LXC CLI Cheatsheet

Container Management

Usage: Useful for day-to-day container management tasks like checking container status, executing commands inside containers, and getting detailed information.
lxc list -c n,s,4,image.description:image
Description: Lists containers with specific columns like name, state, IPv4 address, and image description.
lxc info <container-name>
Description: Displays detailed information about a specific container.
Example: lxc info mycontainer
lxc exec <container-name> -- <command>
Description: Executes a command inside the specified container.
Example: lxc exec mycontainer -- bash

Usage: Important for understanding what images are available and for selecting the right image for container deployment.
lxc image list
Description: Lists all available images.
lxc image alias list <repository>: <tag>
Description: Lists all aliases for an image in a repository.
Example: lxc image alias list ubuntu: '20.04'

Usage: Essential for setting up and troubleshooting container networking, ensuring containers can communicate with each other and the outside world.
lxc network list
Description: Lists all networks.
lxc network show <network-name>
Description: Shows detailed information about a specific network.
Example: lxc network show lxdbr0

Usage: Advanced features that allow for more complex container management, like cloning containers, and managing container states and backups.
lxc launch <image-name>
Description: Launches a new container from the specified image.
Examples: lxc launch ubuntu:20.04, lxc launch images:alpine/3.13
lxc copy <source-container> <destination-container>
Description: Copies a container to a new container.
lxc snapshot <container-name>
Description: Creates a snapshot of a container.
lxc restore <container-name> <snapshot-name>
Description: Restores a container from a specified snapshot.

Usage: Useful for deploying configuration files or scripts inside containers.
lxc file push <source-path> <container-name>/<destination-path>
Description: Pushes a file from the host to the container.

Usage: Crucial for diagnosing and resolving issues with containers and processes.
lxc --help
Description: Displays help for LXC commands.
ps -ef | grep <process-name>
Description: Finds processes related to a specific name, useful for troubleshooting.
Example: ps -ef | grep dnsmasq

Note: Replace placeholders like <container-name>, <network-name>, and <image-name> with actual names when using the commands.