abiosoft/colima · error

error preparing to copy VM: %w

Error message

error preparing to copy VM: %w

What it means

Returned by `colima clone` (cmd/clone.go:40) when the external `mkdir -p <to.LimaInstanceDir()>` fails while preparing the destination directory for the copied VM files. The %w carries the mkdir exit error.

Source

Thrown at cmd/clone.go:40

		from := config.ProfileFromName(args[0])
		to := config.ProfileFromName(args[1])

		logrus.Infof("preparing to clone %s...", from.DisplayName)
		{
			// verify source profile exists
			if stat, err := os.Stat(from.LimaInstanceDir()); err != nil || !stat.IsDir() {
				return fmt.Errorf("colima profile '%s' does not exist", from.ShortName)
			}

			// verify destination profile does not exists
			if stat, err := os.Stat(to.LimaInstanceDir()); err == nil && stat.IsDir() {
				return fmt.Errorf("colima profile '%s' already exists, delete with `colima delete %s` and try again", to.ShortName, to.ShortName)
			}

			// copy source to destination
			logrus.Info("cloning virtual machine...")
			if err := cli.Command("mkdir", "-p", to.LimaInstanceDir()).Run(); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("error preparing to copy VM: %w", err)
			}

			if err := cli.Command("cp",
				filepath.Join(from.LimaInstanceDir(), "basedisk"),
				filepath.Join(from.LimaInstanceDir(), "diffdisk"),
				filepath.Join(from.LimaInstanceDir(), "cidata.iso"),
				filepath.Join(from.LimaInstanceDir(), "lima.yaml"),
				to.LimaInstanceDir(),
			).Run(); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("error copying VM: %w", err)
			}
		}

		{
			logrus.Info("copying config...")
			// verify source config exists
			if _, err := os.Stat(from.LimaInstanceDir()); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("config missing for colima profile '%s': %w", from.ShortName, err)

View on GitHub (pinned to c3a5f9184d)

Solutions

1. Check ownership/permissions of the lima home: `ls -ld ~/.colima/_lima` and fix with `sudo chown -R $(id -un) ~/.colima/_lima` if needed
2. Find and remove any regular file occupying the destination path or its parents
3. Check free space with `df -h ~` and free space before retrying the clone

// Pre-flight: ensure the lima home parent is writable and path is clear
limaHome := filepath.Join(home, ".colima", "_lima")
if err := os.MkdirAll(limaHome, 0755); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("cannot prepare lima home: %w", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: The parent of the destination instance dir (the colima lima home, e.g. ~/.colima/_lima) is not writable by the current user, a regular file occupies a path component (mkdir -p fails), or the disk is full.

Common situations: Permissions on the lima home changed (e.g. created by root at some point); leftover file where a directory is expected; home volume out of space.

Related errors

• cannot copy config to new profile '%s': %w
• error reading ssh config: %w
• error modifying %s: %w
• config missing for colima profile '%s': %w
• error copying VM config: %w

AI-assisted analysis of abiosoft/colima@c3a5f9184d (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8040843895230d77. Report an issue: GitHub.