---
name: "lxctl"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "lxctl"
version: "0.3.1+debian-6"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/lxctl"
---

# lxctl(8)

utility to manage Linux Containers (LXC)

## NAME

lxctl - utility to manage Linux Containers (LXC)

## DESCRIPTION

### Usage:

-

  lxctl \[action\] \[vmname\] \[options\]

## OPTIONS

- **--help**

  Print a brief help message and exists

- **--man**

  Prints the manual page and exits.

- start

  Starts container specified in 1st argument

-

  Required arguments:

-

  vmname - name of the container

- stop

  Stops container specified in 1st argument

-

  Required arguments:

-

  vmname - name of the container

- create

  Creates container.

-

  Required arguments:

-

  vmname - name of the container

-

  Optional arguments:

-

  **--ipaddr** - IP address of the machine

-

  **--mask**/netmask - network mask of the machine

-

  **--defgw** - default gateway of the machine

-

  **--dns** - primary DNS server

-

  **--ostemplate** - template name, by default it is 'lucid\_amd64'

-

  **--config** - path to configuration file, by default /etc/lxc/\<container name\> is used

-

  **--root** - path to root file system, by default /var/lib/lxctl/\<container name\> is used

-

  **--addpkg** - list of additional packages (comma-separated)

-

  **--pkgopt** - list of additional packet manager options (space-separated, but as one argument)

-

  **--rootsz** - size of logical volume for root FS, by default it is 10G

-

  **--hostname** - sets the hostname of the machine, by default \<container name\> is used

-

  **--searchdomain** - set a custom searchdomain in /etc/resolv.conf

-

  **--macaddr** - set the custom mac address of the container

-

  **--autostart** - autostart container each reboot host machine

-

  **--no-save** - do not save yaml config for new container, by default $CONF\_PATH/vmname.yaml is used

-

  **--load** - create container from yaml config

-

  **--debug** - show more information about install process

-

  **--tz** - set custom timezone (Europe/Moscow, UTC, etc)

-

  **--empty** - create a clear container for migrate here

- set

  Changes container parameters.

-

  Required arguments:

-

  vmname - name of the container

-

  Optional arguments:

-

  **--rootsz** - increment of size of logical volume for root FS

-

  **--ipaddr** - IP address of the machine

-

  **--mask**/netmask - network mask of the machine

-

  **--defgw** - default gateway of the machine

-

  **--dns** - primary DNS server

-

  **--hostname** - sets the hostname of the machine

-

  **--searchdomain** - set a custom searchdomain in /etc/resolv.conf

-

  **--macaddr** - set the custom mac address of the machine

-

  **--userpasswd** user:passwd - sets password for given user

-

  **--onboot** {yes,no} - makes container \[do not\] start at boot

-

  **--tz** - set custom timezone (Europe/Moscow, UTC, etc)

-

  **--cpu-shares** - sets the CPU share of the container

-

  **--cpus** - sets the CPU cores of the container

-

  **--mem** - sets the memory share of the container (in bytes!)

-

  **--io** - sets the IO share of the container

- freeze

  Freezes container

-

  Required arguments:

-

  vmname - name of the container

-

  unfreeze

-

  Unfreezes container

-

  Required arguments:

-

  vmname - name of the container

- list

  Lists all containers

-

  Optional arguments:

-

  **--ipaddr** - display with IP addr

-

  **--hostname** - display with hostname.

-

  **--cgroup** - display with cgroup

-

  **--mount** - display with mount point for rootfs

-

  **--diskspace** - display with free/full size

-

  **--all** - display all information

-

  **--raw** - display only vmnames

-

  migrate Migrate container from localhost to remote host.

-

  Required arguments

-

  **--vmname** - container name

-

  **--tohost** - to which host we should migrate

-

  Optional arguments

-

  **--remuser** - remote username for ssh

-

  **--remport** - remote port for ssh

-

  **--remname** - remote container name

-

  **--onboot** - start on boot? 1 or 0

-

  **--userpasswd** - 'user:password' formatted password for user

-

  **--clone** - cloning, a little bit faster and softer then simple migration

-

  **--rootsz** - remote root fs size

-

  **--afterstart** - start local container again after migration

-

  **--cpus** - cpus allocated to container

-

  **--cpu-shares** - cpu time share of the container

-

  **--mem** - memory limit of the container

-

  **--io** - IO throughput

-

  **--ipaddr** - IP of the remote container

-

  **--searchdomain** - DNS search domain of the container

-

  **--netmask** - network mask

-

  **--defgw** - default gateway

-

  **--dns** - DNS server

- vz2lxc

  Migrate VZ-container from remote host to local LXC container.

-

  Required arguments

-

  **--vmname** - container name

-

  **--fromhost** - from which host we should migrate

-

  **--remname** - remote container name

-

  Optional arguments

-

  **--remuser** - remote username for ssh

-

  **--remport** - remote port for ssh

-

  **--onboot** - start on boot? 1 or 0

-

  **--rootsz** - remote root fs size

-

  **--afterstart** - start local container again after migration

-

  **--cpus** - cpus allocated to container

-

  **--cpu-shares** - cpu time share of the container

-

  **--mem** - memory limit of the container

-

  **--io** - IO throughput

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **Version:** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **Version:** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info Version:**

should give you access to the complete manual.