docker-windows/WINCTL_GUIDE.md
Michel Abboud 2b07b9cf07 feat: Add ISO cache for winctl.sh to skip re-downloads
Cache downloaded ISOs so new instances of the same Windows version skip
the 3-6 GB download. Adds `winctl cache` subcommands (save/list/rm/flush)
and auto-restores cached ISOs when creating new instances with --new.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-01-30 07:58:20 +00:00

1242 lines
27 KiB
Markdown

# winctl.sh User Guide
A comprehensive guide to managing Windows Docker containers with `winctl.sh`.
## Table of Contents
- [Overview](#overview)
- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Commands Reference](#commands-reference)
- [Snapshots & Restore](#snapshots--restore)
- [Multi-Instance Support](#multi-instance-support)
- [ISO Cache](#iso-cache)
- [Configuration](#configuration)
- [ARM64 Setup](#arm64-setup)
- [Interactive Menus](#interactive-menus)
- [Common Scenarios](#common-scenarios)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [Tips & Tricks](#tips--tricks)
---
## Overview
`winctl.sh` is a management script for running Windows virtual machines inside Docker containers. It provides:
- **22 Windows versions** from Windows 2000 to Windows 11
- **Simple commands** to start, stop, and manage containers
- **Interactive menus** when you don't specify a version
- **Snapshot & restore** for backing up and restoring VM data
- **LAN IP detection** with remote access URLs shown automatically
- **Port conflict detection** before starting containers
- **Disk usage monitoring** with per-VM and snapshot breakdowns
- **Status caching** for fast performance
- **Resource profiles** optimized for modern and legacy systems
- **ARM64 auto-detection** with architecture-aware image selection and version filtering
### Supported Windows Versions
| Category | Versions |
|----------|----------|
| **Desktop** | win11, win11e, win11l, win10, win10e, win10l, win81, win81e, win7, win7e |
| **Legacy** | vista, winxp, win2k |
| **Server** | win2025, win2022, win2019, win2016, win2012, win2008, win2003 |
| **Tiny** | tiny11, tiny10 |
### ARM64 Support
The script auto-detects your CPU architecture. On ARM64 systems (e.g., Apple Silicon, Ampere), only the following versions are supported:
| Version | Name |
|---------|------|
| win11 | Windows 11 Pro |
| win11e | Windows 11 Enterprise |
| win11l | Windows 11 LTSC |
| win10 | Windows 10 Pro |
| win10e | Windows 10 Enterprise |
| win10l | Windows 10 LTSC |
To run on ARM64, set the Docker image in your `.env.modern` file:
```bash
WINDOWS_IMAGE=dockurr/windows-arm
```
The `winctl.sh list` command shows `[x86 only]` tags on ARM64 for unsupported versions, and `winctl.sh start` blocks unsupported versions with a clear error message.
### Port Mappings
Each version has unique ports to avoid conflicts:
| Version | Web UI | RDP | Version | Web UI | RDP |
|---------|--------|-----|---------|--------|-----|
| win11 | 8011 | 3311 | win2025 | 8025 | 3325 |
| win10 | 8010 | 3310 | win2022 | 8022 | 3322 |
| win81 | 8008 | 3308 | win2019 | 8019 | 3319 |
| win7 | 8007 | 3307 | win2016 | 8016 | 3316 |
| vista | 8006 | 3306 | win2012 | 8112 | 3212 |
| winxp | 8005 | 3305 | win2008 | 8108 | 3208 |
| win2k | 8000 | 3300 | win2003 | 8003 | 3303 |
| tiny11 | 8111 | 3111 | tiny10 | 8110 | 3110 |
---
## Prerequisites
### Required
1. **Docker** - Container runtime
2. **Docker Compose** - Container orchestration (plugin or standalone)
3. **KVM** - Hardware virtualization for near-native performance
### Check Prerequisites
Run the built-in check:
```bash
./winctl.sh check
```
Example output:
```
Prerequisites Check
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[OK] Docker is available
[OK] Docker Compose plugin is available
[OK] KVM is available
[OK] TUN device is available
[OK] Memory OK: 16GB available (8GB needed)
[OK] Disk space OK: 500GB available (128GB needed)
[OK] All critical prerequisites passed!
