X-Git-Url: https://git.proxmox.com/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=qemu-img.texi;h=69f1bda6aec0895572e82eac8250e8a97bd97574;hb=bf0fda346694db1eddecff1d74ff9f4d5eba3461;hp=dae7b826ede399a54e7450a7fa7629b2c0581c70;hpb=eff442662d953da980891bc028b944f118c511f2;p=qemu.git

diff --git a/qemu-img.texi b/qemu-img.texi
index dae7b826e..69f1bda6a 100644
--- a/qemu-img.texi
+++ b/qemu-img.texi
@@ -4,61 +4,33 @@ usage: qemu-img command [command options]
 @c man end
 @end example
 
+@c man begin DESCRIPTION
+qemu-img allows you to create, convert and modify images offline. It can handle
+all image formats supported by QEMU.
+
+@b{Warning:} Never use qemu-img to modify images in use by a running virtual
+machine or any other process; this may destroy the image. Also, be aware that
+querying an image that is being modified by another process may encounter
+inconsistent state.
+@c man end
+
 @c man begin OPTIONS
 
 The following commands are supported:
-@table @option
-@item create [-F @var{base_fmt}] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] [-o @var{options}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
-@item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
-@item convert [-c] [-f @var{fmt}] [-O @var{output_fmt}] [-o @var{options}] [-B @var{output_base_image}] @var{filename} [@var{filename2} [...]] @var{output_filename}
-@item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
-@item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot}] @var{filename}
-@end table
+
+@include qemu-img-cmds.texi
 
 Command parameters:
 @table @var
 @item filename
  is a disk image filename
-@item base_image
-is the read-only disk image which is used as base for a copy on
-    write image; the copy on write image only stores the modified data
-@item output_base_image
-forces the output image to be created as a copy on write
-image of the specified base image; @code{output_base_image} should have the same
-content as the input's base image, however the path, image format, etc may
-differ
-@item base_fmt
-is the disk image format of @var{base_image}. for more information look at @var{fmt}
 @item fmt
-is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. The following formats are supported:
-
-@table @code
-@item raw
-
-Raw disk image format (default). This format has the advantage of
-being simple and easily exportable to all other emulators. If your
-file system supports @emph{holes} (for example in ext2 or ext3 on
-Linux or NTFS on Windows), then only the written sectors will reserve
-space. Use @code{qemu-img info} to know the real size used by the
-image or @code{ls -ls} on Unix/Linux.
+is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. See below
+for a description of the supported disk formats.
 
-@item qcow2
-QEMU image format, the most versatile format. Use it to have smaller
-images (useful if your filesystem does not supports holes, for example
-on Windows), optional AES encryption, zlib based compression and
-support of multiple VM snapshots.
-@item qcow
-Old QEMU image format. Left for compatibility.
-@item cow
-User Mode Linux Copy On Write image format. Used to be the only growable
-image format in QEMU. It is supported only for compatibility with
-previous versions. It does not work on win32.
-@item vmdk
-VMware 3 and 4 compatible image format.
-@item cloop
-Linux Compressed Loop image, useful only to reuse directly compressed
-CD-ROM images present for example in the Knoppix CD-ROMs.
-@end table
+@item --backing-chain
+will enumerate information about backing files in a disk image chain. Refer
+below for further description.
 
 @item size
 is the disk image size in bytes. Optional suffixes @code{k} or @code{K}
@@ -73,13 +45,27 @@ is the destination disk image filename
 @item options
 is a comma separated list of format specific options in a
 name=value format. Use @code{-o ?} for an overview of the options supported
-by the used format
+by the used format or see the format descriptions below for details.
 
