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1 | @example |
2 | @c man begin SYNOPSIS | |
3 | usage: qemu-img command [command options] | |
4 | @c man end | |
5 | @end example | |
6 | ||
7 | @c man begin OPTIONS | |
8 | ||
9 | The following commands are supported: | |
10 | @table @option | |
ec36ba14 | 11 | @item create [-e] [-6] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [@var{size}] |
acd935ef | 12 | @item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} |
f58c7b35 | 13 | @item convert [-c] [-e] [-6] [-f @var{fmt}] [-O @var{output_fmt}] [-B @var{output_base_image}] @var{filename} [@var{filename2} [...]] @var{output_filename} |
acd935ef | 14 | @item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} |
d2c639d6 | 15 | @item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot}] @var{filename} |
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16 | @end table |
17 | ||
18 | Command parameters: | |
19 | @table @var | |
20 | @item filename | |
21 | is a disk image filename | |
5fafdf24 | 22 | @item base_image |
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23 | is the read-only disk image which is used as base for a copy on |
24 | write image; the copy on write image only stores the modified data | |
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25 | @item output_base_image |
26 | forces the output image to be created as a copy on write | |
27 | image of the specified base image; @code{output_base_image} should have the same | |
28 | content as the input's base image, however the path, image format, etc may | |
29 | differ | |
5fafdf24 | 30 | @item fmt |
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31 | is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. The following formats are supported: |
32 | ||
33 | @table @code | |
34 | @item raw | |
35 | ||
36 | Raw disk image format (default). This format has the advantage of | |
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37 | being simple and easily exportable to all other emulators. If your |
38 | file system supports @emph{holes} (for example in ext2 or ext3 on | |
39 | Linux or NTFS on Windows), then only the written sectors will reserve | |
40 | space. Use @code{qemu-img info} to know the real size used by the | |
41 | image or @code{ls -ls} on Unix/Linux. | |
acd935ef | 42 | |
19d36792 | 43 | @item qcow2 |
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44 | QEMU image format, the most versatile format. Use it to have smaller |
45 | images (useful if your filesystem does not supports holes, for example | |
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46 | on Windows), optional AES encryption, zlib based compression and |
47 | support of multiple VM snapshots. | |
48 | @item qcow | |
49 | Old QEMU image format. Left for compatibility. | |
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50 | @item cow |
51 | User Mode Linux Copy On Write image format. Used to be the only growable | |
52 | image format in QEMU. It is supported only for compatibility with | |
53 | previous versions. It does not work on win32. | |
54 | @item vmdk | |
e5d80f94 | 55 | VMware 3 and 4 compatible image format. |
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56 | @item cloop |
57 | Linux Compressed Loop image, useful only to reuse directly compressed | |
58 | CD-ROM images present for example in the Knoppix CD-ROMs. | |
59 | @end table | |
60 | ||
5fafdf24 | 61 | @item size |
acd935ef | 62 | is the disk image size in kilobytes. Optional suffixes @code{M} |
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63 | (megabyte, 1024 * 1024) and @code{G} (gigabyte, 1024 * 1024 * 1024) |
64 | are supported and any @code{k} or @code{K} is ignored. | |
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65 | |
66 | @item output_filename | |
5fafdf24 | 67 | is the destination disk image filename |
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68 | |
69 | @item output_fmt | |
70 | is the destination format | |
71 | ||
72 | @item -c | |
73 | indicates that target image must be compressed (qcow format only) | |
5fafdf24 | 74 | @item -e |
acd935ef | 75 | indicates that the target image must be encrypted (qcow format only) |
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76 | @item -6 |
77 | indicates that the target image must use compatibility level 6 (vmdk format only) | |
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78 | @item -h |
79 | with or without a command shows help and lists the supported formats | |
80 | @end table | |
81 | ||
82 | Parameters to snapshot subcommand: | |
83 | ||
84 | @table @option | |
85 | ||
86 | @item snapshot | |
87 | is the name of the snapshot to create, apply or delete | |
88 | @item -a | |
89 | applies a snapshot (revert disk to saved state) | |
90 | @item -c | |
91 | creates a snapshot | |
92 | @item -d | |
93 | deletes a snapshot | |
94 | @item -l | |
95 | lists all snapshots in the given image | |
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96 | @end table |
97 | ||
98 | Command description: | |
99 | ||
100 | @table @option | |
ec36ba14 | 101 | @item create [-6] [-e] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [@var{size}] |
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102 | |
103 | Create the new disk image @var{filename} of size @var{size} and format | |
5fafdf24 | 104 | @var{fmt}. |
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105 | |
106 | If @var{base_image} is specified, then the image will record only the | |
107 | differences from @var{base_image}. No size needs to be specified in | |
108 | this case. @var{base_image} will never be modified unless you use the | |
109 | @code{commit} monitor command. | |
110 | ||
111 | @item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} | |
112 | ||
113 | Commit the changes recorded in @var{filename} in its base image. | |
114 | ||
115 | @item convert [-c] [-e] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [-O @var{output_fmt}] @var{output_filename} | |
116 | ||
117 | Convert the disk image @var{filename} to disk image @var{output_filename} | |
4be456f1 | 118 | using format @var{output_fmt}. It can be optionally encrypted |
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119 | (@code{-e} option) or compressed (@code{-c} option). |
120 | ||
121 | Only the format @code{qcow} supports encryption or compression. The | |
122 | compression is read-only. It means that if a compressed sector is | |
123 | rewritten, then it is rewritten as uncompressed data. | |
124 | ||
125 | Encryption uses the AES format which is very secure (128 bit keys). Use | |
126 | a long password (16 characters) to get maximum protection. | |
127 | ||
128 | Image conversion is also useful to get smaller image when using a | |
129 | growable format such as @code{qcow} or @code{cow}: the empty sectors | |
130 | are detected and suppressed from the destination image. | |
131 | ||
132 | @item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} | |
133 | ||
134 | Give information about the disk image @var{filename}. Use it in | |
135 | particular to know the size reserved on disk which can be different | |
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136 | from the displayed size. If VM snapshots are stored in the disk image, |
137 | they are displayed too. | |
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138 | |
139 | @item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot} ] @var{filename} | |
140 | ||
141 | List, apply, create or delete snapshots in image @var{filename}. | |
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142 | @end table |
143 | ||
144 | @c man end | |
145 | ||
146 | @ignore | |
147 | ||
148 | @setfilename qemu-img | |
149 | @settitle QEMU disk image utility | |
150 | ||
151 | @c man begin SEEALSO | |
152 | The HTML documentation of QEMU for more precise information and Linux | |
153 | user mode emulator invocation. | |
154 | @c man end | |
155 | ||
156 | @c man begin AUTHOR | |
157 | Fabrice Bellard | |
158 | @c man end | |
159 | ||
160 | @end ignore |