virsh-help

List the virsh commands grouped into related categories

$ virsh help

$ virsh help | grep "keyword"

$ virsh help [category_keyword]

$ virsh help [command]

virsh help [COMMAND]

COMMAND
    The optional name of a specific virsh subcommand for which to display detailed help. If this argument is omitted, virsh help will list all available virsh commands with their brief descriptions.

The virsh help command is an essential utility for navigating and understanding the extensive capabilities of the virsh command-line tool, which manages virtual machines and hypervisors. When invoked without any arguments, virsh help provides a comprehensive list of all available virsh commands, each accompanied by a concise, one-line description of its function.

Alternatively, by providing a specific virsh command name as an argument (e.g., virsh help list), the command delivers detailed usage information for that particular subcommand. This detailed output typically includes the command's syntax (synopsis), a breakdown of its various options, and descriptions of its arguments. It serves as an immediate, in-terminal reference, making it easy for users to quickly look up how to use a specific virsh function without needing to consult external documentation or man pages. It is a cornerstone for discovery and efficient interaction with the libvirt ecosystem.

The output of virsh help can be quite extensive, especially when listing all commands. While it provides quick summaries, for the most in-depth and authoritative documentation on virsh and its commands, consulting the man virsh page or the official libvirt documentation is recommended. Some complex commands may have more detailed usage examples and explanations available externally.

One of the primary uses of virsh help is for command discovery. Users who are new to virsh or are looking for a specific functionality without knowing the exact command name can run virsh help to browse through the list of all available commands and their brief descriptions, making it easy to find the relevant function.

While man virsh provides a comprehensive manual page for the entire virsh suite, often including detailed sections on configuration, environment variables, and more, virsh help offers more concise, in-terminal assistance focused purely on the usage syntax and options of individual virsh commands. It's designed for quick reference rather than exhaustive documentation.

The virsh help command, as a fundamental part of the virsh CLI, has been present since the early development stages of the libvirt project (which began around 2005). Its inclusion is standard for any robust command-line utility, providing essential on-demand documentation. As virsh has grown over the years with new commands and features, the help command has continually evolved by incorporating updated and expanded help texts for these additions, ensuring users always have access to current usage information directly from the terminal.

virsh(1), libvirt(3), man(1)