 
 @item -c
 indicates that target image must be compressed (qcow format only)
 @item -h
 with or without a command shows help and lists the supported formats
+@item -p
+display progress bar (convert and rebase commands only)
+@item -q
+Quiet mode - do not print any output (except errors). There's no progress bar
+in case both @var{-q} and @var{-p} options are used.
+@item -S @var{size}
+indicates the consecutive number of bytes that must contain only zeros
+for qemu-img to create a sparse image during conversion. This value is rounded
+down to the nearest 512 bytes. You may use the common size suffixes like
+@code{k} for kilobytes.
+@item -t @var{cache}
+specifies the cache mode that should be used with the (destination) file. See
+the documentation of the emulator's @code{-drive cache=...} option for allowed
+values.
 @end table
 
 Parameters to snapshot subcommand:
@@ -98,58 +84,282 @@ deletes a snapshot
 lists all snapshots in the given image
 @end table
 
+Parameters to compare subcommand:
+
+@table @option
+
+@item -f
+First image format
+@item -F
+Second image format
+@item -s
+Strict mode - fail on on different image size or sector allocation
+@end table
+
 Command description:
 
 @table @option
-@item create [-F @var{base_fmt}] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] [-o @var{options}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
+@item check [-f @var{fmt}] [--output=@var{ofmt}] [-r [leaks | all]] @var{filename}
+
+Perform a consistency check on the disk image @var{filename}. The command can
+output in the format @var{ofmt} which is either @code{human} or @code{json}.
+
+If @code{-r} is specified, qemu-img tries to repair any inconsistencies found
+during the check. @code{-r leaks} repairs only cluster leaks, whereas
+@code{-r all} fixes all kinds of errors, with a higher risk of choosing the
+wrong fix or hiding corruption that has already occurred.
+
+Only the formats @code{qcow2}, @code{qed} and @code{vdi} support
+consistency checks.
+
+@item create [-f @var{fmt}] [-o @var{options}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
 
 Create the new disk image @var{filename} of size @var{size} and format
-@var{fmt}.
+@var{fmt}. Depending on the file format, you can add one or more @var{options}
+that enable additional features of this format.
 
-If @var{base_image} is specified, then the image will record only the
-differences from @var{base_image}. No size needs to be specified in
-this case. @var{base_image} will never be modified unless you use the
-@code{commit} monitor command.
+If the option @var{backing_file} is specified, then the image will record
+only the differences from @var{backing_file}. No size needs to be specified in
+this case. @var{backing_file} will never be modified unless you use the
+@code{commit} monitor command (or qemu-img commit).
 
 The size can also be specified using the @var{size} option with @code{-o},
 it doesn't need to be specified separately in this case.
 
-@item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
+@item commit [-f @var{fmt}] [-t @var{cache}] @var{filename}
 
 Commit the changes recorded in @var{filename} in its base image.
 
-@item convert [-c] [-f @var{fmt}] [-O @var{output_fmt}] [-o @var{options}] [-B @var{output_base_image}] @var{filename} [@var{filename2} [...]] @var{output_filename}
+@item compare [-f @var{fmt}] [-F @var{fmt}] [-p] [-s] [-q] @var{filename1} @var{filename2}
+
+Check if two images have the same content. You can compare images with
+different format or settings.
+
+The format is probed unless you specify it by @var{-f} (used for
+@var{filename1}) and/or @var{-F} (used for @var{filename2}) option.
+
+By default, images with different size are considered identical if the larger
+image contains only unallocated and/or zeroed sectors in the area after the end
+of the other image. In addition, if any sector is not allocated in one image
+and contains only zero bytes in the second one, it is evaluated as equal. You
+can use Strict mode by specifying the @var{-s} option. When compare runs in
+Strict mode, it fails in case image size differs or a sector is allocated in
+one image and is not allocated in the second one.
 
