OS Manuals

/usr/bin/govc

govc, the VMware vSphere command-line client built from the govmomi Go SDK

From govmomi 0.56.2-r1 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running govc --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage: govc <COMMAND> [COMMON OPTIONS] [PATH]...

govmomi is a Go library for interacting with VMware vSphere APIs (ESXi and/or
vCenter Server).
It is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0

govc is the CLI for govmomi.

The available commands are listed below. A detailed description of each
command can be displayed with "govc <COMMAND> -h". The description of all
commands can be also found at https://github.com/vmware/govmomi/blob/main/govc/USAGE.md.

Examples:
  show usage of a command:       govc <COMMAND> -h
  show toplevel structure:       govc ls
  show datacenter summary:       govc datacenter.info
  show all VMs:                  govc find -type m
  upload a ISO file:             govc datastore.upload -ds datastore1 ./config.iso vm-name/config.iso

Common options:
  -h                        Show this message
  -cert=                    Certificate [GOVC_CERTIFICATE]
  -debug=false              Store debug logs [GOVC_DEBUG]
  -trace=false              Write SOAP/REST traffic to stderr
  -verbose=false            Write request/response data to stderr
  -dump=false               Enable output dump
  -json=false               Enable JSON output
  -xml=false                Enable XML output
  -k=false                  Skip verification of server certificate [GOVC_INSECURE]
  -key=                     Private key [GOVC_PRIVATE_KEY]
  -persist-session=true     Persist session to disk [GOVC_PERSIST_SESSION]
  -tls-ca-certs=            TLS CA certificates file [GOVC_TLS_CA_CERTS]
  -tls-known-hosts=         TLS known hosts file [GOVC_TLS_KNOWN_HOSTS]
  -u=                       ESX or vCenter URL [GOVC_URL]
  -vim-namespace=urn:vim25  Vim namespace [GOVC_VIM_NAMESPACE]
  -vim-version=6.0          Vim version [GOVC_VIM_VERSION]
  -dc=                      Datacenter [GOVC_DATACENTER]
  -host.dns=                Find host by FQDN
  -host.ip=                 Find host by IP address
  -host.ipath=              Find host by inventory path
  -host.uuid=               Find host by UUID
  -vm.dns=                  Find VM by FQDN
  -vm.ip=                   Find VM by IP address
  -vm.ipath=                Find VM by inventory path
  -vm.path=                 Find VM by path to .vmx file
  -vm.uuid=                 Find VM by UUID

