Canonical Multipass 1.17 Adds Non-Ubuntu Linux Distro Support

Summary: Canonical’s Multipass software is used to launch Ubuntu virtual instances with a single command across Windows, macOS, and Linux. With version 1.17, Multipass now offers direct support for non-Ubuntu Linux distributions as well.

Canonical’s Multipass tool is software that allows developers and system administrators to quickly create Ubuntu virtual machines on their local machines. With this new version 1.17, Multipass is no longer limited to Ubuntu and has started supporting other Linux distributions. This significantly expands the tool’s scope of use.

Multipass creates lightweight VMs by utilizing virtualization technologies like Hyper-V, KVM, or VirtualBox in the background. It simplifies VM lifecycle management (start, stop, snapshot) through a single command-line interface (CLI). The newly added support is achieved by enabling the ability to download and run images of various Linux distributions, offering developers more flexibility.

This development is highly beneficial for infrastructure engineers. It now becomes easier to perform application tests, conduct compatibility checks, or experiment with distribution-specific configurations on different Linux distributions. It provides a practical advantage, especially in developing software that requires multi-distribution support or in rapidly preparing test environments within CI/CD processes.

The ability for developers and testing teams to create consistent test environments across different operating systems and distributions enhances software quality and accelerates deployment processes. This new feature of Multipass makes it a powerful tool for such scenarios.

🔗 Source: Phoronix Hardware
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