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1@example
2@c man begin SYNOPSIS
3usage: qemu-img command [command options]
4@c man end
5@end example
6
7@c man begin OPTIONS
8
9The following commands are supported:
10@table @option
11@item create [-e] [-6] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
12@item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
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}
14@item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
15@item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot}] @var{filename}
16@end table
17
18Command parameters:
19@table @var
20@item filename
21 is a disk image filename
22@item base_image
23is 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
25@item output_base_image
26forces the output image to be created as a copy on write
27image of the specified base image; @code{output_base_image} should have the same
28content as the input's base image, however the path, image format, etc may
29differ
30@item fmt
31is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. The following formats are supported:
32
33@table @code
34@item raw
35
36Raw disk image format (default). This format has the advantage of
37being simple and easily exportable to all other emulators. If your
38file system supports @emph{holes} (for example in ext2 or ext3 on
39Linux or NTFS on Windows), then only the written sectors will reserve
40space. Use @code{qemu-img info} to know the real size used by the
41image or @code{ls -ls} on Unix/Linux.
42
43@item qcow2
44QEMU image format, the most versatile format. Use it to have smaller
45images (useful if your filesystem does not supports holes, for example
46on Windows), optional AES encryption, zlib based compression and
47support of multiple VM snapshots.
48@item qcow
49Old QEMU image format. Left for compatibility.
50@item cow
51User Mode Linux Copy On Write image format. Used to be the only growable
52image format in QEMU. It is supported only for compatibility with
53previous versions. It does not work on win32.
54@item vmdk
55VMware 3 and 4 compatible image format.
56@item cloop
57Linux Compressed Loop image, useful only to reuse directly compressed
58CD-ROM images present for example in the Knoppix CD-ROMs.
59@end table
60
61@item size
62is the disk image size in kilobytes. Optional suffixes @code{M}
63(megabyte, 1024 * 1024) and @code{G} (gigabyte, 1024 * 1024 * 1024)
64are supported and any @code{k} or @code{K} is ignored.
65
66@item output_filename
67is the destination disk image filename
68
69@item output_fmt
70 is the destination format
71
72@item -c
73indicates that target image must be compressed (qcow format only)
74@item -e
75indicates that the target image must be encrypted (qcow format only)
76@item -6
77indicates that the target image must use compatibility level 6 (vmdk format only)
78@item -h
79with or without a command shows help and lists the supported formats
80@end table
81
82Parameters to snapshot subcommand:
83
84@table @option
85
86@item snapshot
87is the name of the snapshot to create, apply or delete
88@item -a
89applies a snapshot (revert disk to saved state)
90@item -c
91creates a snapshot
92@item -d
93deletes a snapshot
94@item -l
95lists all snapshots in the given image
96@end table
97
98Command description:
99
100@table @option
101@item create [-6] [-e] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
102
103Create the new disk image @var{filename} of size @var{size} and format
104@var{fmt}.
105
106If @var{base_image} is specified, then the image will record only the
107differences from @var{base_image}. No size needs to be specified in
108this 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
113Commit 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
117Convert the disk image @var{filename} to disk image @var{output_filename}
118using format @var{output_fmt}. It can be optionally encrypted
119(@code{-e} option) or compressed (@code{-c} option).
120
121Only the format @code{qcow} supports encryption or compression. The
122compression is read-only. It means that if a compressed sector is
123rewritten, then it is rewritten as uncompressed data.
124
125Encryption uses the AES format which is very secure (128 bit keys). Use
126a long password (16 characters) to get maximum protection.
127
128Image conversion is also useful to get smaller image when using a
129growable format such as @code{qcow} or @code{cow}: the empty sectors
130are detected and suppressed from the destination image.
131
132@item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
133
134Give information about the disk image @var{filename}. Use it in
135particular to know the size reserved on disk which can be different
136from the displayed size. If VM snapshots are stored in the disk image,
137they are displayed too.
138
139@item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot} ] @var{filename}
140
141List, apply, create or delete snapshots in image @var{filename}.
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
152The HTML documentation of QEMU for more precise information and Linux
153user mode emulator invocation.
154@c man end
155
156@c man begin AUTHOR
157Fabrice Bellard
158@c man end
159
160@end ignore