Displays general help on options.
-=item B<-h> | B<--cmd-help>
+=item B<-h>
+
+=item B<--cmd-help>
Lists all available guestfish commands.
-=item B<-h cmd> | B<--cmd-help cmd>
+=item B<-h cmd>
+
+=item B<--cmd-help cmd>
Displays detailed help on a single command C<cmd>.
-=item B<-a image> | B<--add image>
+=item B<-a image>
+
+=item B<--add image>
Add a block device or virtual machine image to the shell.
The format of the disk image is auto-detected. To override this and
force a particular format use the I<--format=..> option.
-=item B<-c URI> | B<--connect URI>
+Using this flag is mostly equivalent to using the C<add> command,
+with C<readonly:true> if the I<--ro> flag was given, and
+with C<format:...> if the I<--format:...> flag was given.
+
+=item B<-c URI>
+
+=item B<--connect URI>
When used in conjunction with the I<-d> option, this specifies
the libvirt URI to use. The default is to use the default libvirt
If using the I<--listen> option and a csh-like shell, use this option.
See section L</REMOTE CONTROL AND CSH> below.
-=item B<-d libvirt-domain> | B<--domain libvirt-domain>
+=item B<-d libvirt-domain>
+
+=item B<--domain libvirt-domain>
Add disks from the named libvirt domain. If the I<--ro> option is
also used, then any libvirt domain can be used. However in write
mode, only libvirt domains which are shut down can be named here.
-=item B<-D> | B<--no-dest-paths>
+Using this flag is mostly equivalent to using the C<add-domain> command,
+with C<readonly:true> if the I<--ro> flag was given, and
+with C<format:...> if the I<--format:...> flag was given.
+
+=item B<-D>
+
+=item B<--no-dest-paths>
Don't tab-complete paths on the guest filesystem. It is useful to be
able to hit the tab key to complete paths on the guest filesystem, but
worried about Tempest attacks and there is no one else in the room
you can specify this flag to see what you are typing.
-=item B<-f file> | B<--file file>
+=item B<-f file>
+
+=item B<--file file>
Read commands from C<file>. To write pure guestfish
scripts, use:
#!/usr/bin/guestfish -f
-=item B<--format=raw|qcow2|..> | B<--format>
+=item B<--format=raw|qcow2|..>
+
+=item B<--format>
The default for the I<-a> option is to auto-detect the format of the
disk image. Using this forces the disk format for I<-a> options which
security problem with malicious guests (CVE-2010-3851). See also
L</add-drive-opts>.
-=item B<-i> | B<--inspector>
+=item B<-i>
+
+=item B<--inspector>
Using L<virt-inspector(1)> code, inspect the disks looking for
an operating system and mount filesystems as they would be
guestfish [--ro] -i libvirt-domain
+Using this flag is mostly equivalent to using the C<inspect-os>
+command and then using other commands to mount the filesystems that
+were found.
+
=item B<--keys-from-stdin>
Read key or passphrase parameters from stdin. The default is
Fork into the background and listen for remote commands. See section
L</REMOTE CONTROL GUESTFISH OVER A SOCKET> below.
-=item B<-m dev[:mountpoint]> | B<--mount dev[:mountpoint]>
+=item B<-m dev[:mountpoint]>
+
+=item B<--mount dev[:mountpoint]>
Mount the named partition or logical volume on the given mountpoint.
L</list-filesystems> and L</lvs> commands), or you can use the
L<virt-filesystems(1)> program.
-=item B<-n> | B<--no-sync>
+Using this flag is mostly equivalent to using the C<mount-options>
+command or the C<mount-ro> command if the I<--ro> flag was given.
+
+=item B<-n>
+
+=item B<--no-sync>
Disable autosync. This is enabled by default. See the discussion
of autosync in the L<guestfs(3)> manpage.
-=item B<-N type> | B<--new type> | B<-N help>
+=item B<-N type>
+
+=item B<--new type>
+
+=item B<-N help>
Prepare a fresh disk image formatted as "type". This is an
alternative to the I<-a> option: whereas I<-a> adds an existing disk,
Send remote commands to C<$GUESTFISH_PID> or C<pid>. See section
L</REMOTE CONTROL GUESTFISH OVER A SOCKET> below.
-=item B<-r> | B<--ro>
+=item B<-r>
+
+=item B<--ro>
-This changes the I<-a> and I<-m> options so that disks are added and
-mounts are done read-only (see L<guestfs(3)/guestfs_mount_ro>).
+This changes the I<-a>, I<-d> and I<-m> options so that disks are
+added and mounts are done read-only.
The option must always be used if the disk image or virtual machine
might be running, and is generally recommended in cases where you
don't need write access to the disk.
Note that prepared disk images created with I<-N> are not affected by
-the I<--ro> option.
+this option. Also commands like C<add> are not affected - you have to
+specify the C<readonly:true> option explicitly if you need it.
See also L</OPENING DISKS FOR READ AND WRITE> below.
Enable SELinux support for the guest. See L<guestfs(3)/SELINUX>.
-=item B<-v> | B<--verbose>
+=item B<-v>
+
+=item B<--verbose>
Enable very verbose messages. This is particularly useful if you find
a bug.
-=item B<-V> | B<--version>
+=item B<-V>
+
+=item B<--version>
Display the guestfish / libguestfs version number and exit.
-=item B<-w> | B<--rw>
+=item B<-w>
+
+=item B<--rw>
This option does nothing at the moment.
See L</OPENING DISKS FOR READ AND WRITE> below.
This matters: If you accidentally open a live VM disk image writable
then you will cause irreversible disk corruption.
-By libguestfs 1.8 we intend to change the default the other way. Disk
+By libguestfs 1.10 we intend to change the default the other way. Disk
images will be opened read-only. You will have to either specify
I<guestfish --rw> or change a configuration file in order to get write
access for disk images specified by those other command line options.
L<guestfs(3)>,
L<http://libguestfs.org/>,
L<virt-cat(1)>,
+L<virt-copy-in(1)>,
+L<virt-copy-out(1)>,
L<virt-df(1)>,
L<virt-edit(1)>,
L<virt-filesystems(1)>,
L<virt-rescue(1)>,
L<virt-resize(1)>,
L<virt-tar(1)>,
+L<virt-tar-in(1)>,
+L<virt-tar-out(1)>,
L<virt-win-reg(1)>,
L<hexedit(1)>.