---
name: "libvmdk"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libvmdk-dev"
version: "20240510-1+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/libvmdk"
---

# libvmdk(3)

Library to access the VMware Virtual Disk (VMDK) format

## 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*);

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*);

*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 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=yes*\
  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.

## BUGS

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

## AUTHOR

These man pages are generated from "libvmdk.h".

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2009-2024, 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.

## SEE ALSO

the libvmdk.h include file