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>.
+This is equivalent to the qemu parameter C<-drive file=filename,cache=off>.
Note that this call checks for the existence of C<filename>. This
stops you from specifying other types of drive which are supported
The single parameter is an argv-style list of arguments.
The first element is the name of the program to run.
Subsequent elements are parameters. The list must be
-non-empty (ie. must contain a program name).
+non-empty (ie. must contain a program name). Note that
+the command runs directly, and is I<not> invoked via
+the shell (see C<$h-E<gt>sh>).
The return value is anything printed to I<stdout> by
the command.
This is the same as C<$h-E<gt>command>, but splits the
result into a list of lines.
+See also: C<$h-E<gt>sh_lines>
+
Because of the message protocol, there is a transfer limit
of somewhere between 2MB and 4MB. To transfer large files you should use
FTP.
to look at the file C<daemon/debug.c> in the libguestfs source
to find out what you can do.
+=item $output = $h->df ();
+
+This command runs the C<df> command to report disk space used.
+
+This command is mostly useful for interactive sessions. It
+is I<not> intended that you try to parse the output string.
+Use C<statvfs> from programs.
+
+=item $output = $h->df_h ();
+
+This command runs the C<df -h> command to report disk space used
+in human-readable format.
+
+This command is mostly useful for interactive sessions. It
+is I<not> intended that you try to parse the output string.
+Use C<statvfs> from programs.
+
=item $kmsgs = $h->dmesg ();
This returns the kernel messages (C<dmesg> output) from
This returns the verbose messages flag.
+=item @paths = $h->glob_expand ($pattern);
+
+This command searches for all the pathnames matching
+C<pattern> according to the wildcard expansion rules
+used by the shell.
+
+If no paths match, then this returns an empty list
+(note: not an error).
+
+It is just a wrapper around the C L<glob(3)> function
+with flags C<GLOB_MARK|GLOB_BRACE>.
+See that manual page for more details.
+
=item $h->grub_install ($root, $device);
This command installs GRUB (the Grand Unified Bootloader) on
C<device>, with the root directory being C<root>.
+=item @lines = $h->head ($path);
+
+This command returns up to the first 10 lines of a file as
+a list of strings.
+
+Because of the message protocol, there is a transfer limit
+of somewhere between 2MB and 4MB. To transfer large files you should use
+FTP.
+
+=item @lines = $h->head_n ($nrlines, $path);
+
+If the parameter C<nrlines> is a positive number, this returns the first
+C<nrlines> lines of the file C<path>.
+
+If the parameter C<nrlines> is a negative number, this returns lines
+from the file C<path>, excluding the last C<nrlines> lines.
+
+If the parameter C<nrlines> is zero, this returns an empty list.
+
+Because of the message protocol, there is a transfer limit
+of somewhere between 2MB and 4MB. To transfer large files you should use
+FTP.
+
=item $dump = $h->hexdump ($path);
This runs C<hexdump -C> on the given C<path>. The result is
Create a directory named C<path>, creating any parent directories
as necessary. This is like the C<mkdir -p> shell command.
+=item $dir = $h->mkdtemp ($template);
+
+This command creates a temporary directory. The
+C<template> parameter should be a full pathname for the
+temporary directory name with the final six characters being
+"XXXXXX".
+
+For example: "/tmp/myprogXXXXXX" or "/Temp/myprogXXXXXX",
+the second one being suitable for Windows filesystems.
+
+The name of the temporary directory that was created
+is returned.
+
+The temporary directory is created with mode 0700
+and is owned by root.
+
+The caller is responsible for deleting the temporary
+directory and its contents after use.
+
+See also: L<mkdtemp(3)>
+
=item $h->mkfs ($fstype, $device);
This creates a filesystem on C<device> (usually a partition
This moves a file from C<src> to C<dest> where C<dest> is
either a destination filename or destination directory.
+=item $status = $h->ntfs_3g_probe ($rw, $device);
+
+This command runs the L<ntfs-3g.probe(8)> command which probes
+an NTFS C<device> for mountability. (Not all NTFS volumes can
+be mounted read-write, and some cannot be mounted at all).
+
+C<rw> is a boolean flag. Set it to true if you want to test
+if the volume can be mounted read-write. Set it to false if
+you want to test if the volume can be mounted read-only.
