Where Does GNOME Boxes Store VM Disks?
Where the GNOME Boxes app stores VM disk images for all native, Flatpak, and Snap installs on Linux.
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GNOME Boxes stores VMs as qcow2 disk files under an images folder whose root follows the install type. Native packages use local share, Flatpaks nest under their app ID, Snaps use their common tree. VM definitions stay version-tied while disks stay portable.
That split makes migration a file copy plus a re-registration step. Directories differ, contents match: same qcow2 files everywhere. Back up disk files before upgrades; config mismatches are recoverable but annoying. Snapshots inside qcow2 add safety.
Where GNOME Boxes stores this, by platform
~/.local/share/gnome-boxes/images
qcow2 disk images for native installs, portable across libvirt tools. Flatpak and Snap builds nest the same layout under their IDs. Copy files plus re-register VMs on new machines. Config stays version-tied.
Frequently asked questions
how do I move VMs to a new computer
Copy the qcow2 files to the new machine at the matching install-type path, then create VMs from existing disks. Config ties to the Boxes version while data rides the disk file. Snap and Flatpak trees never mix.
where are the disk files
Open the images folder for the active install type: local share, Flatpak data, or snap common. qcow2 files clone, resize, and snapshot with qemu-img directly. Deleting the file kills the VM, so copy before experimenting.
can virt-manager use Boxes disks
Yes for direct file access, but register through a new VM so drivers match the running Boxes version. Point creation at the existing disk instead of an ISO. Config stays version-tied while data stays portable.
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