Multipass tutorial – ionos

Multipass, from the Canonical Linux distributor is a virtualization solution which allows users to easily create and manage Ubuntu virtual machines (VM) on different operating systems.

Multipass, what is it?

Multipass is a light virtualization applicationspecially designed for developers and system administrators who wish to test or use Ubuntu in an isolated environment, or create a new Ubuntu body using a single order. It allows you to create, launch and manage ubuntu virtual machines with a minimum of effort, while offering a simple and intuitive command line interface (CLI).

Among virtualization software, Multipass is mainly distinguished by its Focus on Ubuntu and the speed of implementation of virtual machines. There Multiplate native support for Windows, MacOS and Linux is also a major asset of this virtualization solution, in comparison, for example, with KVM.

Prerequisites for the use of multipass

To use multipass, the following conditions must be met:

• Operating system: Multipass supports Windows 10 (64 bits), macOS and Linux distributions.
• Material : A system with a 64 -bit processor and at least 4 GB of RAM are recommended to effectively operate the virtual machine.
• Administrator rights: Administrator rights are required for the installation and operation of Multipass.

Installation of multi -sided multi -step

Multipass installation varies according to the operating system.

Windows installation

To install Multipass under Windows, a dedicated installation program is necessary.

Step 1: Download the installation program

Visit it Multipass official website And download the installation program for Windows.

Step 2: Execute the installation program

Then make sure that your local network is defined as private. Without this, Multipass will not be able to start under Windows. Double-click the file you have just downloaded to launch the installation program and follow the installation assistant instructions.

Step 3: Finalize the installation

Once the installation is completed, you can use Multipass via the command prompt or PowerShell.

MacOS installation

Under macOS, Multipass is easily downloaded via the packet manager Homebrew. If you don't use it yet, you should install Homebrew before installing Multipass.

Step 1: Download via Homebrew

First open your terminal and run the following command to update Homebrew and install Multipass:

brew install --cask multipass

Now Homebrew automatically installs multipass.

Step 2: Check the installation

After installation, check the correct multi -pass installation by entering the command multipass version in the terminal.

Linux installation

Different installation methods are available for Ubuntu and other Linux distributions:

Option 1: Installation on Ubuntu via APT

Update the packet management system APT And install multipass under Ubuntu using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install multipass

Option 2: Installation on other distributions via snap

If your distribution supports the packet manager Snapyou can install Multipass by performing the command below:

sudo snap install multipass

Whatever the Multipass Installation method under Linux chosen, you can now check that the virtualization tool is properly installed by executing multipass version in your terminal.

Once multi -pass installed, you can start creating and managing ubuntu virtual machines.

Step 1: Create a virtual machine

To create a new virtual machine, use the command launch. This command downloads the most recent Ubuntu image and launches a new VM that you can name as you wish using the optional setting --name. It is advisable to do so, if not a random name and little description will be generated.

multipass launch --name test-vm

Step 2: Determine the version of Ubuntu

If you want to use a particular version of Ubuntu, display all the versions available with this command:

You will get a list of different versions of Ubuntu with their alias. If you want more information on a specific version, use the command multipass info [versionname/alias]. Then specify the version of your choice in the Launch command. In this example, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS will be installed:

multipass launch --name test-vm 22.04

Step 3: Check the status of virtual machines

To display the list of all active virtual machines, use the following command. This displays all the VMs in progress, their status, their IP address and other relevant information.

Step 4: Connect to a virtual machine

To access a virtual machine in progress, use the command shell ::

multipass shell test-vm

This command opens an SSH session to the specified virtual machine, allowing you to work directly with it.

Step 5: Manage and control virtual machines

Multipass offers a series of commands to manage your virtual machines:

• Hang a VM: multipass suspend test-vm
• Start of a previously suspended VM: multipass start test-vm
• Remove a VM: multipass delete test-vm
• Remove all deleted VMs: multipass purge (deleted virtual machines remain in status deleted until they are definitively deleted in this way)