What Is an OVA File

OVA=Open Virtual Appliance files

usually opened with workstation or virtualbox

Unzip the file to find the VMDK file or to convert to VHD.

A file that usually has a .OVA extension is usually used by a VM it is stored in a

OVF format (Open Virtualization Format ) as a TAR archive or file format :
is used to store multiple files in one single file, it's a popular method for both
archiving purposes and for sending multiple files over the internet, like for
software downloads. youy can find disk images :
like VMDKs, ISOs...etc.

to open a OVA file u need to use a file unzip (7-Zip) program since OVA file are
file that hold your archives.
and to convert a file from OVA to take out one of the archivces you need to use a
file unzip program too.

OVA to ISO converter is not really convinient it is better to convert the OVA filoe
to a image fromat like VHD(VmDk).

VMware OVF Tool is a command-line tool that lets you import and export OVA files to
and from other VMware products.
will explain VMtools later;

An OVA file contains a compressed version of a virtual machine.

An ISO file is a disc image file which can include the entire contents of a DVD,
CD, or Blue-ray Disk, and it's often part of an OVA file.

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What is Virtual Machine Disk format (VMDK)?

one of the formats used for virtual disk drives. VMware Virtual Machine Disk is a
format specification for virtual machine (VM) disk image files. A file with
the .vmdk file extension is essentially a complete and self-contained virtual
machine.
so its basically used as a backup vm but it has a problem,
the problem is that these files are esaily damaged, resulting in the loss of
virtual machine data.

VMDK is a much faster virtual disk format than VDI and VHD (and VHDX).
Additionally, it includes live migration functionality to make it easier to move a
VM to another server. It also provides snapshots, continuously protects data, and
uses high-performance SAN block storage. Finally, users can recreate and reboot the
VM using the backed-up VMDK file.

A VMDK file serves as a virtual disk image for a virtual machine. Just like a
physical hard disk drive

Types of VMDK Files:

Flat VMDK: Contains all the data in a single file, making it simple and fast to
access.
Sparse VMDK: Stores data in multiple smaller files, which are more flexible and
efficient in terms of storage usage but may have slightly slower performance.

Differential VMDK: Based on another disk image (a parent disk), capturing only the
changes made since the snapshot was taken. This allows for efficient disk backups
and snapshots.

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ISO:

An ISO file is an exact copy of an entire optical disk such as a CD, DVD, or Blu-
ray archived into a single file. This file, which is also sometimes referred to as
an ISO image, is a smaller sized duplicate of large sets of data.

Its actual function is to replicate an original optical disk and store it until it
is needed to burn a new disk having the same data within it. You can use it to
transfer a game, for instance, from an old disk to your laptop when there is no
physical disk around.

However, ISO files are used for much greater purposes when it comes to operating
systems. They can be excellent vessels for large programs or operating systems
themselves, since they are a single file that contains huge amounts of data.
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The Linux® kernel is the main component of a Linux operating system (OS)

Linux® is an open source operating system (OS)

( software is considered open source if:

users can view the code that comprises the software and make any kind of changes
to it they want.
The source code can be repurposed into other new software, meaning anyone can take
the source code and distribute their own program from it.)

. An operating system is the software that directly manages a system’s hardware and
resources, like CPU, memory, and storage. The OS sits between applications and
hardware and makes the connections between all of your software and the physical
resources that do the work.

((((((basically linux kernel is the main component of a OS and it is used to link

and communicate the hardware of a computer and its proccesses. so to be able to
communicate between the two in a OS u need linux kernel.
It is essential since linux is an open source platform meaning the user can see,
edit and adjust the code of a program/pc... and to be able to do that u need to be
able to communicate with the hardware of the pc like the cpu and its proccesses.
The kernelk exists inside the OS working in its own world thats called a kernel
space. and to communicate with it u use a system call interface (SCI)

Its job is to keep track of how much memory is used and where,

determine wich proccesses can use the CPU and for how long ,
mediator between hardware and proccesses,
so itr also recives requests from the proccess to access the hardware..

so its essential to have a linux kernal in a OS.

What's a command line?

The command line is your direct access to a computer. It's where you ask software
to perform hardware actions that point-and-click graphical user interfaces (GUIs)
simply can't ask.

Command lines are available on many operating systems—proprietary or open source.

But it’s usually associated with Linux, because both command lines and open source
software, together, give users unrestricted access to their computer.

Every Linux-based OS involves the Linux kernel—which manages hardware resources—and

a set of software packages that make up the rest of the operating system.

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and is the core interface between a computer’s hardware and its processes. It
communicates between the 2, managing resources as efficiently as possible.

The kernel is so named because—like a seed inside a hard shell—it exists within the
OS and controls all the major functions of the hardware, whether it’s a phone,
laptop, server, or any other kind of computer.

What the kernel does

The kernel has 4 jobs:

Memory management: Keep track of how much memory is used to store what, and where

Process management: Determine which processes can use the central processing unit
(CPU), when, and for how long

Device drivers: Act as mediator/interpreter between the hardware and processes

System calls and security: Receive requests for service from the processes

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inter vmware snapshots full tutorial:

the use of the snapshot in a VM is like a time machine its used so that you can
revert back to it at a later time
amd when you want to take anspashot then go back to it you will loose all work
done before the snapshot.
but what u can do is take a snapshot update do a test then go back to it.

Auto protect is something you can turn on so your VM tas=kes snapshots

automatically and it preserves then incase you dop a mistake.

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The file system (sometimes written as filesystem or abbreviated as FS) is a
collection of methods and structures used by the computer’s OS for the arrangement
of data on any digital storage device, as well as for the control over the vacant
space.

The file system (sometimes written as filesystem or abbreviated as FS) is a

collection of methods and structures used by the computer’s OS for the arrangement
of data on any digital storage device, as well as for the control over the vacant
space.

home>pictures>file system>image

1.file
2.filename
3.directory tree keps things organized electronic version of the old version
folders in folders

root>user>
root is the parent directory of users.

Its always like a tree.

Meta data>data
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Understanding VMware Tools

VMware Tools is a set of utilities and drivers that enhance the performance and
manageability of a VMware virtual machine. It acts as a bridge between the host and
guest operating systems, providing a seamless interaction between the two.

The functions of VMware Tools are multifold.

First, they enhance the VM’s performance by optimizing the interaction between the
guest and host operating systems.

Second, they facilitate better VM management by enabling various operations like

graceful shutdowns and automatic reboots.

Lastly, they unlock a host of guest OS functionalities, allowing for a smoother,

more native-like user experience.

VMware Device Drivers: These drivers optimize the VM’s hardware performance by
facilitating better communication between the guest and host operating systems.
They replace the default drivers of the guest OS, ensuring smoother operations.

VMware User Process: This component enhances the user interface experience. It
enables features such as copy-paste and drag-and-drop between the guest and host
environments, making the VM easier to use.

VMware Services: These services facilitate the execution of scripts that help
automate VM operations such as shutdowns and restarts.

Guest Operating System Daemons: These are background processes that run in the
guest operating system, enabling the host to perform tasks like time
synchronization and heartbeat monitoring.

Open-VM-Tools