Expand Boot2Docker – Part2

The configuration of the Boot2Docker VM, still has a few drawbacks. You can not permanently store, the root password must be set again, SSH keys always changing … and so on. In this part we will change that.

Preconditions

Create and connect HDD

# change to Default Machine Folder
$ cd VirtualBox\ VMs/

# create storage medium for VM
$ VBoxManage createhd --filename ./Boot2DockerVM/disk.vdi --size 8000

# attache storage medium to VM
$ VBoxManage storageattach "Boot2DockerVM" --storagectl "IDE" --port 1 --device 0 --type hdd --medium ./Boot2DockerVM/disk.vdi

# reconfigure boot settings of VM
$ VBoxManage modifyvm "Boot2DockerVM" --boot1 dvd --boot2 disk --boot3 none --boot4 none

# start vm
$ VBoxManage startvm Boot2DockerVM --type gui

Prepare disk

# format disk
$ mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda

# mark filesystem
$ tune2fs -L boot2docker-data /dev/sda

# restart VM
$ reboot

Set permanent root password

# check disk
$ df -h

# change directory
$ cd /mnt/sda/var/lib/boot2docker/

# create bootlocal.sh
$ vi bootlocal.sh

# content of bootlocal.sh (please use your own password)
echo "root:test123" | chpasswd

# change access rights
$ chmod +x bootlocal.sh

From this point, you can connect via SSH as root user.