Common OVF Tool

2.2.1 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no python

COT (Common OVF Tool) is a Python library and command-line tool for editing and managing OVF/OVA files, commonly used with Cisco virtual platforms. Current version is 2.2.1, with a slow release cadence (approximately annual).

pip install cot

Common errors

error ImportError: No module named cot ↓

cause COT is not installed or Python environment is incorrect.

fix

Run 'pip install cot' and verify you are using Python 3.4+.

error cot: error: argument --cpus: invalid int value: '2' ↓

cause Incorrect argument syntax on command line; --cpus expects an integer but got a string due to shell quoting.

fix

Use '--cpus 2' (no quotes) or '--cpus=2' correctly.

Warnings

gotcha Python version support: COT requires Python >=2.7, <4, but drops Python 3.3 as of v2.2.0. Ensure you are using Python 3.4+. ↓

fix Use Python 3.4 or later.

gotcha QEMU version compatibility: For creating streamOptimized VMDK files, QEMU >= 2.5.1 is required. Versions 2.1.0-2.5.0 produce incompatible VMDKs. ↓

fix Install QEMU 2.5.1+ or use vmdktool as fallback.

Imports

COT
wrong
```
import cot
```
correct
```
from cot import COT
```
Direct import of 'cot' does not expose the main class; use from cot import COT.

Quickstart

Basic example to load an OVA, edit hardware, and save.

from cot import COT
ovf = COT('path/to/input.ova')
ovf.edit_hardware(cpus=2, memory=4096)
ovf.save('path/to/output.ova')