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