[Bug 2142519] [NEW] Cant cp or rsync files preserving sparsnes for virt-manager files, they become big

[Jānis Kangarooo]

Public bug reported:

Wanted to move virt-manager files to new computer

Cant cp or rsync files preserving sparsnes for virt-manager files, they
become big

cp --sparse=always /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2 /mnt/external_hdd/
or
rsync -ah --progress --sparse /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2 /mnt/external_hdd/

still makes bigger image files. 4 gb file became 120gb and copied longer then 4gb file needed to
why sparse is not in thouse commands default also?

needed

sudo bash -c 'for f in /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2; do
    base=$(basename "$f")
    echo "Copying $base..."
    qemu-img convert -O qcow2 "$f" "/media/kng/TOSHIBA EXT/000Virtmanager/images/$base"
done'

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: ubiquity (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-100.100-generic 6.8.12
Uname: Linux 6.8.0-100-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.8
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Mon Feb 23 23:01:22 2026
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed quiet splash ---
InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-01-05 (781 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 22.04.3 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish" - Release amd64 (20230807.1)
SourcePackage: ubiquity
Symptom: installation
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2024-08-30 (542 days ago)

** Affects: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug noble ubiquity-22.04.20

** Description changed:

+ Wanted to move virt-manager files to new computer
+ 
  Cant cp or rsync files preserving sparsnes for virt-manager files, they
  become big
  
  cp --sparse=always /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2 /mnt/external_hdd/
  or
  rsync -ah --progress --sparse /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2 /mnt/external_hdd/
  
  still makes bigger image files. 4 gb file became 120gb and copied longer then 4gb file needed to
  why sparse is not in thouse commands default also?
  
  needed
  
  sudo bash -c 'for f in /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2; do
-     base=$(basename "$f")
-     echo "Copying $base..."
-     qemu-img convert -O qcow2 "$f" "/media/kng/TOSHIBA EXT/000Virtmanager/images/$base"
+     base=$(basename "$f")
+     echo "Copying $base..."
+     qemu-img convert -O qcow2 "$f" "/media/kng/TOSHIBA EXT/000Virtmanager/images/$base"
  done'
  
  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
  Package: ubiquity (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-100.100-generic 6.8.12
  Uname: Linux 6.8.0-100-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.8
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  CurrentDesktop: KDE
  Date: Mon Feb 23 23:01:22 2026
  InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed quiet splash ---
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-01-05 (781 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 22.04.3 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish" - Release amd64 (20230807.1)
  SourcePackage: ubiquity
  Symptom: installation
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2024-08-30 (542 days ago)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2142519

Title:
  Cant cp or rsync files preserving sparsnes for virt-manager files,
  they become big

Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Wanted to move virt-manager files to new computer

  Cant cp or rsync files preserving sparsnes for virt-manager files,
  they become big

  cp --sparse=always /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2 /mnt/external_hdd/
  or
  rsync -ah --progress --sparse /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2 /mnt/external_hdd/

  still makes bigger image files. 4 gb file became 120gb and copied longer then 4gb file needed to
  why sparse is not in thouse commands default also?

  needed

  sudo bash -c 'for f in /var/lib/libvirt/images/*.qcow2; do
      base=$(basename "$f")
      echo "Copying $base..."
      qemu-img convert -O qcow2 "$f" "/media/kng/TOSHIBA EXT/000Virtmanager/images/$base"
  done'

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
  Package: ubiquity (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-100.100-generic 6.8.12
  Uname: Linux 6.8.0-100-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.8
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  CurrentDesktop: KDE
  Date: Mon Feb 23 23:01:22 2026
  InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz persistent file=/cdrom/preseed/kubuntu.seed quiet splash ---
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-01-05 (781 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 22.04.3 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish" - Release amd64 (20230807.1)
  SourcePackage: ubiquity
  Symptom: installation
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2024-08-30 (542 days ago)

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