Architecture: amd64
LAN IP: 192.168.1.100
```
On ARM64, the output also shows:
```
Architecture: arm64
ARM64 image: dockurr/windows-arm
Supported: win11 win11e win11l win10 win10e win10l
LAN IP: 192.168.1.100
```
### Fix Common Issues
**KVM not accessible:**
```bash
sudo usermod -aG kvm $USER
newgrp kvm # or log out and back in
```
**Docker not running:**
```bash
sudo systemctl start docker
```
---
## Quick Start
### 1. Start a Windows VM
```bash
# Start Windows 11
./winctl.sh start win11
# Or use interactive menu
./winctl.sh start
```
### 2. Access the VM
After starting, you'll see connection details:
```
Connection Details:
→ Web Viewer: http://localhost:8011
→ RDP: localhost:3311
→ LAN Web: http://192.168.1.100:8011
→ LAN RDP: 192.168.1.100:3311
```
- **Web Viewer**: Open in browser for quick access
- **RDP**: Use any RDP client for better performance
- **LAN URLs**: Shown automatically when a LAN IP is detected — use these to access from other devices on your network
### 3. Check Status
```bash
./winctl.sh status
```
### 4. Stop the VM
```bash
./winctl.sh stop win11
```
---
## Commands Reference
### start
Start one or more containers.
```bash
# Start single version
./winctl.sh start win11
# Start multiple versions
./winctl.sh start win11 win10 winxp
# Interactive menu (no version specified)
./winctl.sh start
```
**What it does:**
1. Checks prerequisites (Docker, KVM)
2. Detects architecture and blocks unsupported versions on ARM64
3. Verifies ports are not already in use
4. Creates data directory if missing
5. Checks available resources
6. Starts the container
7. Shows connection details (including LAN URLs)
---
### stop
Stop containers with a 2-minute grace period for clean shutdown.
```bash
# Stop single version
./winctl.sh stop win11
# Stop multiple versions
./winctl.sh stop win11 win10
# Stop all running containers
./winctl.sh stop all
# Interactive menu
./winctl.sh stop
```
**Note:** You'll be asked to confirm before stopping.
---
### restart
Restart containers.
```bash
./winctl.sh restart win11
```
---
### status
Show status of containers.
```bash
# All containers
./winctl.sh status
# Specific versions
./winctl.sh status win11 win10
```
Example output:
```
VERSION NAME STATUS WEB RDP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
win11 Windows 11 Pro running 8011 3311
win10 Windows 10 Pro stopped 8010 3310
winxp Windows XP Professional not created 8005 3305
LAN IP: 192.168.1.100 — use http://192.168.1.100:<web-port> for remote access
```
---
### logs
View container logs.
```bash
# View logs
./winctl.sh logs win11
# Follow logs in real-time
./winctl.sh logs win11 -f
```
Press `Ctrl+C` to stop following logs.
---
### shell
Open an interactive bash shell inside the container.
```bash
./winctl.sh shell win11
```
Useful for debugging or accessing container internals.
---
### stats
Show real-time resource usage (CPU, memory, network).
```bash
# All running containers
./winctl.sh stats
# Specific containers
./winctl.sh stats win11 win10
```
Press `Ctrl+C` to exit.
---
### build
Build the Docker image locally from source.
```bash
./winctl.sh build
```
---
### rebuild
Destroy and recreate containers. Data in `/storage` is preserved.
```bash
./winctl.sh rebuild win11
```
**Warning:** You must type `yes` to confirm (destructive operation).
---
### list
List available Windows versions.
