lxc-create

lxc-create(1) lxc-create(1)

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 template 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/container/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 filesystem must be btrfs, and the container rootfs
          will be created as a new subvolume. This allows snapshotted 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
          volume 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 : --rbd
          name  RBDNAME  will create a blockdevice named RBDNAME rather than the default, which is the container name.  --rbdpool 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.

SEE ALSO

   lxc(7), lxc-create(1), lxc-copy(1), lxc-destroy(1), lxc-start(1), lxc-stop(1), lxc-execute(1), lxc-console(1), lxc-monitor(1), lxc-wait(1), lxc-cgroup(1), lxc-ls(1), lxc-info(1), lxc-
   freeze(1), lxc-unfreeze(1), lxc-attach(1), lxc.conf(5)

                                                                                      2025-07-30                                                                             lxc-create(1)