hashicorp/vagrant · error · Vagrant::Errors::NoEnvironmentError

A Vagrant environment or target machine is required to run t

Error message

A Vagrant environment or target machine is required to run this
command. Run `vagrant init` to create a new Vagrant environment. Or,
get an ID of a target machine from `vagrant global-status` to run this
command on. A final option is to change to a directory with a
Vagrantfile and to try again.

What it means

A v2 command using with_target_vms requires a local Vagrant environment when either no target names were given (act on all machines) or at least one given name is not found in the global machine index; if env.root_path is nil in that situation, NoEnvironmentError fires (lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/command.rb:110). Unlike the v1 variant, v2 tolerates index-known names (IDs from `vagrant global-status`) without a local Vagrantfile.

Source

Thrown at lib/vagrant/plugin/v2/command.rb:110

          # Require that names be an array
          names ||= []
          names = [names] if !names.is_a?(Array)

          # Determine if we require a local Vagrant environment. There are
          # two cases that we require a local environment:
          #
          #   * We're asking for ANY/EVERY VM (no names given).
          #
          #   * We're asking for specific VMs, at least once of which
          #     is NOT in the local machine index.
          #
          requires_local_env = false
          requires_local_env = true if names.empty?
          requires_local_env ||= names.any? { |n|
            !@env.machine_index.include?(n)
          }
          raise Errors::NoEnvironmentError if requires_local_env && !@env.root_path

          @logger.info("getting active machines")
          # Cache the active machines outside the loop
          active_machines = @env.active_machines

          # This is a helper that gets a single machine with the proper
          # provider. The "proper provider" in this case depends on what was
          # given:
          #
          #   * If a provider was explicitly specified, then use that provider.
          #     But if an active machine exists with a DIFFERENT provider,
          #     then throw an error (for now), since we don't yet support
          #     bringing up machines with different providers.
          #
          #   * If no provider was specified, then use the active machine's
          #     provider if it exists, otherwise use the default provider.
          #
          get_machine = lambda do |name|

View on GitHub (pinned to 35f3160f4a)

Solutions

1. cd into the project directory containing the Vagrantfile and re-run
2. If targeting a global machine, re-run `vagrant global-status` and use a current ID
3. Unset a stale VAGRANT_CWD (`unset VAGRANT_CWD`)
4. Run `vagrant init` if you intended to start a new environment here

env = Vagrant::Environment.new
needs_local = names.empty? || names.any? { |n| !env.machine_index.include?(n) }
abort "no Vagrantfile here — cd into the project or use a global-status ID" if needs_local && !env.root_path

begin
  command.with_target_vms(names) { |m| operate(m) }
rescue Vagrant::Errors::NoEnvironmentError
  warn "run inside a Vagrant project, or target a machine ID from `vagrant global-status`"
end

When it happens

Trigger: Any all-machines command (`vagrant up`, `vagrant status`) run in a directory with no Vagrantfile; or `vagrant ssh <name>` where <name> is neither defined in a local Vagrantfile nor a live entry in the machine index (expired or typo'd global-status ID).

Common situations: Running from the wrong directory or tmux pane; a stale VAGRANT_CWD; using a machine ID copied from an old `vagrant global-status` listing whose index entry has since expired.

Related errors

• A Vagrant environment or target machine is required to run t
• You requested to remove the box '%{name}' version '%{version
• The box you're attempting to add already exists. Remove it b
• Vagrant attempted to acquire a lock named '%{name}', but thi
• An invalid option was specified. The help for this command i

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/vagrant@35f3160f4a (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f8f6f10c22c3d365. Report an issue: GitHub.