```bash
# All versions
./winctl.sh list
# By category
./winctl.sh list desktop
./winctl.sh list legacy
./winctl.sh list server
./winctl.sh list tiny
```
Example output:
```
Available Windows Versions
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DESKTOP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
win11 Windows 11 Pro (8G RAM)
win10 Windows 10 Pro (8G RAM) [running]
win7 Windows 7 Ultimate (2G RAM)
```
On ARM64, unsupported versions show an `[x86 only]` tag:
```
win7 Windows 7 Ultimate (2G RAM) [x86 only]
```
---
### inspect
Show detailed information about a version.
```bash
./winctl.sh inspect win11
```
Example output:
```
Container Details: win11
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version: win11
Name: Windows 11 Pro
Category: desktop
Status: running
Web Port: 8011
RDP Port: 3311
Resources: modern
Compose: compose/desktop/win11.yml
Web URL: http://localhost:8011
RDP: localhost:3311
LAN Web: http://192.168.1.100:8011
LAN RDP: 192.168.1.100:3311
```
---
### monitor
Real-time dashboard showing all containers.
```bash
# Default 5-second refresh
./winctl.sh monitor
# Custom refresh interval (10 seconds)
./winctl.sh monitor 10
```
Press `Ctrl+C` to exit.
---
### check
Run prerequisites check.
```bash
./winctl.sh check
```
---
### refresh
Force refresh the status cache.
```bash
./winctl.sh refresh
```
The cache is stored at `~/.cache/winctl/status.json` and auto-refreshes when:
- Cache is older than 7 days
- Cached data becomes stale
- After start/stop/restart/rebuild operations
---
### open
Open the web viewer in your default browser.
```bash
./winctl.sh open win11
```
If the container is not running, you'll be prompted to start it first.
---
### pull
Pull the latest Docker image.
```bash
./winctl.sh pull
```
Automatically selects `dockurr/windows` or `dockurr/windows-arm` based on detected architecture. Shows whether the image was updated or already up to date.
---
### disk
Show disk usage per VM data directory.
```bash
# All VMs
./winctl.sh disk
# Specific versions
./winctl.sh disk win11 win10
```
Example output:
```
Disk Usage
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
VERSION SIZE STATUS
────────────────────────────────────
win11 45.2G running
win10 32.1G stopped
────────────────────────────────────
Total: 77.3G
Snapshots: 12.5G (2 snapshots)
win11 12.5G (2 snapshots)
```
---
### snapshot
Back up a VM's data directory.
```bash
# Auto-named with timestamp
./winctl.sh snapshot win11
# Custom name
./winctl.sh snapshot win11 before-update
```
The snapshot is saved to `snapshots/<version>/<name>/`. The container is stopped during the copy and restarted automatically.
---
### restore
Restore a VM's data directory from a snapshot.
```bash
# Interactive snapshot selection
./winctl.sh restore win11
# Restore specific snapshot
./winctl.sh restore win11 before-update
```
If no snapshot name is given, a list of available snapshots is shown for selection. Requires typing `yes` to confirm (destructive: replaces current data).
---
### clean
Remove stopped containers and optionally purge their data directories.
```bash
# Remove stopped containers only
./winctl.sh clean
# Also delete data directories for stopped containers
./winctl.sh clean --data
```
Requires typing `yes` to confirm. Shows freed disk space on completion.
---
## Snapshots & Restore
`winctl.sh` supports snapshot and restore for VM data directories, stored under `snapshots/`.
### Creating a Snapshot
```bash
# Snapshot with auto-generated timestamp name
./winctl.sh snapshot win11
# Snapshot with custom name
./winctl.sh snapshot win11 before-update
```
The container is stopped during the copy to ensure data consistency, then restarted automatically.
