lxcinfo

lxc-info is a command-line utility in the Linux Containers (LXC) project used to query information about a specific container or the container subsystem on a host. It is part of the LXC userspace tools and is commonly invoked with the container name, for example: lxc-info -n mycontainer. The output provides a concise snapshot of the container’s runtime state.

It reports fields such as the container name, current state (for example RUNNING or STOPPED), the host process ID of the container’s init process, and the IP addresses assigned to the container. Depending on configuration and the version of LXC, it may also reveal additional properties relevant to monitoring and debugging.

Usage typically involves selecting the container with -n NAME and choosing which fields to display with options such as -s (state), -p (PID), and -i (IP addresses). The tool is read-only and designed to support system administration, scripting, and lightweight monitoring.

LXC tools are used to manage containers on Linux systems. lxc-info is part of the LXC suite alongside utilities like lxc-ls, lxc-start, and lxc-stop. It interacts with the underlying LXC runtime and container namespaces to gather information from the host and the container.

Related concepts include Linux containers and containerization. The command is commonly used by administrators and developers to verify container status and network configuration as part of routine maintenance.