---
layout: "docs"
page_title: "Drivers: LXC"
sidebar_current: "docs-drivers-lxc"
description: |-
  The LXC task driver is used to run application containers using LXC.
---

# LXC Driver

Name: `lxc`

The `lxc` driver provides an interface for using LXC for running application
containers.

!> **Experimental!** Currently, the LXC driver supports launching containers
via templates but only supports host networking. If both an LXC image and the
host it is run on use upstart or systemd, shutdown signals may be passed from
the container to the host.

~> LXC is only enabled in the special `linux_amd64_lxc` build of Nomad because
it links to the `liblxc` system library. Use the `lxc` build tag if compiling
Nomad yourself.

## Task Configuration

```hcl
task "busybox" {
  driver = "lxc"

  config {
    log_level = "trace"
    verbosity = "verbose"
    template = "/usr/share/lxc/templates/lxc-busybox"
  }
}
```

The `lxc` driver supports the following configuration in the job spec:

* `template` - The LXC template to run.

    ```hcl
    config {
      template = "/usr/share/lxc/templates/lxc-alpine"
    }
    ```

* `log_level` - (Optional) LXC library's logging level. Defaults to `error`.
  Must be one of `trace`, `debug`, `info`, `warn`, or `error`.

    ```hcl
    config {
      log_level = "debug"
    }
    ```

* `verbosity` - (Optional) Enables extra verbosity in the LXC library's
  logging. Defaults to `quiet`. Must be one of `quiet` or `verbose`.

    ```hcl
    config {
      verbosity = "quiet"
    }
    ```

## Networking

Currently the `lxc` driver only supports host networking. See the `none`
networking type in the [`lxc.container.conf` manual][lxc_man] for more
information.

[lxc_man]: https://linuxcontainers.org/lxc/manpages/man5/lxc.container.conf.5.html#lbAM

## Client Requirements

The `lxc` driver requires the following:

* 64-bit Linux host
* The `linux_amd64_lxc` Nomad binary
* `liblxc` to be installed
* `lxc-templates` to be installed

## Client Configuration

* `lxc.enable` - The `lxc` driver may be disabled on hosts by setting this
  [client configuration][/docs/agent/configuration/client.html##options-parameters]
  option to `false` (defaults to `true`).

## Client Attributes

The `lxc` driver will set the following client attributes:

* `driver.lxc` - Set to `1` if LXC is found  and enabled on the host node.
* `driver.lxc.version` - Version of `lxc` e.g.: `1.1.0`.

## Resource Isolation

This driver supports CPU and memory isolation via the `lxc` library. Network
isolation is not supported as of now.