DISK File – What is .disk file and how to open it?

DISK File Format

The .DISK file extension is associated with Linux Virtual Hard Disk, a file format used to store virtual hard disk images for use in Linux virtual machines. These files are typically large in size, containing the entire contents of a hard disk, including operating systems, applications, and data. DISK files are commonly used to create and manage virtual machines, allowing users to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single physical machine.

Creating and Using DISK Files

DISK files can be created using various virtualization software, such as VirtualBox and QEMU. Once created, they can be attached to virtual machines and used as the primary storage device. Users can install operating systems and applications onto the virtual hard disk, creating a self-contained, portable virtual environment. DISK files offer several advantages, including the ability to easily create and deploy multiple virtual machines, perform backups and restores, and isolate different operating systems and applications from the host system.

Opening a DISK File on Linux

DISK files are virtual hard disk images used by KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), a virtualization solution for Linux. To open a DISK file, you can use the following steps:

1. Open a terminal emulator.
2. Use the qemu-img command to convert the DISK file to a raw image format:


$ qemu-img convert -f qcow2 -O raw disk.img disk.disk


1. Use the losetup command to attach the raw image to a loopback device:


$ sudo losetup /dev/loop0 disk.img


1. Use the mount command to mount the loopback device to a directory:


$ sudo mount /dev/loop0 /mnt/disk


You can now access the files in the DISK file by navigating to the mnt/disk directory. To unmount the loopback device, use the following command:


$ sudo umount /mnt/disk


To detach the raw image from the loopback device, use the following command:


$ sudo losetup -d /dev/loop0


Using DISK Files with Virtual Machines

DISK files can be used to create virtual machines using KVM. The following steps outline the process:

1. Create a new virtual machine using the virt-install command:


$ sudo virt-install --name vm-name --ram 1024 --disk path=/path/to/disk.disk \
--os-type linux --os-variant ubuntu18.04 --graphics none --noautoconsole


1. Start the virtual machine:


$ sudo virsh start vm-name


1. Connect to the virtual machine using a VNC client:


$ vncviewer :1


You can now use the virtual machine as if it were a physical machine. To stop the virtual machine, use the following command:


$ sudo virsh shutdown vm-name


Overview: Linux Virtual Hard Disk (.DISK)

The .DISK file extension is associated with Linux Virtual Hard Disk (VHD), a virtual hard disk format primarily used in Linux virtual environments, such as VirtualBox, QEMU, and KVM. It serves as a virtual representation of a physical hard drive, allowing users to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) more efficiently. .DISK files store various information related to the VM’s disk, including the file system, data, and disk image layout. They enable users to allocate storage space, manage partitions, and perform other disk-related operations within the virtual environment. .DISK files provide flexibility and portability by allowing users to transfer VMs between different hypervisors and storage devices without the need for physical hard drives.

Technical Details: Disk Image Format

.DISK files adhere to the Disk Image Format (DIF) specification, an open standard for creating and managing virtual hard disk images. DIF defines a common framework for storing disk image metadata, ensuring compatibility with various virtualization solutions. The metadata includes information about the disk size, geometry, partitioning scheme, and file system type. .DISK files can be stored in either raw or compressed formats, with options such as ZLIB, LZO, and LZMA for compression. The choice of compression algorithm affects the file size and performance characteristics of the virtual disk, allowing users to balance storage efficiency with performance requirements. Additionally, .DISK files support features like snapshots, allowing users to create and revert to different states of the virtual disk for backup and recovery purposes.

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