Proxmox CLI - qm

| May 3, 2024 min read

Proxmox VE qm Commands

The qm command-line tool in Proxmox VE is used for managing virtual machines (VMs). Here’s a breakdown of some common qm commands:

  • List VMs:

    • qm list: Displays a list of all VMs with their IDs and names.

  • Information about a VM:

    • qm info <vm_id>: Shows detailed information about a specific VM, including its ID, name, OS, CPU, memory, and status.

  • Control VM Power State:

    • qm start <vm_id>: Starts a stopped VM.
    • qm stop <vm_id>: Stops a running VM.
    • qm shutdown <vm_id>: Gracefully shuts down a running VM. (Similar to stop)
    • qm reboot <vm_id>: Restarts a running VM.

  • Create and Clone VMs:

    • qm create <vm_id> <template>: Creates a new VM using a specified template. Replace <vm_id> with your desired ID and <template> with the name of the template.
    • qm clone <vm_id> <new_vm_id>: Creates a clone of an existing VM. Replace <vm_id> with the ID of the source VM and <new_vm_id> with the desired ID for the clone.

  • Configure VM Settings:

    • qm config <vm_id>: Shows the current configuration options for a VM. Use the output along with the specific option and value to modify settings. Refer to the qm config man page for details.
    • qm set <vm_id> <option>=<value>: Sets a specific configuration option for a VM. Example: qm set 100 memory=2048M sets memory to 2048 MB for VM 100.

  • Advanced Options:

    • qm help: Provides a full list of available qm commands and options.
    • man qm: Displays the manual page for the qm command with detailed explanations and examples.

Remember: Always replace <vm_id> with the actual ID of your virtual machine.

For in-depth information and a wider range of options, consult the Proxmox VE documentation: https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/qm.1.html