Multipass

Multipass
Name	Multipass
Developer	Canonical Ltd.
Released	2016
Programming language	C++, Python, Go, Shell
Operating system	Ubuntu, macOS, Windows
Genre	Virtualization, DevOps, Cloud
License	Open source

Multipass

Multipass is a lightweight virtual machine manager and provisioning tool created by Canonical Ltd. to streamline creation and management of ephemeral Ubuntu virtual machines on Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. It provides a command-line interface and cloud-init integration to instantiate reproducible instances for development, testing, and continuous integration, interoperating with technologies like QEMU, KVM, Hyper-V, and Apple Hypervisor Framework. Multipass targets software engineers, DevOps teams, and educators seeking fast, disposable environments consistent with Ubuntu server images.

Overview

Multipass acts as a thin orchestration layer that automates image download, instance lifecycle, networking, and SSH access to virtual machines derived from official Ubuntu cloud images. It exposes commands to launch, list, stop, delete, and shell into instances while supporting user-data via cloud-init for provisioning. The project aligns with Canonical's broader ecosystem including MAAS (Metal as a Service), Juju (software), and Snapcraft, enabling integration into CI tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, and GitHub Actions. Multipass emphasizes portability across host platforms and reproducibility of environments for projects hosted on platforms like Launchpad and services provided by Ubuntu Advantage.

History

Multipass was announced and first released by Canonical Ltd. in 2016 to address developer workflows that required quick access to pristine Ubuntu instances without the overhead of traditional hypervisor setup. Early development paralleled efforts around LXD and Snappy packaging, reflecting Canonical's shift toward containerization and immutable infrastructure. Subsequent milestones included added support for native hypervisors on macOS and Microsoft Windows in response to cross-platform developer demand. The project has seen contributions from Canonical engineers and community maintainers, and public discussions have been held at conferences such as OpenStack Summit and Ubuntu Summit.

Technology and Design

Multipass leverages multiple virtualization backends: on Linux it can use QEMU with KVM, on Windows it relies on Hyper-V or the Windows Subsystem for Linux for some workflows, and on macOS it uses the Apple Hypervisor Framework or HyperKit in some distributions. Its design centers on a minimal daemon that orchestrates image management, networking using host-only and bridged techniques, and ephemeral storage. Images are based on official Ubuntu cloud images and are configured via cloud-init to run startup scripts, install packages, and set ssh keys. Multipass also integrates with canonical packaging systems like snapcraft for distribution and updates, and exposes a gRPC and REST-like local API used by GUIs and IDE plugins. Security considerations include isolation boundaries provided by hypervisor features, integration with host authentication such as OpenSSH keys, and compatibility with AppArmor profiles on Ubuntu hosts.

Applications and Use Cases

Multipass is used to create clean, disposable environments for development of applications targeting Ubuntu Server, testing cross-release compatibility for projects hosted on Launchpad or GitHub, and running ephemeral CI runners in systems like GitLab Runner or Jenkins Pipeline. It supports educational scenarios in classrooms using tools from Canonical's Ubuntu Desktop initiatives and workshops at events like FOSDEM and All Things Open. DevOps teams use Multipass to prototype configurations that later migrate to orchestration platforms like MAAS (Metal as a Service) or Kubernetes, and to reproduce bug reports for packages uploaded to repositories managed via Debian tooling. Researchers employ Multipass to run experiments with networking stacks and distributed systems prototypes originally published in venues such as USENIX and ACM SIGCOMM.

Reception and Criticism

Multipass has been praised for simplicity by developers familiar with tools such as Vagrant, Docker, and Minikube, and for its tight integration with official Ubuntu images and snapcraft distribution. Critics have pointed to limitations compared to full-featured hypervisor managers like VirtualBox or VMware Workstation, such as fewer GUI management capabilities and constrained networking configurability. Platform-specific backend inconsistencies, notably differences between Hyper-V on Microsoft Windows and KVM on Linux, have prompted discussions on forums including Stack Overflow and Ubuntu Discourse. Licensing and governance debates occasionally reference how projects like LXD and MAAS (Metal as a Service) are stewarded by Canonical Ltd. versus community-led models exemplified by Debian and Fedora Project.

Licensing and Governance

Multipass is published by Canonical Ltd. under open source licensing compatible with distribution via snapcraft and traditional packaging systems. Governance follows Canonical's stewardship model with upstream contributions from community members and corporate engineers; project direction is coordinated within Canonical's engineering teams and community channels such as Launchpad and Ubuntu Discourse. The governance approach mirrors Canonical's practices used for projects like Juju (software) and MAAS (Metal as a Service), balancing corporate product goals with community contributions and issue triage via platforms like GitHub and Launchpad.

Category:Virtualization software