### Listing Snapshots
```bash
# Via disk command
./winctl.sh disk
# Or browse directly
ls snapshots/win11/
```
### Restoring a Snapshot
```bash
# Interactive selection
./winctl.sh restore win11
# Direct restore
./winctl.sh restore win11 before-update
```
**Warning:** Restore replaces all current data for the version. The container is stopped during restore and restarted automatically.
### Snapshot Directory Structure
```
snapshots/
├── win11/
│ ├── 20260129-143022/ # Auto-named
│ └── before-update/ # Custom-named
└── win10/
└── 20260128-091500/
```
---
## Multi-Instance Support
Run multiple instances of the same Windows version with auto-managed ports and a JSON registry.
### Creating an Instance
```bash
# Create winxp-1 with auto-allocated ports
./winctl.sh start winxp --new
# Create winxp-lab with a custom name
./winctl.sh start winxp --new lab
# Create winxp-lab and clone data from base winxp
./winctl.sh start winxp --new lab --clone
```
The `--new` flag:
1. Allocates unique ports (web: 9000+, RDP: 4000+)
2. Generates a compose file in `instances/<name>.yml`
3. Creates a data directory at `data/<name>/`
4. Registers the instance in `instances/registry.json`
5. Starts the container
### Managing Instances
Instances work transparently with all existing commands:
```bash
# Stop an instance
./winctl.sh stop winxp-lab
# Restart an instance
./winctl.sh restart winxp-lab
# View logs
./winctl.sh logs winxp-lab -f
# Open shell
./winctl.sh shell winxp-lab
# Inspect details
./winctl.sh inspect winxp-lab
# Open web viewer
./winctl.sh open winxp-lab
# Snapshot and restore
./winctl.sh snapshot winxp-lab before-update
./winctl.sh restore winxp-lab before-update
```
### Listing Instances
```bash
# List all instances
./winctl.sh instances
# Filter by base version
./winctl.sh instances winxp
```
Example output:
```
Instances
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
INSTANCE BASE STATUS WEB RDP CREATED
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
winxp-1 winxp running 9000 4000 2026-01-30
winxp-lab winxp stopped 9001 4001 2026-01-30
```
### Destroying an Instance
```bash
./winctl.sh destroy winxp-lab
```
This will:
1. Stop and remove the container
2. Delete the compose file
3. Prompt to delete the data directory
4. Remove the instance from the registry
### How It Works
- **Port allocation**: Web ports start at 9000, RDP at 4000, auto-incrementing to avoid conflicts
- **Naming**: Instances are named `<version>-<suffix>` (e.g., `winxp-1`, `winxp-lab`)
- **Registry**: All instances are tracked in `instances/registry.json`
- **Compose files**: Generated in `instances/<name>.yml` with relative paths to env files and data
- **No collisions**: Base versions never contain hyphens; instances always do
### Instance Directory Structure
```
instances/
├── registry.json # Instance registry
├── winxp-1.yml # Generated compose file
└── winxp-lab.yml # Generated compose file
data/
├── winxp/ # Base version data
├── winxp-1/ # Instance data
└── winxp-lab/ # Instance data (cloned from base)
```
---
## ISO Cache
Windows ISOs are large (3-6 GB) and re-downloaded every time a new container is created for the same version. The ISO cache saves downloaded ISOs so new instances can skip the download.
### How It Works
1. Start a VM and wait for the ISO to download
2. Cache the ISO: `./winctl.sh cache save winxp`
3. Create new instances — cached ISOs are auto-restored: `./winctl.sh start winxp --new`
When creating a new instance with `--new`, winctl checks `cache/<version>/` for ISOs and copies them into the new instance's data directory before starting the container. The container sees the ISO on startup and skips the download.
### Caching an ISO
```bash
# Cache ISOs from an existing VM's data directory
./winctl.sh cache save winxp
./winctl.sh cache save win11
```
The ISOs are copied from `data/<name>/` to `cache/<base-version>/`.
### Listing Cached ISOs
```bash
./winctl.sh cache list
```
Shows all cached ISOs grouped by version with file sizes and a total.
