Ubuntu Manpage: lxc-create - creates a container

NAME

       lxc-create - creates a container

SYNOPSIS

       lxc-create {-n name} [-f config_file] {-t template} [-B backingstore] [-- template-options]

DESCRIPTION

       lxc-create  creates a system object where is stored the configuration information and where can be stored
       user information. The identifier name is used to specify the container to be used with the different  lxc
       commands.

       The object is a directory created in /var/lib/lxc and identified by its name.

       The  object  is the definition of the different resources an application can use or can see. The more the
       configuration file contains information, the more the container is isolated and the more the  application
       is jailed.

       If  the  configuration  file config_file is not specified, the container will be created with the default
       isolation: processes, sysv ipc and mount points.

OPTIONS

-f, --config config_file
Specify the configuration file to configure the virtualization and isolation functionalities for
the container.

-t, --template template
'template' is the short name of an existing 'lxc-template' script that is called by lxc-create,
eg. busybox, debian, fedora, ubuntu or sshd. Refer to the examples in /usr/share/lxc/templates
for details of the expected script structure. Alternatively, the full path to an executable tem‐
plate script can also be passed as a parameter. "none" can be used to force lxc-create to skip
rootfs creation.

-B, --bdev backingstore
'backingstore' is one of 'dir', 'lvm', 'loop', 'btrfs', 'zfs', 'rbd', or 'best'. The default is
'dir', meaning that the container root filesystem will be a directory under /var/lib/lxc/contain‐
er/rootfs. This backing store type allows the optional --dir ROOTFS to be specified, meaning that
the container rootfs should be placed under the specified path, rather than the default. (The
'none' backingstore type is an alias for 'dir'.) If 'btrfs' is specified, then the target filesys‐
tem must be btrfs, and the container rootfs will be created as a new subvolume. This allows snap‐
shotted clones to be created, but also causes rsync --one-filesystem to treat it as a separate
filesystem. If backingstore is 'lvm', then an lvm block device will be used and the following
further options are available: --lvname lvname1 will create an LV named lvname1 rather than the
default, which is the container name. --vgname vgname1 will create the LV in volume group vgname1
rather than the default, lxc. --thinpool thinpool1 will create the LV as a thin-provisioned vol‐
ume in the pool named thinpool1 rather than the default, lxc. --fstype FSTYPE will create an
FSTYPE filesystem on the LV, rather than the default, which is ext4. --fssize SIZE will create a
LV (and filesystem) of size SIZE rather than the default, which is 1G.

If backingstore is 'loop', you can use --fstype FSTYPE and --fssize SIZE as 'lvm'. The default
values for these options are the same as 'lvm'.

If backingstore is 'rbd', then you will need to have a valid configuration in ceph.conf and a
ceph.client.admin.keyring defined. You can specify the following options : --rbdname RBDNAME will
create a blockdevice named RBDNAME rather than the default, which is the container name. --rbd‐
pool POOL will create the blockdevice in the pool named POOL, rather than the default, which is
'lxc'.

If backingstore is 'best', then lxc will try, in order, btrfs, zfs, lvm, and finally a directory
backing store.

-- template-options
This will pass template-options to the template as arguments. To see the list of options supported
by the template, you can run lxc-create -t TEMPLATE -h.

COMMON OPTIONS

       These options are common to most of lxc commands.

       -?, -h, --help
              Print a longer usage message than normal.

       --usage
              Give the usage message

       -q, --quiet
              mute on

       -P, --lxcpath=PATH
              Use an alternate container path. The default is /var/lib/lxc.

       -o, --logfile=FILE
              Output to an alternate log FILE. The default is no log.

       -l, --logpriority=LEVEL
              Set  log priority to LEVEL. The default log priority is ERROR. Possible values are : FATAL, ALERT,
              CRIT, WARN, ERROR, NOTICE, INFO, DEBUG, TRACE.

              Note that this option is setting the priority of the events log in the alternate log file.  It  do
              not have effect on the ERROR events log on stderr.

       -n, --name=NAME
              Use container identifier NAME.  The container identifier format is an alphanumeric string.

       --rcfile=FILE
              Specify  the  configuration file to configure the virtualization and isolation functionalities for
              the container.

              This configuration file if present will be used even if there  is  already  a  configuration  file
              present in the previously created container (via lxc-create).

       --version
              Show the version number.

DIAGNOSTIC

       The container already exists
              As  the  message  mention it, you try to create a container but there is a container with the same
              name. You can use the lxc-ls command to list the available containers on the system.

AUTHOR

       Daniel Lezcano <daniel.lezcano@free.fr>

                                                   2025-05-10                                      lxc-create(1)