-Convert the disk image @var{filename} to disk image @var{output_filename}
+By default, compare prints out a result message. This message displays
+information that both images are same or the position of the first different
+byte. In addition, result message can report different image size in case
+Strict mode is used.
+
+Compare exits with @code{0} in case the images are equal and with @code{1}
+in case the images differ. Other exit codes mean an error occurred during
+execution and standard error output should contain an error message.
+The following table sumarizes all exit codes of the compare subcommand:
+
+@table @option
+
+@item 0
+Images are identical
+@item 1
+Images differ
+@item 2
+Error on opening an image
+@item 3
+Error on checking a sector allocation
+@item 4
+Error on reading data
+
+@end table
+
+@item convert [-c] [-p] [-f @var{fmt}] [-t @var{cache}] [-O @var{output_fmt}] [-o @var{options}] [-s @var{snapshot_name}] [-S @var{sparse_size}] @var{filename} [@var{filename2} [...]] @var{output_filename}
+
+Convert the disk image @var{filename} or a snapshot @var{snapshot_name} to disk image @var{output_filename}
 using format @var{output_fmt}. It can be optionally compressed (@code{-c}
 option) or use any format specific options like encryption (@code{-o} option).
 
-Only the formats @code{qcow} and @code{qcow2} support encryption or compression. The
+Only the formats @code{qcow} and @code{qcow2} support compression. The
 compression is read-only. It means that if a compressed sector is
 rewritten, then it is rewritten as uncompressed data.
 
-Encryption uses the AES format which is very secure (128 bit keys). Use
-a long password (16 characters) to get maximum protection.
-
 Image conversion is also useful to get smaller image when using a
 growable format such as @code{qcow} or @code{cow}: the empty sectors
 are detected and suppressed from the destination image.
 
-@item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
+You can use the @var{backing_file} option to force the output image to be
+created as a copy on write image of the specified base image; the
+@var{backing_file} should have the same content as the input's base image,
+however the path, image format, etc may differ.
+
+@item info [-f @var{fmt}] [--output=@var{ofmt}] [--backing-chain] @var{filename}
 
 Give information about the disk image @var{filename}. Use it in
 particular to know the size reserved on disk which can be different
 from the displayed size. If VM snapshots are stored in the disk image,
-they are displayed too.
+they are displayed too. The command can output in the format @var{ofmt}
+which is either @code{human} or @code{json}.
+
+If a disk image has a backing file chain, information about each disk image in
+the chain can be recursively enumerated by using the option @code{--backing-chain}.
+
+For instance, if you have an image chain like:
+
+@example
+base.qcow2 <- snap1.qcow2 <- snap2.qcow2
+@end example
+
+To enumerate information about each disk image in the above chain, starting from top to base, do:
+
+@example
+qemu-img info --backing-chain snap2.qcow2
+@end example
 
 @item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot} ] @var{filename}
 
 List, apply, create or delete snapshots in image @var{filename}.
+
+@item rebase [-f @var{fmt}] [-t @var{cache}] [-p] [-u] -b @var{backing_file} [-F @var{backing_fmt}] @var{filename}
+
+Changes the backing file of an image. Only the formats @code{qcow2} and
+@code{qed} support changing the backing file.
+
+The backing file is changed to @var{backing_file} and (if the image format of
+@var{filename} supports this) the backing file format is changed to
+@var{backing_fmt}. If @var{backing_file} is specified as ``'' (the empty
+string), then the image is rebased onto no backing file (i.e. it will exist
+independently of any backing file).
+
+There are two different modes in which @code{rebase} can operate:
+@table @option
+@item Safe mode
+This is the default mode and performs a real rebase operation. The new backing
+file may differ from the old one and qemu-img rebase will take care of keeping
+the guest-visible content of @var{filename} unchanged.
+
+In order to achieve this, any clusters that differ between @var{backing_file}
+and the old backing file of @var{filename} are merged into @var{filename}
+before actually changing the backing file.
+
+Note that the safe mode is an expensive operation, comparable to converting
+an image. It only works if the old backing file still exists.
+
+@item Unsafe mode
+qemu-img uses the unsafe mode if @code{-u} is specified. In this mode, only the
+backing file name and format of @var{filename} is changed without any checks
+on the file contents. The user must take care of specifying the correct new
+backing file, or the guest-visible content of the image will be corrupted.
+
+This mode is useful for renaming or moving the backing file to somewhere else.
+It can be used without an accessible old backing file, i.e. you can use it to
+fix an image whose backing file has already been moved/renamed.
 @end table
 
