qm

List all virtual machines

$ qm list

$ qm create [100] -ide0 [local-lvm:4] -net0 [e1000] -cdrom [local:iso/proxmox-mailgateway_2.1.iso]

$ qm config [100]

$ qm start [100]

$ qm shutdown [100] && qm wait [100]

$ qm destroy [100] --purge

qm [vmID] [options]

create
    Create a new VM with the specified ID.

destroy
    Destroy the VM with the specified ID. This action is irreversible.

start
    Start the VM with the specified ID.

stop
    Stop the VM with the specified ID. (ACPI shutdown)

shutdown
    Shut down the VM with the specified ID.

reset
    Reset the VM with the specified ID.

suspend
    Suspend the VM with the specified ID.

resume
    Resume the suspended VM with the specified ID.

migrate
    Migrate the VM with the specified ID to the specified target node.

clone
    Clone the VM with the specified ID, creating a new VM with the specified new ID.

snapshot
    Create a snapshot of VM

rollback
    Rollback to VM snapshot

restore
    Restore a VM with the specified ID from the specified backup file.

config
    Display the configuration of the VM with the specified ID.

status
    Display the status of the VM with the specified ID.

monitor
    Attach QEMU monitor console.

--name
    Specify a name for the VM.

--memory
    Specify the amount of memory (in MB) for the VM.

--net0
    Configure the first network interface. Example: net0=virtio,bridge=vmbr0

--ostype
    Specify the operating system type. Example: --ostype l26 (for Linux 2.6 kernel and above)

--ide0
    Specify an IDE disk. Example: --ide0 local:32

--scsi0
    Specify an SCSI disk. Example: --scsi0 local:32

--sockets
    Number of CPU sockets.

--cores
    Number of CPU cores per socket.

--vga
    Type of vga interface. Example --vga std.

--onboot <0|1>
    Start VM on boot.

The qm command is a powerful tool in Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) for managing QEMU virtual machines directly from the command line. It provides a comprehensive set of options for creating, configuring, starting, stopping, migrating, backing up, and restoring VMs. qm interacts with the PVE API to perform these actions, offering a flexible and efficient way to administer virtual machines, especially in automated scripts or when GUI access is limited.

With qm you can perform several actions:
- Create a VM
- Manage CPU, disk and memory
- Cloning the VM
- Restore a backup
- Manage snapshopts

The qm command relies on the Proxmox Virtual Environment being properly configured. Ensure that the PVE cluster is healthy and that storage is correctly set up before performing operations like creating, restoring, or migrating VMs. Backups are essential before performing any destructive action.

When configuring network interfaces, ensure the specified bridge exists on the Proxmox host. Using the wrong bridge or incorrect parameters can lead to network connectivity issues for the VM.
Example: `qm set 100 --net0 virtio,bridge=vmbr0`

qm supports various storage types (local, NFS, iSCSI, etc.). When specifying disk size, use the correct storage type and ensure sufficient space is available on the specified storage.
Example: `qm create 101 --ide0 local:32`

Before performing any major changes on the VM, create backups. The restore operation creates a new VM. You have to remove old VM before.
Example Backup: `vzdump 100`
Example Restore: `qm restore 101 vzdump-qemu-100-2024_05_02-10_00_00.vma`

qm is part of the Proxmox VE suite, designed to manage virtual machines based on KVM and containers based on LXC. It evolved to provide a CLI interface to the PVE API, allowing for automated and scripted management of virtualized resources. The command has been refined and extended with each release of Proxmox VE to support new features and improvements.

pct(1), pvesh(1), vzctl(1) - openvz