lima-vm/lima · error

cannot add global fields to instance data

Error message

cannot add global fields to instance data: %w

What it means

After the message template parses, Inspect calls AddGlobalFields(inst) to build the template data. If that helper fails, the error is recorded and the instance marked StatusBroken. AddGlobalFields computes derived/global view fields for the template data model.

Solutions

1. Verify ~/.lima/<inst>/lima.yaml is well-formed and complete
2. Update Lima to the latest release (field-derivation bugs are fixed upstream)
3. Recreate the instance if its stored YAML cannot be repaired
4. File an issue with the Lima project if the error persists on a valid instance

inst, err := store.Inspect(ctx, instDir)
if inst != nil && inst.Status == limatype.StatusBroken {
    for _, e := range inst.Errors {
        if strings.Contains(e.Error(), "cannot add global fields") {
            // treat as internal/state error: update Lima or recreate instance
        }
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: AddGlobalFields returns an error while deriving global fields (e.g. computing SSH address or other derived instance fields) during `limactl list --format` / Inspect processing.

Common situations: Instance struct in an inconsistent state (missing fields from a partially loaded/corrupted lima.yaml); internal bug after a Lima version change altered FormatData.

Related errors

• cannot execute template %#q
• message %#q is not a valid template
• another hostagent may already be running with pid
• configuration is nil
• configuration is nil

AI-assisted analysis of lima-vm/lima@dd909d0973 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a0a7fc56fe1c50eb. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at pkg/store/instance.go:132

		inst.CPUs = 0
		inst.Disk = 0
	}

	protected := filepath.Join(instDir, filenames.Protected)
	if _, err := os.Lstat(protected); !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
		inst.Protected = true
	}

	inspectStatus(ctx, instDir, inst, y)

	tmpl, err := template.New("format").Parse(y.Message)
	if err != nil {
		inst.Errors = append(inst.Errors, fmt.Errorf("message %#q is not a valid template: %w", y.Message, err))
		inst.Status = limatype.StatusBroken
	} else {
		data, err := AddGlobalFields(inst)
		if err != nil {
			inst.Errors = append(inst.Errors, fmt.Errorf("cannot add global fields to instance data: %w", err))
			inst.Status = limatype.StatusBroken
		} else {
			data.Param = y.Param
			var message strings.Builder
			err = tmpl.Execute(&message, data)
			if err != nil {
				inst.Errors = append(inst.Errors, fmt.Errorf("cannot execute template %#q: %w", y.Message, err))
				inst.Status = limatype.StatusBroken
			} else {
				inst.Message = message.String()
			}
		}
	}

	limaVersionFile := filepath.Join(instDir, filenames.LimaVersion)
	if version, err := os.ReadFile(limaVersionFile); err == nil {
		inst.LimaVersion = strings.TrimSpace(string(version))
		if _, err = versionutil.Parse(inst.LimaVersion); err != nil {

View on GitHub (pinned to dd909d0973)