Example 1. Download an Ubuntu image and open a shell in it
# machinectl pull-tar https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/trusty/current/trusty-server-cloudimg-amd64-root.tar.gz
# systemd-nspawn -M trusty-server-cloudimg-amd64-root
This downloads and verifies the specified .tar image, and then
uses systemd-nspawn(1) to open a shell in it.
Example 2. Download a Fedora image, set a root password in it,
start it as a service
# machinectl pull-raw --verify=no \
https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/34/Cloud/x86_64/images/Fedora-Cloud-Base-34-1.2.x86_64.raw.xz \
Fedora-Cloud-Base-34-1.2.x86-64
# systemd-nspawn -M Fedora-Cloud-Base-34-1.2.x86-64
# passwd
# exit
# machinectl start Fedora-Cloud-Base-34-1.2.x86-64
# machinectl login Fedora-Cloud-Base-34-1.2.x86-64
This downloads the specified .raw image with verification
disabled. Then, a shell is opened in it and a root password is
set. Afterwards the shell is left, and the machine started as
system service. With the last command a login prompt into the
container is requested.
Example 3. Exports a container image as tar file
# machinectl export-tar fedora myfedora.tar.xz
Exports the container "fedora" as an xz-compressed tar file
myfedora.tar.xz into the current directory.
Example 4. Create a new shell session
# machinectl shell --uid=lennart
This creates a new shell session on the local host for the user
ID "lennart", in a su(1)-like fashion.
