 7. Transfer external drive to host system
# 8. Run: qemu-system-x86_64 -m 4096 -drive file=/mnt/external/sda_vm.qcow2 -enable-kvm

Supported Systems:

Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, Server 2003-2022)
Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, RHEL, Arch, openSUSE, etc.)

License

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International. See LICENSE file

Transform any Windows or Linux physical machine into a portable virtual environment.

Download P2V Converter ISO and start virtualizing today!

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 158 Commits
code		code
iso		iso
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md

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Bolo101/disk2qcow2

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P2V Converter – Turn Physical Machines into Virtual Ones

Features

Core Conversion

Advanced Tools

Supported Operating Systems

Quick Start

Download Pre-built ISO (Recommended)

Or Build Your Own

Requirements

ISO Method (Recommended - No Configuration)

Native Installation

Usage Workflow

1. Boot from ISO

2. Connect External Storage

3. Configure Conversion

4. Convert

5. Optional Post-Processing

Running Converted VMs

Using virt-manager

Using QEMU CLI

Format Conversion

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Windows-Specific Issues

Logs

Project Structure

Best Practices

Technical Details

Quick Example

License

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