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libvirtd

Linux Virtualization Management Daemon

LIBVIRTD(8)
System Manager's Manual
libvirtd(8)

OPTIONS

The following options are available for libvirtd:

-h, --help
Display program help and exit. Shows a brief usage summary and available options.
-v, --verbose
Enable verbose messages. Increases the verbosity level of output messages for debugging purposes.
-d, --daemon
Run as a daemon and write PID file. This is the default mode for production use, where libvirtd runs in the background.
-l, --listen
Listen for TCP/IP connections. Enables remote management capabilities over the network.
-t, --timeout <secs>
Exit after timeout period (in seconds). Useful for testing or when you want the daemon to stop after a specific time.
-f, --config <file>
Configuration file to use instead of default. Allows you to specify a custom configuration file path.
-V, --version
Display version information and exit. Shows the libvirtd version and build information.
-p, --pid-file <file>
Change name of PID file. Specifies a custom location for the process ID file.

Option Categories

Basic Operations

  • -h, --help - Get help information
  • -V, --version - Show version details
  • -v, --verbose - Enable detailed output

Daemon Control

  • -d, --daemon - Run as background daemon
  • -t, --timeout - Set exit timeout
  • -p, --pid-file - Specify PID file location

Network & Configuration

  • -l, --listen - Enable network listening
  • -f, --config - Use custom config file

Common Usage Patterns

Production Deployment

libvirtd -d

Start libvirtd as a daemon for production use. This is the most common way to run libvirtd on a server.

Debug Mode

libvirtd -v -f /etc/libvirt/libvirtd.conf

Run with verbose output and custom configuration for troubleshooting.

Remote Management

libvirtd -l -d

Enable network access for remote management while running as a daemon.

Testing

libvirtd -t 300

Run for 5 minutes then exit, useful for testing configurations.