### Removing Cached ISOs
```bash
# Remove cached ISOs for a specific version
./winctl.sh cache rm winxp
# Remove all cached ISOs
./winctl.sh cache flush
```
Both commands require typing `yes` to confirm.
### Auto-Restore
When creating a new instance with `--new` (without `--clone`), winctl automatically checks the cache:
```bash
# If cache/winxp/ has ISOs, they are copied to data/winxp-1/ before start
./winctl.sh start winxp --new
```
This is skipped when using `--clone`, since cloning copies all data from the base version including any ISOs.
### Cache Directory Structure
```
cache/
├── winxp/
│ └── custom.iso
├── win11/
│ └── win11x64.iso
└── win10/
└── win10x64.iso
```
> **Note:** The cache stores processed ISOs from the container's data directory, not raw downloads.
---
## Configuration
### Environment Files
Two pre-configured environment files control VM resources:
| File | RAM | CPU | Disk | Used By |
|------|-----|-----|------|---------|
| `.env.modern` | 8G | 4 | 128G | Win 10/11, Server 2016+ |
| `.env.legacy` | 2G | 2 | 32G | Win 7/8, Vista, XP, 2000, Server 2003-2012, Tiny |
### Customizing Resources
Edit `.env.modern` or `.env.legacy`:
```bash
# Resources
RAM_SIZE=8G
CPU_CORES=4
DISK_SIZE=128G
# Credentials
USERNAME=docker
PASSWORD=admin
# Display
WIDTH=1280
HEIGHT=720
# Other
LANGUAGE=en
REGION=en-US
KEYBOARD=en-US
DHCP=N
SAMBA=Y
RESTART_POLICY=on-failure
DEBUG=N
```
### Available Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| `RAM_SIZE` | Memory allocation | 8G/2G |
| `CPU_CORES` | CPU cores | 4/2 |
| `DISK_SIZE` | Virtual disk size | 128G/32G |
| `USERNAME` | Windows username | docker |
| `PASSWORD` | Windows password | admin |
| `LANGUAGE` | Installation language | en |
| `REGION` | Region setting | en-US |
| `KEYBOARD` | Keyboard layout | en-US |
| `WIDTH` | Display width | 1280 |
| `HEIGHT` | Display height | 720 |
| `DHCP` | Use DHCP networking | N |
| `SAMBA` | Enable file sharing | Y |
| `RESTART_POLICY` | Container restart policy | on-failure |
| `DEBUG` | Debug mode | N |
| `WINDOWS_IMAGE` | Docker image | dockurr/windows |
### Restart Policy Options
| Value | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `no` | Never restart automatically |
| `on-failure` | Restart only if container exits with error (default) |
| `always` | Always restart regardless of exit status |
| `unless-stopped` | Always restart unless manually stopped |
**Note:** With `on-failure` (default), shutting down Windows from inside will stop the container. With `unless-stopped` or `always`, the container will restart after Windows shutdown.
---
## ARM64 Setup
If you're running on an ARM64 system (e.g., Apple Silicon Mac, Ampere server), follow these steps:
### 1. Set the Docker image
Edit `.env.modern` (and `.env.legacy` if needed):
```bash
WINDOWS_IMAGE=dockurr/windows-arm
```
### 2. Check your setup
```bash
./winctl.sh check
```
Verify the output shows `Architecture: arm64` and lists supported versions.
### 3. Start a supported version
Only Windows 10 and 11 variants work on ARM64:
```bash
./winctl.sh start win11 # Works
./winctl.sh start win10 # Works
./winctl.sh start winxp # Blocked with error
```
### 4. View compatible versions
```bash
./winctl.sh list
```
Unsupported versions are tagged `[x86 only]` on ARM64 systems.
