micro/go-micro · error

failed to load local profile: %v

Error message

failed to load local profile: %v

What it means

micro (go-micro) CLI command setup tries to load the built-in "local" profile when --profile local is passed. mprofile.LocalProfile() constructs a full stack (registry, broker, store, transport) locally; if any component fails to build, the error is wrapped with this message and aborts the Before hook, so the command never runs.

Source

Thrown at cmd/cmd.go:385

	return c.opts
}

func (c *cmd) Before(ctx *cli.Context) error {
	// If flags are set then use them otherwise do nothing
	var serverOpts []server.Option
	var clientOpts []client.Option
	// --- Profile Grouping Extension ---

	profileName := ctx.String("profile")
	if profileName == "" {
		profileName = os.Getenv("MICRO_PROFILE")
	}
	if profileName != "" {
		switch profileName {
		case "local":
			imported, ierr := mprofile.LocalProfile()
			if ierr != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to load local profile: %v", ierr)
			}
			*c.opts.Registry = imported.Registry
			*c.opts.Broker = imported.Broker
			*c.opts.Store = imported.Store
			*c.opts.Transport = imported.Transport
		default:
			// Plugin-backed profiles (e.g. nats) register themselves from their
			// own package — linked via go-micro.dev/v6/cmd/defaults or a direct
			// import — so binaries that never select them do not carry them.
			imported, ierr := mprofile.Load(profileName)
			if ierr != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to load %s profile: %v", profileName, ierr)
			}
			// Set the registry
			sopts, clopts := c.setRegistry(imported.Registry)
			serverOpts = append(serverOpts, sopts...)
			clientOpts = append(clientOpts, clopts...)

View on GitHub (pinned to 24529f1404)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped inner error (%v) — it names the component that failed to initialize; fix that component's configuration.
2. Drop --profile local (or pass a different profile) so the default option set is used instead.
3. Rebuild the binary with go-micro.dev/v6/cmd/defaults imported so all profile components are linked.
4. Check env vars consumed by the local profile (e.g. registry/broker addresses) and correct them.

Example fix

// before
micro --profile local server
// after (drop the profile or fix underlying cause)
micro server
// or inspect the wrapped error:
// failed to load local profile: <inner cause>

// before invoking with a profile, confirm the binary supports it
if len(os.Getenv("MICRO_PROFILE")) > 0 && os.Getenv("MICRO_PROFILE") != "local" {
    log.Fatalf("profile %q may not be linked; use --profile local or rebuild", os.Getenv("MICRO_PROFILE"))
}

if err := cmd.New().Run(); err != nil {
    var perr error
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to load local profile:") {
        perr = fmt.Errorf("local profile unavailable, falling back to defaults: %w", err)
        log.Println(perr)
        os.Exit(1)
    }
    log.Fatal(err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running a micro CLI binary with --profile local (or a config that selects the local profile) when mprofile.LocalProfile() returns an error — e.g. one of the default components cannot be constructed or an underlying constructor fails.

Common situations: Misconfigured environment that the local profile depends on; a broken or incompatible default plugin build; running a stripped binary where a component the local profile expects is unavailable.

Related errors

• failed to load %s profile: %v
• Cannot use two forms of the same flag: <name> <ff.Name>
• flags not parsed
• failed to start agent: %w
• store %q is not linked into this binary: import go-micro.dev

AI-assisted analysis of micro/go-micro@24529f1404 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9aa28d37124d20b3. Report an issue: GitHub.