+You can use @code{rebase} to perform a ``diff'' operation on two
+disk images.  This can be useful when you have copied or cloned
+a guest, and you want to get back to a thin image on top of a
+template or base image.
+
+Say that @code{base.img} has been cloned as @code{modified.img} by
+copying it, and that the @code{modified.img} guest has run so there
+are now some changes compared to @code{base.img}.  To construct a thin
+image called @code{diff.qcow2} that contains just the differences, do:
+
+@example
+qemu-img create -f qcow2 -b modified.img diff.qcow2
+qemu-img rebase -b base.img diff.qcow2
+@end example
+
+At this point, @code{modified.img} can be discarded, since
+@code{base.img + diff.qcow2} contains the same information.
+
+@item resize @var{filename} [+ | -]@var{size}
+
+Change the disk image as if it had been created with @var{size}.
+
+Before using this command to shrink a disk image, you MUST use file system and
+partitioning tools inside the VM to reduce allocated file systems and partition
+sizes accordingly.  Failure to do so will result in data loss!
+
+After using this command to grow a disk image, you must use file system and
+partitioning tools inside the VM to actually begin using the new space on the
+device.
+@end table
 @c man end
 
 @ignore
+@c man begin NOTES
+Supported image file formats:
+
+@table @option
+@item raw
+
+Raw disk image format (default). This format has the advantage of
+being simple and easily exportable to all other emulators. If your
+file system supports @emph{holes} (for example in ext2 or ext3 on
+Linux or NTFS on Windows), then only the written sectors will reserve
+space. Use @code{qemu-img info} to know the real size used by the
+image or @code{ls -ls} on Unix/Linux.
+
+@item qcow2
+QEMU image format, the most versatile format. Use it to have smaller
+images (useful if your filesystem does not supports holes, for example
+on Windows), optional AES encryption, zlib based compression and
+support of multiple VM snapshots.
+
+Supported options:
+@table @code
+@item compat
+Determines the qcow2 version to use. @code{compat=0.10} uses the traditional
+image format that can be read by any QEMU since 0.10 (this is the default).
+@code{compat=1.1} enables image format extensions that only QEMU 1.1 and
+newer understand. Amongst others, this includes zero clusters, which allow
+efficient copy-on-read for sparse images.
+
+@item backing_file
+File name of a base image (see @option{create} subcommand)
+@item backing_fmt
+Image format of the base image
+@item encryption
+If this option is set to @code{on}, the image is encrypted.
+
+Encryption uses the AES format which is very secure (128 bit keys). Use
+a long password (16 characters) to get maximum protection.
+
+@item cluster_size
+Changes the qcow2 cluster size (must be between 512 and 2M). Smaller cluster
+sizes can improve the image file size whereas larger cluster sizes generally
+provide better performance.
+
+@item preallocation
+Preallocation mode (allowed values: off, metadata). An image with preallocated
+metadata is initially larger but can improve performance when the image needs
+to grow.
+
+@item lazy_refcounts
+If this option is set to @code{on}, reference count updates are postponed with
+the goal of avoiding metadata I/O and improving performance. This is
+particularly interesting with @option{cache=writethrough} which doesn't batch
+metadata updates. The tradeoff is that after a host crash, the reference count
+tables must be rebuilt, i.e. on the next open an (automatic) @code{qemu-img
+check -r all} is required, which may take some time.
+
+This option can only be enabled if @code{compat=1.1} is specified.
+
+@end table
+
+@item Other
+QEMU also supports various other image file formats for compatibility with
+older QEMU versions or other hypervisors, including VMDK, VDI, VHD (vpc), qcow1
+and QED. For a full list of supported formats see @code{qemu-img --help}.
+For a more detailed description of these formats, see the QEMU Emulation User
+Documentation.
+
+The main purpose of the block drivers for these formats is image conversion.
+For running VMs, it is recommended to convert the disk images to either raw or
+qcow2 in order to achieve good performance.
+@end table
+
+
+@c man end
 
 @setfilename qemu-img
 @settitle QEMU disk image utility