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<!ENTITY commonoptions SYSTEM "@builddir@/common_options.sgml">

<!ENTITY seealso SYSTEM "@builddir@/see_also.sgml">

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<refentry>

<docinfo><date>@LXC_GENERATE_DATE@</date></docinfo>

<refmeta>

<refentrytitle>lxc-clone</refentrytitle>

<manvolnum>1</manvolnum>

</refmeta>

<refnamediv>

<refname>lxc-clone</refname>

<refpurpose>

clone a new container from an existing one.

</refpurpose>

</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>

<cmdsynopsis>

<command>lxc-clone</command>

<arg choice="opt">-s </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-K </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-M </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-H </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-B <replaceable>backingstore</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt">-L <replaceable>fssize</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt">-p <replaceable>lxcpath</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt">-P <replaceable>newlxcpath</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="req">-o <replaceable>orig</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="req">-n <replaceable>new</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt">-- hook arguments</arg>

</cmdsynopsis>

<cmdsynopsis>

<command>lxc-clone</command>

<arg choice="opt">-s </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-K </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-M </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-H </arg>

<arg choice="opt">-B <replaceable>backingstore</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt">-L <replaceable>fssize</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt">-p <replaceable>lxcpath</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="opt">-P <replaceable>newlxcpath</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="req">orig</arg>

<arg choice="req">new</arg>

<arg choice="opt">-- hook arguments</arg>

</cmdsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsect1>

<title>Description</title>

<para>

<command>lxc-clone</command> Creates a new container as a clone of an existing

container. Two types of clones are supported: copy and snapshot. A copy

clone copies the root filessytem from the original container to the new. A

snapshot filesystem uses the backing store's snapshot functionality to create

a very small copy-on-write snapshot of the original container. Snapshot

clones require the new container backing store to support snapshotting. Currently

this includes only aufs, btrfs, lvm, overlayfs and zfs. LVM devices do not support

snapshots of snapshots.

</para>

<para>

The backing store of the new container will be the same type as the

original container,

with one exception: aufs and overlayfs snapshots can be created of directory backed

containers. This can be requested by using (for overlayfs) the <replaceable>-B overlayfs</replaceable>

arguments.

</para>

<para>

The names of the original and new container can be given (in that order)

after all options, or can be specified with the

<replaceable>-o</replaceable> and <replaceable>-n</replaceable> options,

respectively.

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>Options</title>

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-s, --snapshot</option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

The new container's rootfs should be a LVM or btrfs snapshot of the original.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-K, --keepname</option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Do not change the hostname of the container (in the root

filesystem).

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-M, --keepmac</option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Use the same MAC address as the original container, rather than

generating a new random one.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-H, --copyhooks</option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Copy all mount hooks into the new container's directory, and

update any lxcpaths and container names as needed.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-L, --fssize <replaceable>fssize</replaceable></option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

In the case of a block device backed container, a size for the new

block device. By default, the new device will be made the

same size as the original.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-p, --lxcpath <replaceable>fssize</replaceable></option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

The lxcpath of the original container. By default, the system

wide configured lxcpath will be used.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-P, --newpath <replaceable>fssize</replaceable></option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

The lxcpath for the new container. By default the same lxcpath

as the original will be used. Note that with btrfs snapshots,

changing lxcpaths may not be possible, as subvolume snapshots

must be in the same btrfs filesystem.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-B, --backingstore <replaceable>fssize</replaceable></option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Select a different backing store for the new container. By

default the same as the original container's is used. Note that

currently changing the backingstore is only supported for

aufs and overlayfs snapshots of directory backed containers. Valid

backing stores include dir (directory), aufs, btrfs, lvm, zfs, loop

and overlayfs.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-o, --orig <replaceable>orig</replaceable></option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

The name of the original container to clone.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>

<option>-n, --new <replaceable>new</replaceable></option>

</term>

<listitem>

<para>

The name of the new container to create.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>Clone hook</title>

<para>

If the container being cloned has one or more <filename>lxc.hook.clone</filename>

specified, then the specified hooks will be called for the new container. The

first 3 arguments passed to the clone hook will be the container name, a section

('lxc'), and the hook type ('clone'). Extra arguments passed

<command>lxc-clone</command> will be passed to the hook program starting at

argument 4. The <filename>LXC_ROOTFS_MOUNT</filename> environment variable gives

the path under which the container's root filesystem is mounted. The

configuration file pathname is stored in <filename>LXC_CONFIG_FILE</filename>, the

new container name in <filename>LXC_NAME</filename>, the old container name in

<filename>LXC_SRC_NAME</filename>, and the path or device on which

the rootfs is located is in <filename>LXC_ROOTFS_PATH</filename>.

</para>

</refsect1>

&seealso;

<refsect1>

<title>Author</title>

<para>Serge Hallyn <email>serge.hallyn@ubuntu.com</email></para>

</refsect1>

</refentry>