---
name: "container-create"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "open-infrastructure-container-tools"
version: "20210101-1"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/container-create"
---

# container-create(1)

Create a container

## NAME

container-create - Create a container

## SYNOPSIS

**container create** \[*OPTIONS*\] **cnt cr** \[*OPTIONS*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The container-create command creates a container based on a script.

## OPTIONS

The following container-create options are available:

- **-n, --name=***NAME*

  Specify container name.

- **-c, --capability=***CAPABILITY*

  Specify capabilities to grant, see [capabilities(7)](/capabilities/7.md).

- **-d, --drop-capability=***DROP\_CAPABILITY*

  Specify capabilities to drop, see [capabilities(7)](/capabilities/7.md).

- **-s, --script=***SCRIPT*

  Specify container creation script, defaults to debootstrap.

- **-v, --verbose**

  Explain what is being done.

- **-b, --bind=***DIRECTORY:DIRECTORY\[:OPTIONS\]\[;DIRECTORY:DIRECTORY\[:OPTIONS\]\]*

  Specify container read-write bind mounts, see [systemd-nspawn(1)](/systemd-nspawn/1.md) --bind option.

- **--bind-ro=***DIRECTORY:DIRECTORY\[:OPTIONS\]\[;DIRECTORY:DIRECTORY\[:OPTIONS\]\]*

  Specify container read-only bind mounts, see [systemd-nspawn(1)](/systemd-nspawn/1.md) --bind-ro option.

- **--cnt-overlay=***DIRECTORY\_LOWER:DIRECTORY\_UPPER:DIRECTORY\_WORK:DIRECTORY\_MERGED\[;DIRECTORY\_UPPER:DIRECTORY\_LOWER:DIRECTORY\_WORK:DIRECTORY\_MERGED\]*

  Specify container overlay mounts, see Documentation/filesystems/overlayfs.txt.

- **--cnt.overlay-options=***OPTION1,OPTION2\[;OPTION3,OPTION4\]*

  Specify container overlay mount options, see Documentation/filesystems/overlayfs.txt.

## SCRIPTS

The following container scripts are available:

**curl**

Basic script to create Debian based container, see [container-create-curl(1)](/container-create-curl/1.md).

**debootstrap**

Basic script to create Debian based container, see [container-create-debootstrap(1)](/container-create-debootstrap/1.md).

**debconf**

Advanced script to automatically create Debian based container, see [container-create-debconf(1)](/container-create-debconf/1.md).

**default**

Symlink (if existing) to a container script which is used if no script was specified. On Debian based system this can be managed through [update-alternatives(1)](/update-alternatives/1.md), i.e. *sudo update-alternatives --config container\_script*.

## EXAMPLES

**Create example.net container using curl script:**

sudo container create -n example.net -s curl

**Create example.net container using debootstrap script:**

sudo container create -n example.net -s debootstrap

**Create example.net container using debconf script:**

sudo container create -n example.net -s debconf

**Create example.net container with the default create script and start it:**

sudo container create,start -n example.net

## SEE ALSO

[compute-tools(7)](/compute-tools/7.md), [container(1)](/container/1.md).

## HOMEPAGE

More information about compute-tools and the Open Infrastructure project can be found on the homepage at https://open-infrastructure.net.

## CONTACT

Bug reports, feature requests, help, patches, support and everything else are welcome on the Open Infrastructure Software Mailing List \<software@lists.open-infrastructure.net\>.

Debian specific bugs can also be reported in the Debian Bug Tracking System at https://bugs.debian.org.

## AUTHORS

compute-tools were written by Daniel Baumann \<daniel.baumann@open-infrastructure.net\> and others.