---
name: "vserver"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "util-vserver"
version: "0.30.216-pre3120-1.4+b11"
release: "Debian 10 (Buster)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/vserver"
---

# vserver(8)

The vserver utility enables you to manage the state of vservers, including building, starting, stopping, etc.

## NAME

vserver - The vserver utility enables you to manage the state of vservers, including building, starting, stopping, etc.

## SYNTAX

**vserver** \[**-s\|--sync**\] \[**-v\|--verbose**\] \[**--silent**\] \[--\] *vserver* *command* \[**--help**\] *args\**

- **--sync** - Perform synchronization with vshelper to ensure that the guest has been stopped

  - **--verbose** - Makes things a lot louder.

  - **--silent** - Removes most informative messages.

  - *vserver* - The name of a vserver.

  - *command* - One of the commands listed below.

  - **--help**

  -

  provides additional help for provided *command*, for example: vserver - build --help *args* are the arguments that are possible for the different commands, see the arguments for each *command* listed below

## COMMANDS

- **start** \[**--rescue** \[**--rescue-init**\] *program args*\]

  -

  Starts the specified vserver. The optional argument **--rescue** starts the vserver in rescue mode, which runs *program args\** to start the vserver instead of whatever is configured. The optional argument **--rescue-init** makes the command appear as PID 1 in the vserver. This can be used to start /bin/bash to investigate why a vserver is not able to start correctly.

- **stop** \[**--rescue-init**\]

  -

  Stops the specified vserver, and kills the remaining processes. The optional argument **--rescue-init** can be used to stop a vserver that was started with the option of the same name.

- **restart**

  -

  Restarts the specified vserver. This is the subsequent execution of a synchronized 'stop' and a 'start'.

- **condrestart**

  -

  Restarts a running vserver.

- **suexec** *user* *program args\**

  -

  Executes *program args\** as the specified *user* in the vserver.

- **exec** *program args\**

  -

  Executes *program args\** as the root user in the vserver.

- **enter**

  -

  Executes the configured shell (default: /bin/bash if it exists) in the vserver and allocates a pty.

- **chkconfig** *chkconfig-options\**

  -

  Modifies the init-system; currently, only Red Hat's **chkconfig** is supported.

- **running**

  -

  Returns an exit code of 0 iff the vserver is running, 1 if not.

- **status**

  -

  Provides some human readable status information about the vserver, and succeeds iff the vserver is running.

- **build** *buildopts\**

  -

  Create a vserver from scratch, where the *buildopts\** are a set of options and a build method. As this option calls vserver-build, please see [vserver-build(8)](/vserver-build/8.md) for a complete listing of possible options and methods.

- **delete**

  -

  Remove a vserver.

- **unify** \[**-R**\] \[*vunify-opts\**\]

  -

  Unify or de-unify the vserver with its reference vserver(s).

- **pkg install** *pkg\**

  -

  Installs package(s) *pkg* in the vserver.

- **apt-get,apt-config,apt-cache** *apt-opts\**

  -

  Execute the apt-\* command for the given vserver

- **rpm** *rpm-opts\**

  -

  Execute the **rpm** command for the given vserver.

- **pkgmgmt** **externalize**\|**internalize** \[**-y**\]

  -

  Externalize or internalize the package-management for the given vserver. ´Externalize' means that package metadata and management tools (apt-get,rpm) are living in the host, while 'internalize' means that data and programs from the vserver will be used.

- **hashify**

  -

  Hashify the vserver.

## FILES

*/usr/sbin/vserver*

*/etc/vservers/\**

*/var/lib/vservers/\**

## EXAMPLES

Please contribute some, if you feel it's important.

## AUTHORS

This man page was written by Micah Anderson \<micah@debian.org\> and based upon the helpful output from the program itself.

## SEE ALSO

[chbind(8)](/chbind/8.md) [chcontext(8)](/chcontext/8.md) [rebootmgr(8)](/rebootmgr/8.md) [reducecap(8)](/reducecap/8.md) [vps(8)](/vps/8.md) [vpstree(8)](/vpstree/8.md) [vrpm(8)](/vrpm/8.md) [vserver-build(8)](/vserver-build/8.md) [vserver-stat(8)](/vserver-stat/8.md)  [vtop(8)](/vtop/8.md)