qm-status

Display the status of a specific virtual machine

$ qm [[stat|status]] [vm_id]

$ qm [[stat|status]] --verbose [true] [vm_id]

qm status [--output-format ] [--verbose ]

    The unique ID (integer) of the virtual machine whose status is to be queried. This is a mandatory parameter.

--output-format
    Specifies the desired output format. Valid options include json, yaml, text, and pretty-json. This is useful for scripting and programmatic parsing of the VM status.

--verbose
    If set to 1 (true), provides more detailed information about the VM's status, such as uptime or specific error messages. If set to 0 (false) or omitted, a concise status is returned.

qm status is a subcommand of the
qm utility, which is a core component of the Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE). It is used to query the current runtime status of a specific QEMU/KVM virtual machine (VM) managed by Proxmox. This command provides quick and essential information about a VM's operational state, such as whether it is running, stopped, paused, or if an error has occurred.

System administrators commonly use qm status to get an immediate overview of their VMs without needing to access the Proxmox web interface. It helps in troubleshooting, verifying successful VM startups or shutdowns, and scripting automated monitoring tasks. The output typically includes the VM's power state, and with the --verbose option, it can provide additional details like uptime, and other resource-related information depending on the VM's current state.

This command is specific to Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) and is not a general Linux command found on all distributions. Its functionality relies on the underlying Proxmox system architecture for VM management. Users must have appropriate permissions to query VM status. The detailed output obtained with --verbose may vary depending on the VM's exact power state and the version of Proxmox VE being used.

The qm status command can report several common VM power states:
running: The VM is actively operating.
stopped: The VM is powered off.
paused: The VM is temporarily suspended.
error: An issue has occurred preventing the VM from operating correctly.

Using the --output-format json or --output-format pretty-json option is highly recommended for scripting and automating VM management tasks. This allows other programs or scripts to easily parse the VM's status and take appropriate actions.

The qm command, including its status subcommand, has been an integral part of the Proxmox Virtual Environment since its early versions. Proxmox VE, an open-source server virtualization management solution, was first released in 2007. The qm utility was developed to provide a robust command-line interface for managing QEMU/KVM virtual machines, simplifying tasks such as starting, stopping, and querying the status of VMs. Its design reflects the need for efficient server administration and automation in virtualized environments.

qm(1), pve(7), qemu-system-x86_64(1), pvesh(1)