Multipass: Quick Virtual Machines for Developers

What is Multipass?

Multipass is a simple tool that lets you create lightweight Linux virtual machines with one command.

Instead of installing heavy virtual machine software, Multipass gives you:

• Quick VM creation (seconds, not minutes)
• Minimal resource usage
• Easy to delete when you’re done
• Same interface on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Why Use It

You might need a VM to:

• Test your code in a clean Linux environment
• Install software without cluttering your main system
• Try something risky safely
• Develop on Linux when your main machine is Windows or Mac
• Set up services (databases, web servers) for testing

How It Works

Instead of:

1. Download VM software (VirtualBox, VMware) - 30 minutes
2. Download Ubuntu ISO - 5 minutes
3. Create new VM - 10 minutes
4. Install OS - 15 minutes
5. Configure network - 5 minutes
6. Finally start working - much later

With Multipass:

multipass launch

Done. You have a running Ubuntu VM. Immediately.

Common Use Cases

Test a deployment script

Create a clean VM, run your script, verify it works, delete the VM.

Try new software safely

Install Kubernetes, Docker, whatever in the VM. Doesn’t affect your machine.

Develop in Linux on a Mac/Windows laptop

Your app runs on Linux in production? Test it in a Linux VM on your Mac.

Quick learning environment

Want to learn Linux admin? Spin up a VM and experiment without risk.

Basic Commands

# Create and start a VM
multipass launch --name my-vm

# List your VMs
multipass list

# Access the VM
multipass shell my-vm

# Run a command in the VM
multipass exec my-vm -- apt update

# Stop it
multipass stop my-vm

# Delete it
multipass delete my-vm

Real Example: Test a Script

You wrote a deployment script that should work on Linux.

# Create a clean VM
multipass launch -n test

# Copy your script into the VM
multipass transfer my-deploy-script.sh test:/home/ubuntu/

# Run it
multipass exec test -- bash /home/ubuntu/my-deploy-script.sh

# Check if it worked - no problem
# Delete the VM
multipass delete test

Your actual system? Untouched.

Why Data Engineers Like It

• Set up PostgreSQL or MySQL in seconds for testing
• Test data pipelines in clean Linux environments
• Try different tool versions without conflicts
• Quick CI/CD testing locally before pushing

Multipass vs Docker

Multipass: Full Linux machine. Use when you need everything.

Docker: Single application container. Use when you want isolation and portability.

They’re different tools for different jobs.

When Not to Use It

• If you need Windows on Windows (Multipass is Linux only)
• For production deployment (that’s what servers are for)
• If you need a persistent VM (it’s meant for temporary environments)

Getting Started

Multipass is free and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Download from https://multipass.run/

Once installed, one command gives you a working Linux machine.

That’s powerful for testing and learning.