launch failed: http and file based images are not supported outside of Linux

[MilanMasek]

Describe the bug
This is regarding feature of launching images as described at https://multipass.run/docs/launch-command.

At Windows hosts, 'url' or 'file' argument of 'multipass launch' command fails reporting that "http and file based images are not supported".

Similarly, as commented at https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/new-way-to-launch-images-other-than-cloud-images-from-simplestreams/6282/2 , such issue exists on MacOS as well.

To Reproduce
How, and what happened?
1.

PS C:\> multipass.exe launch --name vm1-ubuntu18 "file://C:\ubuntu-core-18-amd64.img.xz"
launch failed: http and file based images are not supported

PS C:\> multipass.exe launch --name vm1-ubuntu18 "http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-core/18/stable/current/ubuntu-core-18-amd64.img.xz"
launch failed: http and file based images are not supported

Expected behavior
Working feature of launching images other than cloud images from SimpleStreams.

Logs
Please provide logs from the daemon, see accessing logs on where to find them on your platform.

PS C:\> multipass.exe launch --name vm1-ubuntu18 "file://C:\ubuntu-core-18-amd64.img.xz" -vvvv
[2020-06-16T13:59:52.378] [debug] [ubuntu2004] Got VMState: poweroff

[2020-06-16T13:59:52.429] [debug] [primary] Got VMState: poweroff

launch failed: http and file based images are not supported

Additional info

• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise, OS Version: 10.0.18362 N/A Build 18362
• multipass version: multipass 1.3.0+win, multipassd 1.3.0+win

Additional context
N/A

[mikegrima]

Have any reasons been provided for why macOS and Windows don't support this feature? At the very least the docs should reflect this.

[OnnoH]

+1 on this bug/feature. Please add support for Mac OS as well.

[pcgeek86]

Hey @Saviq any news on this? I'd really like to be able to specify a local file or URI to pull an image from.

[dimasanwaraziz]

multipass launch --name ubuntu-lts file://ubuntu-18.04.4-desktop-amd64.iso
launch failed: http and file based images are not supported

Windows 10 still

[mfernandes61]

+1 on this. Would be really useful to create training instances from a base plus tools & data for bioinformatics training for Mac & windows learners

[MilanMasek]

Just wondering if this will get ever higher priority, if it is complicated to resolve, or if there is some kind of political reasoning behind.
Re-trying time to time. Persists with 1.6.0rc

PS C:\Users\masmil> date; multipass.exe version; multipass.exe -vvv launch --name ubuntu1910 file://.\software\ubuntu-core-18-amd64.img.xz

Sunday, January 17, 2021 4:07:14 PM
multipass  1.6.0-rc.478+g3114b643.win
multipassd 1.6.0-rc.478+g3114b643.win
launch failed: http and file based images are not supported

[jpouyaud-perso]

+1 for this feature

[waketzheng]

polarapfel commented on Mar 6, 2020
I agree with some of the comments here.

The documentation mentions nowhere that http and file based images are not supported on certain platforms. This needs to be updated in the documentation.

#1029 (comment)

[Saviq]

Duplicate of #1260