abiosoft/colima · warning

unable to read embedded file: %w

Error message

unable to read embedded file: %w

What it means

A warning inside editConfigFile when embedded.ReadString('defaults/abort.yaml') fails to read the abort-instruction header from the go:embed filesystem compiled into the colima binary. Because the assets are embedded at build time, a failure nearly always means a broken custom build (asset removed from the tree before compiling, embed pattern mismatch), not a runtime environment issue. The flow continues with an empty header.

Source

Thrown at cmd/start.go:677

	}

	setFixedConfigs(&startCmdArgs.Config)
}

// editConfigFile launches an editor to edit the config file.
func editConfigFile() (config.Config, error) {
	var c config.Config

	// preserve the current file in case the user terminates
	currentFile, err := os.ReadFile(config.CurrentProfile().File())
	if err != nil {
		return c, fmt.Errorf("error reading config file: %w", err)
	}

	// prepend the config file with termination instruction
	abort, err := embedded.ReadString("defaults/abort.yaml")
	if err != nil {
		log.Warnln(fmt.Errorf("unable to read embedded file: %w", err))
	}

	tmpFile, err := waitForUserEdit(startCmdArgs.Flags.Editor, []byte(abort+"\n"+string(currentFile)))
	if err != nil {
		return c, fmt.Errorf("error editing config file: %w", err)
	}

	// if file is empty, abort
	if tmpFile == "" {
		return c, fmt.Errorf("empty file, startup aborted")
	}

	defer func() {
		_ = os.Remove(tmpFile)
	}()
	if startCmdArgs.Flags.SaveConfig {
		if err := configmanager.SaveFromFile(tmpFile); err != nil {
			return c, err

View on GitHub (pinned to c3a5f9184d)

Solutions

1. If using an official binary, this is not your config — reinstall colima to rule out corruption
2. If building from source, restore embedded/defaults/abort.yaml (or fix the //go:embed pattern in embedded/embed.go) and rebuild
3. Ignore safely: the edit flow proceeds, only the instructional comment atop the temp file is missing

Example fix

// before: asset missing from the embed tree
// (build warning at compile time, runtime warn on `colima start --edit`)

// after: ensure the file exists relative to the embed directive
// embedded/embed.go: //go:embed network k3s defaults images
// embedded/defaults/abort.yaml must exist; then rebuild:
// go build ./cmd/colima

When it happens

Trigger: Running a colima binary built from a source tree where embedded/defaults/abort.yaml was deleted or renamed without updating the //go:embed directive; corrupted binary. Not triggerable by normal user configuration.

Common situations: Contributors building colima locally after moving embedded assets; patched/repacked binaries distributed outside brew/Nix; effectively never seen in official releases.

Related errors

• error reading embedded file: %w
• error reading template file: %w
• error editing config file: %w
• empty file, startup aborted
• error editing template file: %w

AI-assisted analysis of abiosoft/colima@c3a5f9184d (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e0b1fd503326a786. Report an issue: GitHub.