Available commands:
  about
  about.cert
  alarm.info
  alarms
  cluster.add
  cluster.change
  cluster.create
  cluster.draft.baseimage.info
  cluster.draft.baseimage.set
  cluster.draft.commit
  cluster.draft.component.add
  cluster.draft.component.info
  cluster.draft.component.ls
  cluster.draft.component.rm
  cluster.draft.create
  cluster.draft.info
  cluster.draft.ls
  cluster.draft.rm
  cluster.group.change
  cluster.group.create
  cluster.group.ls
  cluster.group.remove
  cluster.module.create
  cluster.module.ls
  cluster.module.rm
  cluster.module.vm.add
  cluster.module.vm.rm
  cluster.mv
  cluster.override.change
  cluster.override.info
  cluster.override.remove
  cluster.rule.change
  cluster.rule.create
  cluster.rule.info
  cluster.rule.ls
  cluster.rule.remove
  cluster.stretch
  cluster.usage
  cluster.vlcm.enable
  cluster.vlcm.info
  collect
  datacenter.create
  datacenter.info
  datastore.cluster.change
  datastore.cluster.info
  datastore.cp
  datastore.create
  datastore.disk.create
  datastore.disk.extend
  datastore.disk.inflate
  datastore.disk.info
  datastore.disk.shrink
  datastore.download
  datastore.info
  datastore.ls
  datastore.maintenance.enter
  datastore.maintenance.exit
  datastore.mkdir
  datastore.mv
  datastore.remove
  datastore.rm
  datastore.tail
  datastore.upload
  datastore.vsan.dom.ls
  datastore.vsan.dom.rm
  device.boot
  device.cdrom.add
  device.cdrom.eject
  device.cdrom.insert
  device.clock.add
  device.connect
  device.disconnect
  device.floppy.add
  device.floppy.eject
  device.floppy.insert
  device.info
  device.ls
  device.model.tree
  device.pci.add
  device.pci.ls
  device.pci.remove
  device.remove
  device.sata.add
  device.scsi.add
  device.serial.add
  device.serial.connect
  device.serial.disconnect
  device.usb.add
  disk.attach
  disk.create
  disk.detach
  disk.ls
  disk.metadata.ls
  disk.metadata.update
  disk.register
  disk.rm
  disk.snapshot.create
  disk.snapshot.ls
  disk.snapshot.rm
  disk.tags.attach
  disk.tags.detach
  dvs.add
  dvs.change
  dvs.create
  dvs.portgroup.add
  dvs.portgroup.change
  dvs.portgroup.info
  env
  events
  export.ovf
  extension.info
  extension.register
  extension.setcert
  extension.unregister
  fields.add
  fields.info
  fields.ls
  fields.rename
  fields.rm
  fields.set
  find
  firewall.ruleset.find
  folder.create
  folder.info
  folder.place
  gpu.host.info
  gpu.host.profile.ls
  gpu.vm.add
  gpu.vm.info
  gpu.vm.remove
  guest.chmod
  guest.chown
  guest.df
  guest.download
  guest.getenv
  guest.kill
  guest.ls
  guest.mkdir
  guest.mktemp
  guest.mv
  guest.ps
  guest.rm
  guest.rmdir
  guest.run
  guest.start
  guest.touch
  guest.upload
  host.account.create
  host.account.remove
  host.account.update
  host.add
  host.autostart.add
  host.autostart.configure
  host.autostart.info
  host.autostart.remove
  host.cert.csr
  host.cert.import
  host.cert.info
  host.date.change
  host.date.info
  host.disconnect
  host.esxcli
  host.info
  host.maintenance.enter
  host.maintenance.exit
  host.option.ls
  host.option.set
  host.portgroup.add
  host.portgroup.change
  host.portgroup.info
  host.portgroup.remove
  host.reconnect
  host.remove
  host.service
  host.service.ls
  host.shutdown
  host.storage.info
  host.storage.mark
  host.storage.partition
  host.tpm.info
  host.tpm.report
  host.vnic.change
  host.vnic.hint
  host.vnic.info
  host.vnic.service
  host.vswitch.add
  host.vswitch.info
  host.vswitch.remove
  import.ova
  import.ovf
  import.spec
  import.vmdk
  kms.add
  kms.default
  kms.export
  kms.ls
  kms.rm
  kms.trust
  library.checkin
  library.checkout
  library.clone
  library.cp
  library.create
  library.deploy
  library.evict
  library.export
  library.import
  library.info
  library.ls
  library.policy.ls
  library.publish
  library.rm
  library.session.ls
  library.session.rm
  library.subscriber.create
  library.subscriber.info
  library.subscriber.ls
  library.subscriber.rm
  library.sync
  library.trust.create
  library.trust.info
  library.trust.ls
  library.trust.rm
  library.update
  library.vmtx.info
  license.add
  license.assign
  license.assigned.ls
  license.decode
  license.label.set
  license.ls
  license.remove
  logs
  logs.download
  logs.ls
  ls
  metric.change
  metric.info
  metric.interval.change
