[all variants] how to convert local machine to virtual machine (for error analysis)

Hey,


I have problems with my system related to one or more problematic packages of the graphic performance (Nouveau, X, drm). I believe this began after updates of these packages and I'm trying to find the culprit by replicating the situation. Rather than experimenting with snapshots, I was thinking about creating a virtual machine from my local machine (not the hdd) and monitor package updates from there. I've read that VMware has a tool for that purpose. I've never used VMware before but I've extensively used Virtualbox. My root and home-partition have the ext4-filesystem and the home-partition is too large to be duplicated.

1.: Can I safely use my local home-partition as a partition in the virtual machine (instead of using a duplicate)? Or can I simply ignore the partition as it's not subject to the experiments anyway?
2.: What is -generally speaking- the best approach for doing this? Make copies of all (?) partitions, convert them to images and then to vdi's?
3.: Is there anything specific to this purpose (making the copies, creating the vm) that one has to keep in mind?


cheers