@c man begin OPTIONS
The following commands are supported:
-@table @option
-@item create [-e] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
-@item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
-@item convert [-c] [-e] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [-O @var{output_fmt}] @var{output_filename}
-@item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
-@end table
+
+@include qemu-img-cmds.texi
Command parameters:
@table @var
@item filename
is a disk image filename
-@item base_image
+@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 fmt
+@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),
-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.
+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 qcow
+@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 and zlib based compression.
+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 vdi
+VirtualBox 1.1 compatible image format.
@item vmdk
-VMware 3 and 4 compatible image format. Currently only supported as
-read-only.
+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 size
-is the disk image size in kilobytes. Optional suffixes @code{M}
-(megabyte) and @code{G} (gigabyte) are supported
+@item size
+is the disk image size in bytes. Optional suffixes @code{k} or @code{K}
+(kilobyte, 1024) @code{M} (megabyte, 1024k) and @code{G} (gigabyte, 1024M)
+and T (terabyte, 1024G) are supported. @code{b} is ignored.
@item output_filename
-is the destination disk image filename
+is the destination disk image filename
@item output_fmt
is the destination format
+@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
+
@item -c
indicates that target image must be compressed (qcow format only)
-@item -e
-indicates that the target image must be encrypted (qcow format only)
+@item -h
+with or without a command shows help and lists the supported formats
+@end table
+
+Parameters to snapshot subcommand:
+
+@table @option
+
+@item snapshot
+is the name of the snapshot to create, apply or delete
+@item -a
+applies a snapshot (revert disk to saved state)
+@item -c
+creates a snapshot
+@item -d
+deletes a snapshot
+@item -l
+lists all snapshots in the given image
@end table
Command description:
@table @option
-@item create [-e] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
+@item create [-F @var{base_fmt}] [-b @var{base_image}] [-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}.
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.
+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}
Commit the changes recorded in @var{filename} in its base image.
-@item convert [-c] [-e] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [-O @var{output_fmt}] @var{output_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}
Convert the disk image @var{filename} to disk image @var{output_filename}
-using format @var{output_fmt}. It can be optionnaly encrypted
-(@code{-e} option) or compressed (@code{-c} option).
+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 format @code{qcow} supports encryption or compression. The
+Only the formats @code{qcow} and @code{qcow2} support encryption or compression. The
compression is read-only. It means that if a compressed sector is
rewritten, then it is rewritten as uncompressed data.
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.
+from the displayed size. If VM snapshots are stored in the disk image,
+they are displayed too.
+
+@item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot} ] @var{filename}
+
+List, apply, create or delete snapshots in image @var{filename}.
@end table
@c man end
projects / qemu / blobdiff