How to mount a vmdk file in Linux
Overview vmdk’s, the underlying filesystem commonly used in vmware, can be mounted on a Linux server using the qemu utilities. In this example, I downloaded an ova, unarchived it, and retrieved the vmdk files. Once exposed, I am able to mount the filesystems embedded within the vmdk.
In this example, the ova is a virtual “appliance” which prohibits access a low level root shell. By mounting the vmdk file system directly, we can take a peek at the hidden secrets the vendor keeps under lock and key.
