SYNOPSIS

import guestfs
g = guestfs.GuestFS (python_return_dict=True)
g.add_drive_opts ("disk.img", format="raw", readonly=1)
g.launch ()

DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents how to call libguestfs from the Python programming language. This page just documents the differences from the C API and gives some examples. If you are not familiar with using libguestfs, you also need to read guestfs(3).

python_return_dict=True

All new code should construct the handle using:

 g = guestfs.GuestFS (python_return_dict=True)

This indicates that your program wants to receive Python dicts for methods in the API that return hashtables.

In a future version of libguestfs, this will become the default.

EXCEPTIONS

Errors from libguestfs functions are mapped into "RuntimeException" with a single string argument which is the error message.

MORE DOCUMENTATION

Type:

 $ python
 >>> import guestfs
 >>> help (guestfs)

EXAMPLE 1: CREATE A DISK IMAGE

 # Example showing how to create a disk image.
 
 import guestfs
 
 output = "disk.img"
 
 # All new Python code should pass python_return_dict=True
 # to the constructor.  It indicates that your program wants
 # to receive Python dicts for methods in the API that return
 # hashtables.
 g = guestfs.GuestFS (python_return_dict=True)
 
 # Create a raw-format sparse disk image, 512 MB in size.
 g.disk_create (output, "raw", 512 * 1024 * 1024);
 
 # Set the trace flag so that we can see each libguestfs call.
 g.set_trace (1)
 
 # Attach the disk image to libguestfs.
 g.add_drive_opts (output, format = "raw", readonly = 0)
 
 # Run the libguestfs back-end.
 g.launch ()
 
 # Get the list of devices.  Because we only added one drive
 # above, we expect that this list should contain a single
 # element.
 devices = g.list_devices ()
 assert (len (devices) == 1)
 
 # Partition the disk as one single MBR partition.
 g.part_disk (devices[0], "mbr")
 
 # Get the list of partitions.  We expect a single element, which
 # is the partition we have just created.
 partitions = g.list_partitions ()
 assert (len (partitions) == 1)
 
 # Create a filesystem on the partition.
 g.mkfs ("ext4", partitions[0])
 
 # Now mount the filesystem so that we can add files.
 g.mount (partitions[0], "/")
 
 # Create some files and directories.
 g.touch ("/empty")
 message = "Hello, world\n"
 g.write ("/hello", message)
 g.mkdir ("/foo")
 
 # This one uploads the local file /etc/resolv.conf into
 # the disk image.
 g.upload ("/etc/resolv.conf", "/foo/resolv.conf")
 
 # Because we wrote to the disk and we want to detect write
 # errors, call g.shutdown.  You don't need to do this:
 # g.close will do it implicitly.
 g.shutdown ()
 
 # Note also that handles are automatically closed if they are
 # reaped by reference counting.  You only need to call close
 # if you want to close the handle right away.
 g.close ()

EXAMPLE 2: INSPECT A VIRTUAL MACHINE DISK IMAGE

 # Example showing how to inspect a virtual machine disk.
 
 import sys
 import guestfs
 
 assert (len (sys.argv) == 2)
 disk = sys.argv[1]
 
 # All new Python code should pass python_return_dict=True
 # to the constructor.  It indicates that your program wants
 # to receive Python dicts for methods in the API that return
 # hashtables.
 g = guestfs.GuestFS (python_return_dict=True)
 
 # Attach the disk image read-only to libguestfs.
 g.add_drive_opts (disk, readonly=1)
 
 # Run the libguestfs back-end.
 g.launch ()
 
 # Ask libguestfs to inspect for operating systems.
 roots = g.inspect_os ()
 if len (roots) == 0:
     raise (Error ("inspect_vm: no operating systems found"))
 
 for root in roots:
     print "Root device: %s" % root
 
     # Print basic information about the operating system.
     print "  Product name: %s" % (g.inspect_get_product_name (root))
     print "  Version:      %d.%d" % \
         (g.inspect_get_major_version (root),
          g.inspect_get_minor_version (root))
     print "  Type:         %s" % (g.inspect_get_type (root))
     print "  Distro:       %s" % (g.inspect_get_distro (root))
 
     # Mount up the disks, like guestfish -i.
     #
     # Sort keys by length, shortest first, so that we end up
     # mounting the filesystems in the correct order.
     mps = g.inspect_get_mountpoints (root)
     def compare (a, b): return len(a) - len(b)
     for device in sorted (mps.keys(), compare):
         try:
             g.mount_ro (mps[device], device)
         except RuntimeError as msg:
             print "%s (ignored)" % msg
 
     # If /etc/issue.net file exists, print up to 3 lines.
     filename = "/etc/issue.net"
     if g.is_file (filename):
         print "--- %s ---" % filename
         lines = g.head_n (3, filename)
         for line in lines: print line
 
     # Unmount everything.
     g.umount_all ()

AUTHORS

Richard W.M. Jones ("rjones at redhat dot com")

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2010-2012 Red Hat Inc.

LICENSE

This manual page contains examples which we hope you will use in your programs. The examples may be freely copied, modified and distributed for any purpose without any restrictions.