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libvirtd

Linux Virtualization Management Daemon

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

NAME

libvirtd - libvirt management daemon

SYNOPSIS

libvirtd [options]

DESCRIPTION

libvirtd is the server side daemon component of the libvirt virtualization management library. It performs the management of virtual machines, networks, and storage pools on the host system.

The daemon listens for requests on a local Unix domain socket and optionally on a TCP socket. Client applications use the libvirt library to talk to the daemon.

What is libvirt?

libvirt is a toolkit to manage virtualization platforms. It provides a common API for managing different virtualization technologies, including:

  • QEMU/KVM: Full virtualization on x86_64 and other architectures
  • Xen: Paravirtualization and full virtualization
  • LXC: Linux containers
  • OpenVZ: Container-based virtualization
  • VMware: Commercial virtualization platform
  • VirtualBox: Cross-platform virtualization

Key Features

Virtual Machine Management

Create, start, stop, pause, and manage virtual machines with a unified interface.

Network Management

Configure virtual networks including NAT, bridge, routed, and isolated networks.

Storage Management

Manage storage pools and volumes across different backends (directory, LVM, NFS, iSCSI).

Security Integration

Integrate with SELinux, AppArmor, and other security frameworks.

Architecture

libvirtd acts as a central management daemon that:

  • Manages hypervisor connections and authentication
  • Provides a stable API for virtualization management
  • Handles resource allocation and monitoring
  • Integrates with system services and security policies

Client Tools

Several tools interact with libvirtd:

  • virsh - Command-line interface for libvirt
  • virt-manager - Graphical user interface
  • virt-install - Command-line VM installation tool
  • virt-viewer - Console viewer for VMs