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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: | |
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10 | |
11 | @include qemu-img-cmds.texi | |
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12 | |
13 | Command parameters: | |
14 | @table @var | |
15 | @item filename | |
16 | is a disk image filename | |
5fafdf24 | 17 | @item fmt |
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18 | is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. See below |
19 | for a description of the supported disk formats. | |
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5fafdf24 | 21 | @item size |
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22 | is the disk image size in bytes. Optional suffixes @code{k} or @code{K} |
23 | (kilobyte, 1024) @code{M} (megabyte, 1024k) and @code{G} (gigabyte, 1024M) | |
24 | and T (terabyte, 1024G) are supported. @code{b} is ignored. | |
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25 | |
26 | @item output_filename | |
5fafdf24 | 27 | is the destination disk image filename |
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28 | |
29 | @item output_fmt | |
30 | is the destination format | |
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31 | @item options |
32 | is a comma separated list of format specific options in a | |
33 | name=value format. Use @code{-o ?} for an overview of the options supported | |
3e032364 | 34 | by the used format or see the format descriptions below for details. |
eff44266 | 35 | |
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36 | |
37 | @item -c | |
38 | indicates that target image must be compressed (qcow format only) | |
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39 | @item -h |
40 | with or without a command shows help and lists the supported formats | |
41 | @end table | |
42 | ||
43 | Parameters to snapshot subcommand: | |
44 | ||
45 | @table @option | |
46 | ||
47 | @item snapshot | |
48 | is the name of the snapshot to create, apply or delete | |
49 | @item -a | |
50 | applies a snapshot (revert disk to saved state) | |
51 | @item -c | |
52 | creates a snapshot | |
53 | @item -d | |
54 | deletes a snapshot | |
55 | @item -l | |
56 | lists all snapshots in the given image | |
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57 | @end table |
58 | ||
59 | Command description: | |
60 | ||
61 | @table @option | |
8063d0fe | 62 | @item create [-f @var{fmt}] [-o @var{options}] @var{filename} [@var{size}] |
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63 | |
64 | Create the new disk image @var{filename} of size @var{size} and format | |
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65 | @var{fmt}. Depending on the file format, you can add one or more @var{options} |
66 | that enable additional features of this format. | |
acd935ef | 67 | |
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68 | If the option @var{backing_file} is specified, then the image will record |
69 | only the differences from @var{backing_file}. No size needs to be specified in | |
70 | this case. @var{backing_file} will never be modified unless you use the | |
71 | @code{commit} monitor command (or qemu-img commit). | |
acd935ef | 72 | |
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73 | The size can also be specified using the @var{size} option with @code{-o}, |
74 | it doesn't need to be specified separately in this case. | |
75 | ||
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76 | @item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} |
77 | ||
78 | Commit the changes recorded in @var{filename} in its base image. | |
79 | ||
8063d0fe | 80 | @item convert [-c] [-f @var{fmt}] [-O @var{output_fmt}] [-o @var{options}] @var{filename} [@var{filename2} [...]] @var{output_filename} |
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81 | |
82 | Convert the disk image @var{filename} to disk image @var{output_filename} | |
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83 | using format @var{output_fmt}. It can be optionally compressed (@code{-c} |
84 | option) or use any format specific options like encryption (@code{-o} option). | |
acd935ef | 85 | |
8063d0fe | 86 | Only the formats @code{qcow} and @code{qcow2} support compression. The |
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87 | compression is read-only. It means that if a compressed sector is |
88 | rewritten, then it is rewritten as uncompressed data. | |
89 | ||
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90 | Image conversion is also useful to get smaller image when using a |
91 | growable format such as @code{qcow} or @code{cow}: the empty sectors | |
92 | are detected and suppressed from the destination image. | |
93 | ||
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94 | You can use the @var{backing_file} option to force the output image to be |
95 | created as a copy on write image of the specified base image; the | |
96 | @var{backing_file} should have the same content as the input's base image, | |
97 | however the path, image format, etc may differ. | |
