abiosoft/colima · error

error deleting container data: %w

Error message

error deleting container data: %w

What it means

With `colima delete --data` (data=true) and the extra data disk in use, limautil.DeleteDisk must erase the Lima diff disk holding container data; failure is returned. Ordering matters: the VM and configs are already deleted at this point, so only the data disk remains.

Source

Thrown at app/app.go:289

			}
		}
	}

	// teardown vm
	if err := c.guest.Teardown(ctx); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error during teardown of vm: %w", err)
	}

	// delete configs
	if err := configmanager.Teardown(); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error deleting configs: %w", err)
	}

	// delete runtime disk if disk in use and data deletion is requested
	if diskInUse && data {
		log.Println("deleting container data")
		if err := limautil.DeleteDisk(); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error deleting container data: %w", err)
		}

		if err := store.Reset(); err != nil {
			log.Trace("error resetting store: %w", err)
		}
	}

	log.Println("done")

	if err := generateSSHConfig(false); err != nil {
		log.Trace("error generating ssh_config: %w", err)
	}
	return nil
}

func (c colimaApp) SSH(args ...string) error {
	ctx := context.Background()
	if !c.guest.Running(ctx) {

View on GitHub (pinned to c3a5f9184d)

Solutions

1. Retry with `colima delete --data --force`
2. Remove the leftover diff-disk artifacts under ~/.lima/colima manually once no process uses them
3. Fix ownership: `sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.lima` and retry
4. Confirm nothing remains: `limactl list` should not show the profile

if err := a.Delete(true, false); err != nil {
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "error deleting container data") {
        // VM and configs are already removed; retry with force, then clear ~/.lima/<profile> diff disks by hand
        return a.Delete(true, true)
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: `colima delete --data` when the data disk cannot be removed: the disk reference in the lima instance is inconsistent, an earlier partial delete left the instance half-gone, or files under ~/.lima are locked or permission-denied.

Common situations: Running a --data delete right after a failed stop/delete; permissions under ~/.lima changed by sudo usage; version skew between colima and lima disk handling.

Related errors

• error during teardown of vm: %w
• error creating runtime disk: %w
• error parsing disk mount script template: %v
• dependency check failed for VM: %w
• error starting vm: %w

AI-assisted analysis of abiosoft/colima@c3a5f9184d (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/44287b9fc66fec1a. Report an issue: GitHub.