qm-clone
Clone virtual machines and containers
TLDR
Copy a virtual machine
Copy a virtual machine using a specific name
Copy a virtual machine using a specific descriptionn
Copy a virtual machine creating a full copy of all disks
Copy a virtual machine using a specific format for file storage (requires --full)
Copy a virtual machine then add it to a specific pool
SYNOPSIS
qm clone
PARAMETERS
The ID of the source VM or container to clone.
The new ID to assign to the cloned VM or container.
--name
Set the name for the new VM or container.
--target
Target node. Only required if source VM is HA and/or on shared storage.
--storage
Target storage for full clone. Can only be specified if --full is given.
--full
Create a full clone (default is linked clone).
--snapname
Snapshot to clone.
--description
Description for the new VM or Container
--pool
Add the new VM to the specified pool.
--unique
Generate a new unique MAC address for all network devices.
--format
Target format (only valid for full clones).
--bwlimit
Limit I/O bandwidth (in KiB/s).
DESCRIPTION
The qm clone command is used within the Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) to create a copy, or clone, of an existing Virtual Machine (VM) or Container. This allows for rapid deployment of similar VMs, testing environments, or backups. It creates a full or linked clone from an existing VM. A full clone copies all disks, while a linked clone creates a new VM that shares a read-only base image with the original VM. Modifications to the linked clone are stored in separate delta files. The --full parameter dictates whether a full or linked clone is created. The cloned VM will get new unique VMID and a different set of configurations which can be tweaked during the clone creation process using various command line parameters. This avoids potential configuration conflicts and ensures the new VM functions independently. The command is crucial for efficient VM management and deployment within a PVE cluster.
CAVEATS
Linked clones depend on the base image. Deleting or modifying the base image of a linked clone can corrupt its data. Moving a linked clone is more complex than moving a full clone.
SNAPSHOT CONSIDERATIONS
If the original VM had snapshots, the --snapname parameter allows cloning from a specific snapshot. If not specified, the clone will be created from the current state of the VM.
SEE ALSO
qm create(1), qm destroy(1), qm move(1)