  metric.interval.info
  metric.ls
  metric.reset
  metric.sample
  namespace.cluster.disable
  namespace.cluster.enable
  namespace.cluster.ls
  namespace.create
  namespace.info
  namespace.logs.download
  namespace.ls
  namespace.registervm
  namespace.rm
  namespace.service.activate
  namespace.service.create
  namespace.service.deactivate
  namespace.service.info
  namespace.service.ls
  namespace.service.rm
  namespace.service.version.activate
  namespace.service.version.create
  namespace.service.version.deactivate
  namespace.service.version.info
  namespace.service.version.ls
  namespace.service.version.rm
  namespace.update
  namespace.vmclass.create
  namespace.vmclass.info
  namespace.vmclass.ls
  namespace.vmclass.rm
  namespace.vmclass.update
  object.destroy
  object.method
  object.mv
  object.reload
  object.rename
  object.save
  option.ls
  option.set
  permissions.ls
  permissions.remove
  permissions.set
  pool.change
  pool.create
  pool.destroy
  pool.info
  role.create
  role.ls
  role.remove
  role.update
  role.usage
  session.login
  session.logout
  session.ls
  session.rm
  snapshot.create
  snapshot.export
  snapshot.remove
  snapshot.revert
  snapshot.tree
  sso.group.create
  sso.group.ls
  sso.group.rm
  sso.group.update
  sso.idp.default.ls
  sso.idp.default.update
  sso.idp.ldap.update
  sso.idp.ls
  sso.lpp.info
  sso.lpp.update
  sso.service.ls
  sso.user.create
  sso.user.id
  sso.user.ls
  sso.user.rm
  sso.user.update
  storage.policy.create
  storage.policy.info
  storage.policy.ls
  storage.policy.rm
  tags.attach
  tags.attached.ls
  tags.category.create
  tags.category.info
  tags.category.ls
  tags.category.rm
  tags.category.update
  tags.create
  tags.detach
  tags.info
  tags.ls
  tags.rm
  tags.update
  task.cancel
  tasks
  tree
  vapp.destroy
  vapp.power
  vcsa.access.consolecli.get
  vcsa.access.consolecli.set
  vcsa.access.dcui.get
  vcsa.access.dcui.set
  vcsa.access.shell.get
  vcsa.access.shell.set
  vcsa.access.ssh.get
  vcsa.access.ssh.set
  vcsa.log.forwarding.info
  vcsa.net.proxy.info
  vcsa.shutdown.cancel
  vcsa.shutdown.get
  vcsa.shutdown.poweroff
  vcsa.shutdown.reboot
  version
  vlcm.depot.baseimages.ls
  vlcm.depot.offline.create
  vlcm.depot.offline.info
  vlcm.depot.offline.ls
  vlcm.depot.offline.rm
  vm.change
  vm.clone
  vm.console
  vm.create
  vm.customize
  vm.dataset.create
  vm.dataset.entry.get
  vm.dataset.entry.ls
  vm.dataset.entry.rm
  vm.dataset.entry.set
  vm.dataset.info
  vm.dataset.ls
  vm.dataset.rm
  vm.dataset.update
  vm.destroy
  vm.disk.attach
  vm.disk.change
  vm.disk.create
  vm.disk.promote
  vm.guest.tools
  vm.info
  vm.instantclone
  vm.ip
  vm.keystrokes
  vm.markastemplate
  vm.markasvm
  vm.migrate
  vm.network.add
  vm.network.change
  vm.option.info
  vm.option.ls
  vm.policy.ls
  vm.power
  vm.question
  vm.rdm.attach
  vm.rdm.ls
  vm.register
  vm.target.cap.ls
  vm.target.info
  vm.unregister
  vm.upgrade
  vm.vnc
  volume.extend
  volume.ls
  volume.relocate
  volume.rm
  volume.snapshot.create
  volume.snapshot.ls
  volume.snapshot.rm
  vsan.change
  vsan.info
Options (26)
OptionDescriptionSource
-hShow this messagehelp
-certCertificate [GOVC_CERTIFICATE]help
-debug falseStore debug logs [GOVC_DEBUG]help
-trace falseWrite SOAP/REST traffic to stderrhelp
-verbose falseWrite request/response data to stderrhelp
-dump falseEnable output dumphelp
-json falseEnable JSON outputhelp
-xml falseEnable XML outputhelp
-k falseSkip verification of server certificate [GOVC_INSECURE]help
-keyPrivate key [GOVC_PRIVATE_KEY]help
-persist-session truePersist session to disk [GOVC_PERSIST_SESSION]help
-tls-ca-certsTLS CA certificates file [GOVC_TLS_CA_CERTS]help
-tls-known-hostsTLS known hosts file [GOVC_TLS_KNOWN_HOSTS]help
-uESX or vCenter URL [GOVC_URL]help
-vim-namespace urn:vim25Vim namespace [GOVC_VIM_NAMESPACE]help
-vim-version 6.0Vim version [GOVC_VIM_VERSION]help
-dcDatacenter [GOVC_DATACENTER]help
-host.dnsFind host by FQDNhelp
-host.ipFind host by IP addresshelp
-host.ipathFind host by inventory pathhelp
-host.uuidFind host by UUIDhelp
-vm.dnsFind VM by FQDNhelp
-vm.ipFind VM by IP addresshelp
-vm.ipathFind VM by inventory pathhelp
-vm.pathFind VM by path to .vmx filehelp
-vm.uuidFind VM by UUIDhelp

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.