98 | ||
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99 | @item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} |
100 | ||
101 | Give information about the disk image @var{filename}. Use it in | |
102 | particular to know the size reserved on disk which can be different | |
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103 | from the displayed size. If VM snapshots are stored in the disk image, |
104 | they are displayed too. | |
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105 | |
106 | @item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot} ] @var{filename} | |
107 | ||
108 | List, apply, create or delete snapshots in image @var{filename}. | |
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109 | @end table |
110 | ||
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111 | Supported image file formats: |
112 | ||
113 | @table @option | |
114 | @item raw | |
115 | ||
116 | Raw disk image format (default). This format has the advantage of | |
117 | being simple and easily exportable to all other emulators. If your | |
118 | file system supports @emph{holes} (for example in ext2 or ext3 on | |
119 | Linux or NTFS on Windows), then only the written sectors will reserve | |
120 | space. Use @code{qemu-img info} to know the real size used by the | |
121 | image or @code{ls -ls} on Unix/Linux. | |
122 | ||
123 | @item host_device | |
124 | ||
125 | Host device format. This format should be used instead of raw when | |
126 | converting to block devices or other devices where "holes" are not | |
127 | supported. | |
128 | ||
129 | @item qcow2 | |
130 | QEMU image format, the most versatile format. Use it to have smaller | |
131 | images (useful if your filesystem does not supports holes, for example | |
132 | on Windows), optional AES encryption, zlib based compression and | |
133 | support of multiple VM snapshots. | |
8063d0fe | 134 | |
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135 | Supported options: |
136 | @table @code | |
137 | @item backing_file | |
138 | File name of a base image (see @option{create} subcommand) | |
139 | @item backing_fmt | |
140 | Image format of the base image | |
141 | @item encryption | |
142 | If this option is set to @code{on}, the image is encrypted. | |
143 | ||
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144 | Encryption uses the AES format which is very secure (128 bit keys). Use |
145 | a long password (16 characters) to get maximum protection. | |
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146 | |
147 | @item cluster_size | |
148 | Changes the qcow2 cluster size (must be between 512 and 2M). Smaller cluster | |
149 | sizes can improve the image file size whereas larger cluster sizes generally | |
150 | provide better performance. | |
151 | ||
152 | @item preallocation | |
153 | Preallocation mode (allowed values: off, metadata). An image with preallocated | |
154 | metadata is initially larger but can improve performance when the image needs | |
155 | to grow. | |
156 | ||
157 | @end table | |
158 | ||
159 | ||
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160 | @item qcow |
161 | Old QEMU image format. Left for compatibility. | |
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162 | |
163 | Supported options: | |
164 | @table @code | |
165 | @item backing_file | |
166 | File name of a base image (see @option{create} subcommand) | |
167 | @item encryption | |
168 | If this option is set to @code{on}, the image is encrypted. | |
169 | @end table | |
170 | ||
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171 | @item cow |
172 | User Mode Linux Copy On Write image format. Used to be the only growable | |
173 | image format in QEMU. It is supported only for compatibility with | |
174 | previous versions. It does not work on win32. | |
175 | @item vdi | |
176 | VirtualBox 1.1 compatible image format. | |
177 | @item vmdk | |
178 | VMware 3 and 4 compatible image format. | |
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179 | |
180 | Supported options: | |
181 | @table @code | |
182 | @item backing_fmt | |
183 | Image format of the base image | |
184 | @item compat6 | |
185 | Create a VMDK version 6 image (instead of version 4) | |
186 | @end table | |
187 | ||
188 | @item vpc | |
189 | VirtualPC compatible image format (VHD). | |
190 | ||
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191 | @item cloop |
192 | Linux Compressed Loop image, useful only to reuse directly compressed | |
193 | CD-ROM images present for example in the Knoppix CD-ROMs. | |
194 | @end table | |
195 | ||
196 | ||
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197 | @c man end |
198 | ||
199 | @ignore | |
200 | ||
201 | @setfilename qemu-img | |
202 | @settitle QEMU disk image utility | |
203 | ||
204 | @c man begin SEEALSO | |
205 | The HTML documentation of QEMU for more precise information and Linux | |
206 | user mode emulator invocation. | |
207 | @c man end | |
208 | ||
209 | @c man begin AUTHOR | |
210 | Fabrice Bellard | |
211 | @c man end | |
212 | ||
213 | @end ignore |