Multipass: Fast Ubuntu VMs on Windows, macOS & Linux
Multipass: Fast Ubuntu VMs on Windows, macOS & Linux
Table of contents:-
Launching and managing virtual machines need not be a chore. With Multipass you can spin up fresh Ubuntu instances in seconds, prototype cloud deployments on your local workstation and learn Linux without the usual setup headaches. Whether you work on Windows, macOS or Linux, Multipass brings a consistent command‑line interface, cloud‑style imagery and powerful automation hooks to your desktop. In this guide, we’ll explore what makes Multipass such a nimble developer companion, walk through its core commands, dig into performance and security considerations, highlight real‑world use cases, and offer tips for smooth sailing. Grab a cuppa, settle in and let’s get started.
What is Multipass?
At its heart, Multipass is a lightweight VM manager tailored for Ubuntu. Developed and maintained by Canonical, it provides a simple but robust command‑line tool that launches Ubuntu virtual machines almost as swiftly as you’d open a new terminal window. Under the bonnet it employs native hypervisors—Hyper‑V on Windows, QEMU or KVM on Linux, and QEMU on macOS—for minimal overhead and near‑instant starts. If you already use cloud‑init to configure public‑cloud instances, you’ll feel right at home: Multipass fully embraces cloud‑style metadata to initialise instances just as you would on AWS, Azure or Google Cloud.
Designed for developers, QA engineers, students and hobbyists alike, Multipass eliminates the friction of dual‑booting, manual image downloads and complex virtual‑machine GUIs. Instead, one command is all it takes:
Boom – you’ve got a pristine Ubuntu 24.04 LTS shell ready for action.
Getting started
Setting up Multipass is straightforward and uniform across platforms. Here’s a quick overview:
Linux
Install via the Snap store:
sudo snap install multipass
On distributions without snaps, you can download a Debian package or use the official tarball.
macOS
Grab the latest installer from the Multipass homepage or use Homebrew (community‑maintained):
brew install --cask multipass
Windows
Download the Windows installer from the official site and follow the wizard. You’ll need Hyper‑V enabled or, if unavailable, VirtualBox can be set as a fallback driver.
Once installed, a single line will validate your setup:
If no instances are listed, you’re good to go. Launch your first VM with:
Multipass will fetch the default Ubuntu image, configure networking, assign resources and drop you into the shell:
That’s it. You’re now operating inside a clean Ubuntu environment.
Core commands at a glance
launch: create and start a new instance
list: view running and stopped instances
shell: open an interactive shell in an instance
exec: run a single command inside an instance (e.g. multipass exec devbox -- uname -a)
stop / start: pause or resume instances
delete: remove an instance (use --purge to free disk space)
info: display detailed stats including CPU, memory, disk and IP addresses
mount / umount: share host directories with instances
snapshot / restore: checkpoint and revert instance state
These commands form a concise toolkit that covers most local‑cloud prototyping needs.
Key features
Multipass stands out thanks to a handful of compelling features that streamline development workflows.
Images and cloud‑init
Multipass maintains a curated catalogue of Ubuntu images—covering LTS releases and interim versions—that are optimised for fast boot and cloud usage. Want to spin up Ubuntu 22.04 with your own initial configuration? Simply supply a cloud‑init YAML file:
Within seconds, your instance will have all packages installed, users created and services configured exactly as defined. This is identical to how you’d initialise an EC2 or Compute Engine VM, making Multipass an excellent local testbed for cloud deployment playbooks.
Performance and resource control
By default, each new instance gets one CPU core, 1 GiB RAM and 5 GiB disk, but everything is configurable via command options or the set command:
On platforms with hardware virtualisation support, performance is near‑native. Multipass uses KVM’s or Hyper‑V’s paravirtualised drivers to reduce overhead, while macOS users benefit from QEMU’s tight integration with Apple’s hypervisor framework.
