qm-destroy

Destroy a specific virtual machine

$ qm destroy [vm_id]

$ qm destroy [vm_id] --destroy-unreferenced-disks

$ qm destroy [vm_id] --purge

$ sudo qm destroy [vm_id] --skiplock

qm destroy [OPTIONS]

    The unique numerical ID of the virtual machine to destroy.

--purge
    Remove also all disks. This option is destructive.

--destroy-unreferenced-disks
    Remove all disks that the virtual machine once held but are no longer in the config.

--skiplock
    Ignore locks - only use if the VM is not running and you know what you are doing.

--verbose
    Be verbose.

The `qm destroy` command in Proxmox VE removes a virtual machine from the system. This process involves deleting the VM's configuration files and optionally wiping associated disk images. It is a permanent operation, so caution is advised. The command requires the VMID (Virtual Machine ID) as an argument. Before running `qm destroy`, ensure the VM is powered off using `qm shutdown` or `qm stop`. While the command attempts to remove disk images, manually verifying and deleting them after running `qm destroy` is a good practice, especially in shared storage environments to free up space and avoid orphaned files. Important: This action is irreversible.

Destroying a VM is permanent, and data recovery is generally impossible. Double-check the VMID before executing. Always shut down the VM cleanly before destroying it to minimize the risk of data corruption. Use --purge with extreme caution.

After running `qm destroy`, particularly without the `--purge` option, it is crucial to verify that all associated disk images are properly removed to avoid orphaned disks consuming storage space. Use the Proxmox VE web interface or command-line tools like `lvremove` (for LVM) or `zfs destroy` (for ZFS) to manually delete the disks.

If `qm destroy` fails due to locked resources, ensure the VM is not running or in a migrating state. The `--skiplock` option can be used, but only when you're certain the VM is truly not in use and understand the potential risks.

The `qm destroy` command is part of the Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment) suite of tools for managing virtual machines. It's been present since the early versions of Proxmox VE, designed to provide a straightforward way to remove VMs and reclaim resources. Its functionality has remained relatively consistent, with incremental improvements to error handling and option additions to handle specific disk cleanup scenarios.

qm create(1), qm shutdown(1), qm stop(1), qm clone(1)