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
   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}] @var{filename} [-O @var{output_fmt}] @var{output_filename}
   14: @item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
   15: @end table
   16: 
   17: Command parameters:
   18: @table @var
   19: @item filename
   20:  is a disk image filename
   21: @item base_image
   22: is the read-only disk image which is used as base for a copy on
   23:     write image; the copy on write image only stores the modified data
   24: 
   25: @item fmt
   26: is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. The following formats are supported:
   27: 
   28: @table @code
   29: @item raw
   30: 
   31: Raw disk image format (default). This format has the advantage of
   32: being simple and easily exportable to all other emulators. If your
   33: file system supports @emph{holes} (for example in ext2 or ext3 on
   34: Linux or NTFS on Windows), then only the written sectors will reserve
   35: space. Use @code{qemu-img info} to know the real size used by the
   36: image or @code{ls -ls} on Unix/Linux.
   37: 
   38: @item qcow2
   39: QEMU image format, the most versatile format. Use it to have smaller
   40: images (useful if your filesystem does not supports holes, for example
   41: on Windows), optional AES encryption, zlib based compression and
   42: support of multiple VM snapshots.
   43: @item qcow
   44: Old QEMU image format. Left for compatibility.
   45: @item cow
   46: User Mode Linux Copy On Write image format. Used to be the only growable
   47: image format in QEMU. It is supported only for compatibility with
   48: previous versions. It does not work on win32.
   49: @item vmdk
   50: VMware 3 and 4 compatible image format.
   51: @item cloop
   52: Linux Compressed Loop image, useful only to reuse directly compressed
   53: CD-ROM images present for example in the Knoppix CD-ROMs.
   54: @end table
   55: 
   56: @item size
   57: is the disk image size in kilobytes. Optional suffixes @code{M}
   58: (megabyte) and @code{G} (gigabyte) are supported
   59: 
   60: @item output_filename
   61: is the destination disk image filename
   62: 
   63: @item output_fmt
   64:  is the destination format
   65: 
   66: @item -c
   67: indicates that target image must be compressed (qcow format only)
   68: @item -e
   69: indicates that the target image must be encrypted (qcow format only)
   70: @item -6
   71: indicates that the target image must use compatibility level 6 (vmdk format only)
   72: @end table
   73: 
   74: Command description:
   75: 
   76: @table @option
   77: @item create [-6] [-e] [-b @var{base_image}] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [@var{size}]
   78: 
   79: Create the new disk image @var{filename} of size @var{size} and format
   80: @var{fmt}.
   81: 
   82: If @var{base_image} is specified, then the image will record only the
   83: differences from @var{base_image}. No size needs to be specified in
   84: this case. @var{base_image} will never be modified unless you use the
   85: @code{commit} monitor command.
   86: 
   87: @item commit [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
   88: 
   89: Commit the changes recorded in @var{filename} in its base image.
   90: 
   91: @item convert [-c] [-e] [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename} [-O @var{output_fmt}] @var{output_filename}
   92: 
   93: Convert the disk image @var{filename} to disk image @var{output_filename}
   94: using format @var{output_fmt}. It can be optionally encrypted
   95: (@code{-e} option) or compressed (@code{-c} option).
   96: 
   97: Only the format @code{qcow} supports encryption or compression. The
   98: compression is read-only. It means that if a compressed sector is
   99: rewritten, then it is rewritten as uncompressed data.
  100: 
  101: Encryption uses the AES format which is very secure (128 bit keys). Use
  102: a long password (16 characters) to get maximum protection.
  103: 
  104: Image conversion is also useful to get smaller image when using a
  105: growable format such as @code{qcow} or @code{cow}: the empty sectors
  106: are detected and suppressed from the destination image.
  107: 
  108: @item info [-f @var{fmt}] @var{filename}
  109: 
  110: Give information about the disk image @var{filename}. Use it in
  111: particular to know the size reserved on disk which can be different
  112: from the displayed size. If VM snapshots are stored in the disk image,
  113: they are displayed too.
  114: @end table
  115: 
  116: @c man end
  117: 
  118: @ignore
  119: 
  120: @setfilename qemu-img
  121: @settitle QEMU disk image utility
  122: 
  123: @c man begin SEEALSO
  124: The HTML documentation of QEMU for more precise information and Linux
  125: user mode emulator invocation.
  126: @c man end
  127: 
  128: @c man begin AUTHOR
  129: Fabrice Bellard
  130: @c man end
  131: 
  132: @end ignore