---
name: "virt-login-shell"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "libvirt"
version: "1:12.8.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/virt-login-shell"
---

# virt-login-shell(1)

tool to execute a shell within a container

## Name

virt-login-shell - tool to execute a shell within a container

## SYNOPSIS

**virt-login-shell** \[*OPTION*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **virt-login-shell** program is a setuid shell that is used to join an LXC container that matches the user's name.  If the container is not running, **virt-login-shell** will attempt to start the container. **virt-login-shell** is not allowed to be run by root.  Normal users will get added to a container that matches their username, if it exists, and they are configured in **/etc/libvirt/virt-login-shell.conf**.

The basic structure of most **virt-login-shell** usage is:

```
virt-login-shell
```

## OPTIONS

**-c CMD**

Instruct the shell to run CMD instead of presenting an interactive shell prompt.

**-h**, **--help**

Display command line help usage then exit.

**-V**, **--version**

Display version information then exit.

## CONFIG

By default, **virt-login-shell** will execute the **/bin/sh** program for the user. You can modify this behaviour by defining the shell variable in **/etc/libvirt/virt-login-shell.conf**. e.g.

```
shell = [ "/bin/bash" ]
```

If the **auto\_shell** config option is set then it will attempt to automatically detect the shell from **/etc/password** inside the container. This should only be done if the container has a separate **/etc** directory from the host, otherwise it will end up recursively invoking **virt-login-shell**. e.g.

```
auto_shell = 1
```

By default no users are allowed to use virt-login-shell, if you want to allow certain users to use virt-login-shell, you need to modify the allowed\_users variable in /etc/libvirt/virt-login-shell.conf. e.g.

```
allowed_users = [ "tom", "dick", "harry" ]
```

## EXIT STATUS

**virt-login-shell** normally returns the exit status of the command it executed. If the command was killed by a signal, but that signal is not fatal to virt-login-shell, then it returns the signal number plus 128.

Exit status generated by **virt-login-shell** itself:

- •

  **0** An option was used to learn more about this binary.

- •

  **125** Generic error before attempting execution of the configured shell; for example, if libvirtd is not running.

- •

  **126** The configured shell exists but could not be executed.

- •

  **127** The configured shell could not be found.

## BUGS

Please report all bugs you discover.  This should be done via either:

- 1\.

  the mailing list

  \<https://libvirt.org/contact.html\>

- 2\.

  the bug tracker

  \<https://libvirt.org/bugs.html\>

Alternatively, you may report bugs to your software distributor / vendor.

## AUTHOR

Daniel Walsh

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2013-2014 Red Hat, Inc., and the authors listed in the libvirt AUTHORS file.

## LICENSE

**virt-login-shell** is distributed under the terms of the GNU LGPL v2+. This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE

## SEE ALSO

[virsh(1)](/virsh/1.md), \<https://libvirt.org/\>