### Supported ARM64 Versions
| Version | Name |
|---------|------|
| win11 | Windows 11 Pro |
| win11e | Windows 11 Enterprise |
| win11l | Windows 11 LTSC |
| win10 | Windows 10 Pro |
| win10e | Windows 10 Enterprise |
| win10l | Windows 10 LTSC |
All other versions (Win 8.1, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, all Server editions, Tiny) are x86 only.
---
## Interactive Menus
When you don't specify a version, `winctl.sh` shows interactive menus.
### Category Selection
```
Select Category
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1) Desktop (Win 11, 10, 8.1, 7)
2) Legacy (Vista, XP, 2000)
3) Server (2025, 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2003)
4) Tiny (Tiny11, Tiny10)
5) All versions
6) Select individual versions
Select [1-6]:
```
### Version Selection
```
Select Version(s)
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1) win11 Windows 11 Pro [running]
2) win11e Windows 11 Enterprise
3) win11l Windows 11 LTSC
4) win10 Windows 10 Pro [stopped]
a) Select all
q) Cancel
Select (numbers separated by spaces, or 'a' for all):
```
- Enter numbers separated by spaces: `1 3 4`
- Enter `a` for all versions
- Enter `q` to cancel
---
## Common Scenarios
### Scenario 1: Set Up a Development Environment
```bash
# Start Windows 10 for development
./winctl.sh start win10
# Access via web browser
# Open http://localhost:8010
# Or connect via RDP for better performance
# Use RDP client to connect to localhost:3310
```
### Scenario 2: Test Software on Multiple Windows Versions
```bash
# Start multiple versions
./winctl.sh start win11 win10 win7
# Check they're all running
./winctl.sh status
# Access each via their ports:
# - Win11: http://localhost:8011
# - Win10: http://localhost:8010
# - Win7: http://localhost:8007
# Stop all when done
./winctl.sh stop win11 win10 win7
```
### Scenario 3: Run Legacy Software on Windows XP
```bash
# Start Windows XP
./winctl.sh start winxp
# Access via http://localhost:8005
# Login: docker / admin
# Transfer files via the Shared folder on desktop
```
### Scenario 4: Monitor Resource Usage
```bash
# See real-time stats for all running VMs
./winctl.sh stats
# Or use the dashboard
./winctl.sh monitor
```
### Scenario 5: Increase Resources for a VM
1. Stop the container:
```bash
./winctl.sh stop win11
```
2. Edit `.env.modern`:
```bash
RAM_SIZE=16G
CPU_CORES=8
```
3. Start again:
```bash
./winctl.sh start win11
```
### Scenario 6: Running on ARM64
```bash
# Set the ARM64 image (one-time setup)
# Edit .env.modern and set: WINDOWS_IMAGE=dockurr/windows-arm
# Check architecture is detected
./winctl.sh check
# List versions to see what's available
./winctl.sh list
# Start a supported version
./winctl.sh start win11
```
### Scenario 7: Fresh Start (Reset VM)
```bash
# This destroys the container but keeps data
./winctl.sh rebuild win11
# For a complete reset, also delete the data:
rm -rf data/win11/*
./winctl.sh start win11
```
### Scenario 8: Snapshot Before a Risky Change
```bash
# Create a snapshot before installing something
./winctl.sh snapshot win11 before-update
# Do your work...
# If something goes wrong, restore:
./winctl.sh restore win11 before-update
```
### Scenario 9: Clean Up Disk Space
```bash
# Check disk usage
./winctl.sh disk
# Remove stopped containers
./winctl.sh clean
# Remove stopped containers AND their data
./winctl.sh clean --data
```
### Scenario 10: Quick Access from Browser
```bash
# Open web viewer directly in your browser
./winctl.sh open win11
# Or pull latest image before starting
./winctl.sh pull