Networking and IP addresses
Instances are attached to a host‑managed network bridge, ensuring each VM gets its own private IPv4 address. You can retrieve it with:
For advanced scenarios, multiple network interfaces can be created per instance, allowing you to simulate multi‑NIC cloud architectures. Port forwarding can also be configured for external access to services running inside your VMs.
Shared folders
Need to share code or data between host and guest? The mount command makes it trivial:
Any changes you make on your laptop appear instantly inside the VM, bridging the gap between host‑side editors and guest‑side execution environments.
Snapshots and backups
Rapid experimentation often requires clean rollbacks. Multipass snapshots capture the full VM state:
Should things go awry, revert instantly:
This feature is invaluable for testing risky configurations, database experiments or OS upgrades without fear of permanent breakage.
Security and isolation
Multipass leverages the same isolation principles as public clouds. Each Ubuntu instance runs in its own sandbox, isolated from the host OS and other instances. Networking is segregated, and file‑system mounts are opt‑in.
Images are pulled straight from Ubuntu’s official archives, verified via cryptographic checksums, and updated regularly. If you require the utmost security posture, consider running Multipass on a host with hardware‑enforced secure boot and using encrypted file systems inside your instances. As always, treat your VMs as you would any remote server: apply regular security updates, limit exposed services and configure firewall rules appropriately.
Real‑world use cases
Multipass fits a broad spectrum of scenarios:
Quick dev environments
Spin up disposable sandboxes to test new libraries, experiment with system‑wide changes or learn the command line without cluttering your main OS.CI/CD and testing pipelines
Integrate Multipass into local automation scripts to create fresh test beds, run acceptance tests and then tear everything down—ideal for reproducible builds.Cloud migration rehearsals
Prototype Infrastructure‑as‑Code playbooks locally using cloud‑init, tweak them until perfect, then apply the same definitions to your real cloud provider with confidence.Multi‑node clusters
Launch several instances on a single machine to simulate small Kubernetes clusters, distributed databases or container‑orchestration platforms without needing multiple physical machines.Educational workshops
Provision standardised Ubuntu environments for students or workshop attendees in seconds, ensuring everyone starts from the same baseline.
Advanced tips
Alias common commands
Add handy shell functions or aliases for frequently used instances.Automate with scripts
The clean CLI makes it easy to author Bash or PowerShell scripts that orchestrate entire workflows end to end.Custom images
Build your own Ubuntu cloud‑init images and add them to Multipass’s image cache for lightning‑fast launches.Logging and diagnostics
Enable verbose mode (--verbose) for deep insights into launch failures or network issues.Driver switching
On Windows and macOS you can switch from the default hypervisor to VirtualBox if you encounter driver conflicts or need Guest Additions.
Troubleshooting
Instance fails to start
Check that hardware virtualisation is enabled in your BIOS/UEFI and that your host OS supports the chosen hypervisor.Network unreachable
Inspect the virtual network interface on your host and ensure no firewall rules block internal bridges.Excessive disk usage
Purge unused instances and images with multipass purge to reclaim space.Slow performance
Increase CPU and memory allocation via the set command or tweak hypervisor settings on your host.
Conclusion
Multipass shines as an elegant bridge between desktop workstations and cloud‑style environments. Its minimalist interface, coupled with Ubuntu’s rich tooling and cloud‑init capabilities, makes it a go‑to solution for developers, testers and educators seeking fast, reproducible virtual machines. By abstracting away hypervisor peculiarities and focusing on a consistent user experience, Multipass empowers you to concentrate on code, configuration and experimentation—knowing you can always roll back, snapshot or tear down environments at will.
Disclaimer
Multipass, Ubuntu and other referenced trade names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This article is provided for informational purposes only. Always assess software and open‑source tools according to your organisation’s policies and back up any important data on your primary device before experimentation. Use at your own calculated risk after thorough deliberation.
References
Ubuntu Multipass documentation: https://documentation.ubuntu.com/multipass/
Canonical Multipass overview: https://canonical.com/multipass
GitHub – canonical/multipass: https://github.com/canonical/multipass
Multipass CLI commands: https://multipass.run/docs/multipass-cli-commands
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