NAME¶

libvmdk.h — Library to access the VMware Virtual Disk (VMDK) format

SYNOPSIS¶

#include <libvmdk.h>

Support functions

const char *


libvmdk_get_version(
void);

int


libvmdk_get_access_flags_read(
void);

int


libvmdk_get_codepage(
int *codepage,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_set_codepage(
int codepage,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_check_file_signature(
const char *filename,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Available when compiled with wide character string support:

int


libvmdk_check_file_signature_wide(
const wchar_t *filename,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Available when compiled with libbfio support:

int


libvmdk_check_file_signature_file_io_handle(
libbfio_handle_t *file_io_handle,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Notify functions

void


libvmdk_notify_set_verbose(
int verbose);

int


libvmdk_notify_set_stream(
FILE *stream,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_notify_stream_open(
const char *filename,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_notify_stream_close(
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Error functions

void


libvmdk_error_free(
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_error_fprint(
libvmdk_error_t *error,
FILE *stream);

int


libvmdk_error_sprint(
libvmdk_error_t *error,
char *string,
size_t size);

int


libvmdk_error_backtrace_fprint(
libvmdk_error_t *error,
FILE *stream);

int


libvmdk_error_backtrace_sprint(
libvmdk_error_t *error,
char *string,
size_t size);

Handle functions

int


libvmdk_handle_initialize(
libvmdk_handle_t **handle,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_free(
libvmdk_handle_t **handle,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_signal_abort(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_open(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
const char *filename,
int access_flags,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_open_extent_data_files(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_close(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

ssize_t


libvmdk_handle_read_buffer(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
void *buffer,
size_t buffer_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

ssize_t


libvmdk_handle_read_buffer_at_offset(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
void *buffer,
size_t buffer_size,
off64_t offset,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

off64_t


libvmdk_handle_seek_offset(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
off64_t offset,
int whence,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_offset(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
off64_t *offset,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_set_maximum_number_of_open_handles(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
int maximum_number_of_open_handles,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_set_parent_handle(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
libvmdk_handle_t *parent_handle,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_set_extent_data_files_path(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
const char *path,
size_t path_length,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_set_extent_data_files_path_wide(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
const wchar_t *path,
size_t path_length,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Available when compiled with wide character string support:

int


libvmdk_handle_open_wide(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
const wchar_t *filename,
int access_flags,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Available when compiled with libbfio support:

int


libvmdk_handle_open_file_io_handle(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
libbfio_handle_t *file_io_handle,
int access_flags,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_open_extent_data_files_file_io_pool(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
libbfio_pool_t *file_io_pool,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Meta data functions

int


libvmdk_handle_get_disk_type(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
int *disk_type,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_media_size(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
size64_t *media_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_content_identifier(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
uint32_t *content_identifier,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_parent_content_identifier(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
uint32_t *parent_content_identifier,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_utf8_parent_filename_size(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
size_t *utf8_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_utf8_parent_filename(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
uint8_t *utf8_string,
size_t utf8_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_utf16_parent_filename_size(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
size_t *utf16_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_utf16_parent_filename(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
uint16_t *utf16_string,
size_t utf16_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_number_of_extents(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
int *number_of_extents,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_handle_get_extent_descriptor(
libvmdk_handle_t *handle,
int extent_index,
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t **extent_descriptor,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

Extent descriptor functions

int


libvmdk_extent_descriptor_free(
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t **extent_descriptor,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_extent_descriptor_get_type(
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t *extent_descriptor,
int *type,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_extent_descriptor_get_range(
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t *extent_descriptor,
off64_t *offset,
size64_t *size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_extent_descriptor_get_utf8_filename_size(
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t *extent_descriptor,
size_t *utf8_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_extent_descriptor_get_utf8_filename(
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t *extent_descriptor,
uint8_t *utf8_string,
size_t utf8_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_extent_descriptor_get_utf16_filename_size(
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t *extent_descriptor,
size_t *utf16_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

int


libvmdk_extent_descriptor_get_utf16_filename(
libvmdk_extent_descriptor_t *extent_descriptor,
uint16_t *utf16_string,
size_t utf16_string_size,
libvmdk_error_t **error);

DESCRIPTION¶

The libvmdk_get_version() function is used to retrieve the library version.

RETURN VALUES¶

Most of the functions return NULL or -1 on error, dependent on the return type. For the actual return values see <libvmdk.h>.

ENVIRONMENT¶

None

FILES¶

None

NOTES¶

libvmdk can be compiled with wide character support (wchar_t).

To compile libvmdk with wide character support use: ./configure --enable-wide-character-type
or define: _UNICODE
or UNICODE
during compilation.

LIBVMDK_WIDE_CHARACTER_TYPE
in libvmdk/features.h can be used to determine if libvmdk was compiled with wide character support.

SEE ALSO¶

<libvmdk.h>

AUTHORS¶

Joachim Metz <joachim.metz@gmail.com>

BUGS¶

Please report bugs of any kind on the project issue tracker: https://github.com/libyal/libvmdk/issues

COPYRIGHT¶

Copyright (C) 2009-2026, Joachim Metz <joachim.metz@gmail.com>.

This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.