./winctl.sh start win11
```
### Scenario 11: Access from Another Device on LAN
```bash
# Check your LAN IP
./winctl.sh check
# Start a VM — LAN URLs are shown automatically
./winctl.sh start win11
# → LAN Web: http://192.168.1.100:8011
# → LAN RDP: 192.168.1.100:3311
# Use the LAN URL from any device on the same network
```
---
## Troubleshooting
### Container Won't Start
**Check prerequisites:**
```bash
./winctl.sh check
```
**Check logs:**
```bash
./winctl.sh logs win11
```
**Common issues:**
- KVM not accessible → Add user to kvm group
- Port already in use → `start` auto-detects port conflicts; stop the conflicting service or container
- Not enough disk space → Run `./winctl.sh disk` to check usage, or free up space
### Slow Performance
- Ensure KVM is working (hardware virtualization)
- Increase RAM_SIZE and CPU_CORES in env file
- Use RDP instead of web viewer for better performance
### Can't Connect via RDP
1. Wait for Windows to fully boot (check web viewer first)
2. RDP might be disabled in Windows → Enable via web viewer
3. Check firewall settings in Windows
### Web Viewer Not Loading
```bash
# Check if container is running
./winctl.sh status win11
# Check container logs
./winctl.sh logs win11
# Restart the container
./winctl.sh restart win11
```
### Cache Issues
Force refresh the status cache:
```bash
./winctl.sh refresh
```
---
## Tips & Tricks
### 1. Use Aliases
Add to your `~/.bashrc`:
```bash
alias wctl='./winctl.sh'
alias wstart='./winctl.sh start'
alias wstop='./winctl.sh stop'
alias wstatus='./winctl.sh status'
```
### 2. Quick Access Bookmarks
Bookmark your commonly used VMs:
- Windows 11: http://localhost:8011
- Windows 10: http://localhost:8010
### 3. File Sharing
Each VM has a "Shared" folder on the desktop that maps to the host. Use this to transfer files.
### 4. Snapshots
Use the built-in snapshot and restore commands:
```bash
./winctl.sh snapshot win11 my-backup
./winctl.sh restore win11 my-backup
```
Snapshots are stored in `snapshots/<version>/<name>/`.
### 5. Running Multiple VMs
Check your available resources before starting multiple VMs:
```bash
# Each modern VM needs 8GB RAM
# Each legacy VM needs 2GB RAM
# Example: Running win11 + win10 + winxp = 8+8+2 = 18GB RAM needed
```
### 6. Headless Operation
For servers, you can start VMs and access only via RDP:
```bash
./winctl.sh start win2022
# Connect via RDP to localhost:3322
```
---
## File Structure
```
.
├── winctl.sh # Management script
├── .env.modern # Modern systems config (8G RAM)
├── .env.legacy # Legacy systems config (2G RAM)
├── compose/
│ ├── desktop/ # Win 11, 10, 8.1, 7
│ ├── legacy/ # Vista, XP, 2000
│ ├── server/ # Server 2003-2025
│ └── tiny/ # Tiny10, Tiny11
├── instances/
│ ├── registry.json # Instance registry
│ ├── winxp-1.yml # Generated compose files
│ └── winxp-lab.yml
├── data/
│ ├── win11/ # Win11 VM storage
│ ├── win10/ # Win10 VM storage
│ ├── winxp-1/ # Instance VM storage
│ ├── winxp-lab/ # Instance VM storage
│ └── ... # Other VM storage
├── snapshots/
│ ├── win11/ # Win11 snapshots
│ │ ├── 20260129-143022/
│ │ └── before-update/
│ └── ... # Other version snapshots
├── cache/
│ ├── winxp/ # Cached winxp ISOs
│ ├── win11/ # Cached win11 ISOs
│ └── ... # Other cached ISOs
└── ~/.cache/winctl/
└── status.json # Status cache
```
---
## Getting Help
```bash
# Show all commands
./winctl.sh help
# Check system requirements
./winctl.sh check
# List all versions
./winctl.sh list
```
For issues, visit: https://github.com/dockur/windows/issues