+
+The return value is an integer which C<0> if the operation
+would succeed, or some non-zero value documented in the
+L<ntfs-3g.probe(8)> manual page.
+
=item $h->ping_daemon ();
This is a test probe into the guestfs daemon running inside
Remove the single directory C<path>.
+=item $h->scrub_device ($device);
+
+This command writes patterns over C<device> to make data retrieval
+more difficult.
+
+It is an interface to the L<scrub(1)> program. See that
+manual page for more details.
+
+B<This command is dangerous. Without careful use you
+can easily destroy all your data>.
+
+=item $h->scrub_file ($file);
+
+This command writes patterns over a file to make data retrieval
+more difficult.
+
+The file is I<removed> after scrubbing.
+
+It is an interface to the L<scrub(1)> program. See that
+manual page for more details.
+
+=item $h->scrub_freespace ($dir);
+
+This command creates the directory C<dir> and then fills it
+with files until the filesystem is full, and scrubs the files
+as for C<$h-E<gt>scrub_file>, and deletes them.
+The intention is to scrub any free space on the partition
+containing C<dir>.
+
+It is an interface to the L<scrub(1)> program. See that
+manual page for more details.
+
=item $h->set_append ($append);
This function is used to add additional options to the
B<This command is dangerous. Without careful use you
can easily destroy all your data>.
-=item $h->sfdisk_N ($device, $n, $cyls, $heads, $sectors, $line);
+=item $h->sfdisk_N ($device, $partnum, $cyls, $heads, $sectors, $line);
This runs L<sfdisk(8)> option to modify just the single
partition C<n> (note: C<n> counts from 1).
human-readable output of the L<sfdisk(8)> command. It is
not intended to be parsed.
+=item $output = $h->sh ($command);
+
+This call runs a command from the guest filesystem via the
+guest's C</bin/sh>.
+
+This is like C<$h-E<gt>command>, but passes the command to:
+
+ /bin/sh -c "command"
+
+Depending on the guest's shell, this usually results in
+wildcards being expanded, shell expressions being interpolated
+and so on.
+
+All the provisos about C<$h-E<gt>command> apply to this call.
+
+=item @lines = $h->sh_lines ($command);
+
+This is the same as C<$h-E<gt>sh>, but splits the result
+into a list of lines.
+
+See also: C<$h-E<gt>command_lines>
+
=item $h->sleep ($secs);
Sleep for C<secs> seconds.
You should always call this if you have modified a disk image, before
closing the handle.
+=item @lines = $h->tail ($path);
+
+This command returns up to the last 10 lines of a file as
+a list of strings.
+
+Because of the message protocol, there is a transfer limit
+of somewhere between 2MB and 4MB. To transfer large files you should use
+FTP.
+
+=item @lines = $h->tail_n ($nrlines, $path);
+
+If the parameter C<nrlines> is a positive number, this returns the last
+C<nrlines> lines of the file C<path>.
+
+If the parameter C<nrlines> is a negative number, this returns lines
+from the file C<path>, starting with the C<-nrlines>th line.
+
+If the parameter C<nrlines> is zero, this returns an empty list.
+
+Because of the message protocol, there is a transfer limit
+of somewhere between 2MB and 4MB. To transfer large files you should use
+FTP.
+
=item $h->tar_in ($tarfile, $directory);
This command uploads and unpacks local file C<tarfile> (an
You should call this after C<$h-E<gt>launch> to wait for the launch
to complete.
+=item $chars = $h->wc_c ($path);
+
+This command counts the characters in a file, using the
+C<wc -c> external command.
+
+=item $lines = $h->wc_l ($path);
+
+This command counts the lines in a file, using the
+C<wc -l> external command.
+
+=item $words = $h->wc_w ($path);
+
+This command counts the words in a file, using the
+C<wc -w> external command.
+
=item $h->write_file ($path, $content, $size);
This call creates a file called C<path>. The contents of the
to securely wipe the device). It should be sufficient to remove
any partition tables, filesystem superblocks and so on.
+See also: C<$h-E<gt>scrub_device>.
+
=item $h->zerofree ($device);
This runs the I<zerofree> program on C<device>. This program