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page_title: Resizing a Boot2Docker volume page_description: Resizing a Boot2Docker volume in VirtualBox with GParted page_keywords: boot2docker, volume, virtualbox
Getting “no space left on device” errors with Boot2Docker?
If you're using Boot2Docker with a large number of images, or the images you're working with are very large, your pulls might start failing with "no space left on device" errors when the Boot2Docker volume fills up. The solution is to increase the volume size by first cloning it, then resizing it using a disk partitioning tool.
We recommend GParted. The tool comes as a bootable ISO, is a free download, and works well with VirtualBox.
1. Stop Boot2Docker
Issue the command to stop the Boot2Docker VM on the command line:
$ boot2docker stop
2. Clone the VMDK image to a VDI image
Boot2Docker ships with a VMDK image, which can’t be resized by VirtualBox’s native tools. We will instead create a VDI volume and clone the VMDK volume to it.
Using the command line VirtualBox tools, clone the VMDK image to a VDI image:
$ vboxmanage clonehd /full/path/to/boot2docker-hd.vmdk /full/path/to/<newVDIimage>.vdi --format VDI --variant Standard
3. Resize the VDI volume
Choose a size that will be appropriate for your needs. If you’re spinning up a lot of containers, or your containers are particularly large, larger will be better:
$ vboxmanage modifyhd /full/path/to/<newVDIimage>.vdi --resize <size in MB>
4. Download a disk partitioning tool ISO
To resize the volume, we'll use GParted. Once you've downloaded the tool, add the ISO to the Boot2Docker VM IDE bus. You might need to create the bus before you can add the ISO.
Note: It's important that you choose a partitioning tool that is available as an ISO so that the Boot2Docker VM can be booted with it.
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5. Add the new VDI image
In the settings for the Boot2Docker image in VirtualBox, remove the VMDK image from the SATA controller and add the VDI image.
6. Verify the boot order
In the System settings for the Boot2Docker VM, make sure that CD/DVD is at the top of the Boot Order list.
7. Boot to the disk partitioning ISO
Manually start the Boot2Docker VM in VirtualBox, and the disk partitioning ISO should start up. Using GParted, choose the GParted Live (default settings) option. Choose the default keyboard, language, and XWindows settings, and the GParted tool will start up and display the VDI volume you created. Right click on the VDI and choose Resize/Move.
Drag the slider representing the volume to the maximum available size, click Resize/Move, and then Apply.
Quit GParted and shut down the VM. Remove the GParted ISO from the IDE controller for the Boot2Docker VM in VirtualBox.
8. Start the Boot2Docker VM
Fire up the Boot2Docker VM manually in VirtualBox. The VM should log in
automatically, but if it doesn't, the credentials are docker/tcuser. Using
the df -h command, verify that your changes took effect.
You’re done!