Domain detail
Enter on a domain opens its detail view. H and L (or [ and ]) move
between the tabs; Backspace or q returns to the list.
Overview
The domain’s configuration at a glance: machine type, firmware, vCPUs, memory, disks, network interfaces, graphics, autostart, persistence and UUID.
Monitor
Live graphs for the running domain: total CPU and one meter per vCPU, memory
with balloon and RSS, read and write rates per disk, and receive and transmit
rates per interface. t cycles the history window between 60 seconds,
5 minutes and 1 hour. Samples are kept for an hour while virsh-tui runs, so
switching windows does not lose data.
The numbers come from virsh domstats, one call per refresh for all domains.
Balloon statistics need a guest driver and a stats period. virsh-tui leaves
the period alone unless you enable monitoring.balloon_on, because setting it
changes the running guest.
Hardware
The hardware editor lists the devices on the left (CPUs, memory, boot
options, disks, CD-ROMs, NICs, display, video, sound, input, TPM, USB
redirection) and the selected device’s form in the middle. The right column
shows the XML diff of your pending changes and, below it, the commands that
:w will run.
In NORMAL mode:
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
j / k | move between devices |
Tab / Shift-Tab | next / previous field of the form |
i | edit the focused field (INSERT mode) |
a | add a device of the selected kind: prefills :attach-disk, :attach-nic or :attach-hostdev |
d | detach the selected device, confirms |
J / K | move the selected device down / up in the boot order |
u | undo the changes to the focused field |
:w | apply the pending changes |
:q! | discard them |
gx | jump to the XML tab |
In INSERT mode, typing edits the field and Backspace deletes. On number and
size fields, Ctrl-a / Ctrl-x or l / h add or subtract 1, and L /
H add or subtract 10. Space toggles check boxes and radio options.
Enter or Tab moves to the next field, Esc goes back to NORMAL mode.
Changes are applied to the persistent configuration (--config), to the
running domain (--live), or both, depending on the “Apply to” boxes at the
bottom of each form. Fields that only take effect after a reboot are marked
with ⚠ needs reboot. The editor writes a new XML and runs
virsh define --validate, so libvirt rejects invalid combinations before
anything changes.
Snapshots
The snapshot tree, with the current snapshot marked.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
j / k | select a snapshot |
Space s c | create a snapshot (name, description, flags) |
Space s r | revert to the selected snapshot, confirms |
Space s d | delete the selected snapshot, confirms |
e | edit the snapshot XML (virsh snapshot-edit) |
Console
Shortcuts for the serial console (c, which runs virsh console) and the
graphical viewer (v). Inside the console, Ctrl-] returns to virsh-tui.
The escape key can be changed with console.escape.
XML
The live XML with syntax highlighting. j/k, Ctrl-d/Ctrl-u and
gg/G scroll. e opens it in your editor; when you save and quit,
virsh-tui runs virsh define --validate and reopens the editor with the
error if libvirt rejects the file, as virsh edit does. Closing the editor
without changes defines nothing.