path: root/guestfish-actions.pod

=head2 add-cdrom | cdrom

 add-cdrom filename

This function adds a virtual CD-ROM disk image to the guest.

This is equivalent to the qemu parameter C<-cdrom filename>.

=head2 add-drive | add

 add-drive filename

This function adds a virtual machine disk image C<filename> to the
guest.  The first time you call this function, the disk appears as IDE
disk 0 (C</dev/sda>) in the guest, the second time as C</dev/sdb>, and
so on.

You don't necessarily need to be root when using libguestfs.  However
you obviously do need sufficient permissions to access the filename
for whatever operations you want to perform (ie. read access if you
just want to read the image or write access if you want to modify the
image).

This is equivalent to the qemu parameter C<-drive file=filename>.

=head2 cat

 cat path

Return the contents of the file named C<path>.

Note that this function cannot correctly handle binary files
(specifically, files containing C<\0> character which is treated
as end of string).  For those you need to use the C<read_file>
function which has a more complex interface.

=head2 config

 config qemuparam qemuvalue

This can be used to add arbitrary qemu command line parameters
of the form C<-param value>.  Actually it's not quite arbitrary - we
prevent you from setting some parameters which would interfere with
parameters that we use.

The first character of C<param> string must be a C<-> (dash).

C<value> can be NULL.

=head2 get-autosync

 get-autosync

Get the autosync flag.

=head2 get-path

 get-path

Return the current search path.

This is always non-NULL.  If it wasn't set already, then this will
return the default path.

=head2 get-verbose

 get-verbose

This returns the verbose messages flag.

=head2 kill-subprocess

 kill-subprocess

This kills the qemu subprocess.  You should never need to call this.

=head2 launch | run

 launch

Internally libguestfs is implemented by running a virtual machine
using L<qemu(1)>.

You should call this after configuring the handle
(eg. adding drives) but before performing any actions.

=head2 list-devices

 list-devices

List all the block devices.

The full block device names are returned, eg. C</dev/sda>

=head2 list-partitions

 list-partitions

List all the partitions detected on all block devices.

The full partition device names are returned, eg. C</dev/sda1>

This does not return logical volumes.  For that you will need to
call C<lvs>.

=head2 ll

 ll directory

List the files in C<directory> (relative to the root directory,
there is no cwd) in the format of 'ls -la'.

This command is mostly useful for interactive sessions.  It
is I<not> intended that you try to parse the output string.

=head2 ls

 ls directory

List the files in C<directory> (relative to the root directory,
there is no cwd).  The '.' and '..' entries are not returned, but
hidden files are shown.

This command is mostly useful for interactive sessions.  Programs
should probably use C<readdir> instead.

=head2 lvs

 lvs

List all the logical volumes detected.  This is the equivalent
of the L<lvs(8)> command.

This returns a list of the logical volume device names
(eg. C</dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00>).

See also C<lvs_full>.

=head2 lvs-full

 lvs-full

List all the logical volumes detected.  This is the equivalent
of the L<lvs(8)> command.  The "full" version includes all fields.

=head2 mount

 mount device mountpoint

Mount a guest disk at a position in the filesystem.  Block devices
are named C</dev/sda>, C</dev/sdb> and so on, as they were added to
the guest.  If those block devices contain partitions, they will have
the usual names (eg. C</dev/sda1>).  Also LVM C</dev/VG/LV>-style
names can be used.

The rules are the same as for L<mount(2)>:  A filesystem must
first be mounted on C</> before others can be mounted.  Other
filesystems can only be mounted on directories which already
exist.

The mounted filesystem is writable, if we have sufficient permissions
on the underlying device.

The filesystem options C<sync> and C<noatime> are set with this
call, in order to improve reliability.

=head2 pvs

 pvs

List all the physical volumes detected.  This is the equivalent
of the L<pvs(8)> command.

This returns a list of just the device names that contain
PVs (eg. C</dev/sda2>).

See also C<pvs_full>.

=head2 pvs-full

 pvs-full

List all the physical volumes detected.  This is the equivalent
of the L<pvs(8)> command.  The "full" version includes all fields.

=head2 set-autosync | autosync

 set-autosync true|false

If C<autosync> is true, this enables autosync.  Libguestfs will make a
best effort attempt to run C<sync> when the handle is closed
(also if the program exits without closing handles).

=head2 set-path | path

 set-path path

Set the path that libguestfs searches for kernel and initrd.img.

The default is C<$libdir/guestfs> unless overridden by setting
C<LIBGUESTFS_PATH> environment variable.

The string C<path> is stashed in the libguestfs handle, so the caller
must make sure it remains valid for the lifetime of the handle.

Setting C<path> to C<NULL> restores the default path.

=head2 set-verbose | verbose

 set-verbose true|false

If C<verbose> is true, this turns on verbose messages (to C<stderr>).

Verbose messages are disabled unless the environment variable
C<LIBGUESTFS_DEBUG> is defined and set to C<1>.

=head2 sync

 sync

This syncs the disk, so that any writes are flushed through to the
underlying disk image.

You should always call this if you have modified a disk image, before
closing the handle.

=head2 touch

 touch path

Touch acts like the L<touch(1)> command.  It can be used to
update the timestamps on a file, or, if the file does not exist,
to create a new zero-length file.

=head2 vgs

 vgs

List all the volumes groups detected.  This is the equivalent
of the L<vgs(8)> command.

This returns a list of just the volume group names that were
detected (eg. C<VolGroup00>).

See also C<vgs_full>.

=head2 vgs-full

 vgs-full

List all the volumes groups detected.  This is the equivalent
of the L<vgs(8)> command.  The "full" version includes all fields.