Ubuntu Manpage: wimexport - Export image(s) from a WIM archive

NAME

       wimexport - Export image(s) from a WIM archive

SYNOPSIS

       wimexport SRC_WIMFILE SRC_IMAGE DEST_WIMFILE
        [DEST_IMAGE_NAME [DEST_IMAGE_DESC]] [OPTION...]

DESCRIPTION

wimexport, or equivalently wimlib-imagex export, exports the specified image from SRC_WIMFILE into
DEST_WIMFILE, optionally changing the image's name and/or description. If DEST_WIMFILE already exists,
the image will be appended to it; otherwise, a new WIM archive will be created to contain the exported
image.

SRC_IMAGE specifies the image in SRC_WIMFILE to export. It may be the 1-based index of an image, the
name of an image, or the keyword "all" to specify all images. You can use wiminfo(1) to list the images
contained in SRC_WIMFILE.

If specified, DEST_IMAGE_NAME is the name to give the image being exported. The default is its name in
SRC_WIMFILE. If specified, DEST_IMAGE_NAME must be either a name not already used in DEST_WIMFILE, or
the empty string to leave the image unnamed. DEST_IMAGE_NAME cannot be specified if "all" images are
being exported.

If specified, DEST_IMAGE_DESC is the description to give the image being exported. The default is its
description in SRC_WIMFILE.

wimexport supports exporting images from stand-alone WIMs as well as from split WIMs and delta WIMs. See
SPLIT WIMS.

wimexport also supports exporting images from a non-pipable WIM into a pipable WIM or vice versa, or from
a non-solid WIM into a solid WIM or vice versa. It can also export a pipable WIM directly to standard
output if DEST_WIMFILE is specified as "-"; see --pipable.

OPTIONS

--boot
Mark the exported image as the "bootable" image of the WIM; or, if multiple images are being
exported, make the image that was the bootable image of the source WIM also the bootable image of
the destination WIM.

--check
Before exporting the image(s), verify the integrity of the source WIM, destination WIM, and any
referenced WIMs whenever they have extra integrity information present. Also include extra
integrity information in the destination WIM, even if it was not present before.

--nocheck
Do not include extra integrity information in the destination WIM, even if it was present before.

--include-integrity
Include extra integrity information in the destination WIM, i.e. like --check but don't do any
verification beforehand.

--compress=TYPE[:LEVEL]
Specify the compression type, and optionally the compression level for that compression type, for
DEST_WIMFILE. Note that if DEST_WIMFILE already exists, then its compression type cannot be
changed by this option. See the documentation for this option to wimcapture(1) for more details.

--chunk-size=SIZE
Set the WIM compression chunk size to SIZE. See the documentation for this option to wimcapture(1)
for more details.

--recompress
Force all exported data to be recompressed, even if the destination WIM will use the same
compression type as the source WIM.

--solid
Create a "solid" archive that compresses multiple files together. This usually results in a
significantly better compression ratio but has disadvantages such as reduced compatibility. See
the documentation for this option to wimcapture(1) for more details.

--solid-compress=TYPE[:LEVEL]
Like --compress, but set the compression type used in solid resources. See the documentation for
this option to wimcapture(1) for more details.

--solid-chunk-size=SIZE
Like --chunk-size, but set the chunk size used in solid resources. See the documentation for this
option to wimcapture(1) for more details.

--threads=NUM_THREADS
Number of threads to use for compressing data. Default: autodetect (number of processors).

--rebuild
If exporting to an existing WIM, rebuild it rather than appending to it. Rebuilding is slower but
will save some space that would otherwise be left as a hole in the WIM. Also see wimoptimize(1).

--ref="GLOB"
File glob of additional WIMs or split WIM parts to reference resources from. See SPLIT_WIMS. This
option can be specified multiple times. Note: GLOB is listed in quotes because it is interpreted
by wimexport and may need to be quoted to protect against shell expansion.

--pipable
Build or rebuild DEST_WIMFILE as a "pipable WIM" that can be applied fully sequentially, including
from a pipe. See wimcapture(1) for more details about creating pipable WIMs. The default without
this option is to make DEST_WIMFILE pipable only if it was "-" (standard output) or was an existing
pipable WIM.

--not-pipable
Rebuild DEST_WIMFILE as a normal, non-pipable WIM. This only useful if you are exporting image(s)
to a pipable WIM but you want it rebuilt as non-pipable.

--wimboot
Mark the destination image as WIMBoot-compatible. Also, if exporting to a new archive, set the
compression type to that recommended for WIMBoot (currently, XPRESS with 4096 byte chunks).

--unsafe-compact
Compact the existing destination WIM in-place and append any new data, eliminating "holes". This
is efficient, but in general this option should not be used because a failed or interrupted
compaction will corrupt the WIM archive. For more information, see the documentation for this
option to wimoptimize(1).

SPLIT WIMS

       You  may  use  wimexport  to  export images from (but not to) a split WIM.  The SRC_WIMFILE argument must
       specify the first part of the split WIM, while the additional parts of the split WIM must be specified in
       one  or  more  --ref="GLOB"  options.   Since globbing is built into the --ref option, typically only one
       --ref option is necessary.  For example, the names for the split WIM parts usually go something like:

              mywim.swm
              mywim2.swm
              mywim3.swm
              mywim4.swm
              mywim5.swm

       To export the first image of this split WIM to a new or existing WIM file
       "other.wim", run:

              wimexport mywim.swm 1 other.wim --ref="mywim*.swm"

NOTES

Data consistency: Except when using --unsafe-compact, it is safe to abort a wimexport command partway
through. However, after doing this, it is recommended to run wimoptimize on the destination WIM to
remove any data that was appended to the physical WIM file but not yet incorporated into the structure of
the WIM, unless the WIM was being rebuilt (e.g. with --rebuild), in which case you should delete the
temporary file left over.

Data deduplication: The WIM format has built-in deduplication (also called "single instancing") of file
contents. Therefore, when an image is exported, only the file contents not already present in the
destination WIM will be physically copied. However, a new copy of the image's metadata resource, which
describes the image's directory structure, will always be created.

ESD files: wimexport supports solid-compressed WIMs, or "ESD" (.esd) files, except for encrypted ESDs,
which must be decrypted first. The source and destination files of wimexport can be solid WIMs, non-
solid WIMs, or a combination thereof. If the destination file does not exist, then by default it will be
created as solid if the source was solid, or as non-solid if the source was non-solid. To override this,
either specify --solid to create a solid WIM (.esd file), or specify --compress=LZX to create a standard
non-solid WIM (.wim file).

EXAMPLES

       Export the second image of 'boot.wim' to the new WIM file 'new.wim':

              wimexport boot.wim 2 new.wim

       The above example creates "new.wim" with the same compression type as "boot.wim".  If you wish to  change
       the compression type, specify --compress=TYPE; for example:

              wimexport boot.wim 2 new.wim --compress=LZX

       Export "ESD to WIM" --- that is, solid WIM to non-solid WIM:

              wimexport install.esd all install.wim --compress=LZX

       Export "WIM to ESD" --- that is, non-solid WIM to solid WIM:

              wimexport install.wim all install.esd --solid