microsoft/aspire · error · NotSupportedException

Container runtime ' ' does not support image configuration…

Error message

Container runtime '{runtime.Name}' does not support image configuration inspection, which is required for Azure sandbox deployment.

What it means

To capture entrypoint/command metadata for the sandbox disk image, the integration inspects the local image configuration via InspectImageConfigAsync. If the runtime reports Status == Unsupported for configuration inspection, deployment throws NotSupportedException, mirroring the manifest-inspection check.

Solutions

  1. Install a fully supported runtime (Docker Desktop or Podman) and ensure it is first on PATH.
  2. Upgrade the runtime to a version supporting image configuration inspection.
  3. Check the runtime name in the message to identify which tool was resolved and correct PATH/ordering.
  4. Alternatively supply the image from a registry with a supported runtime available so config inspection can run.

Example fix

// before (shell)
which docker   # resolves to a limited wrapper script

// after
export PATH="/usr/bin:$PATH"   # or install Docker Desktop/Podman; re-run aspire deploy
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

var proc = await Process.RunAsync("docker", "image inspect <image>");
if (proc.ExitCode != 0) throw new InvalidOperationException("Runtime cannot inspect image config; install Docker/Podman.");

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: InspectLocalContainerImageAsync calls runtime.InspectImageConfigAsync, and the resolved runtime adapter returns ContainerImageInspectionStatus.Unsupported — the runtime tool cannot export image config (e.g. minimal or nonstandard runtime implementation).

Common situations: Machine has an exotic or stripped-down container runtime resolved first on PATH; a runtime CLI lacking `image inspect`/config export capability; misconfigured runtime selection picking the wrong tool.

Understand the failure class

Background: "unsupported platform" / "not supported on this platform" errors: what they mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 47 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of microsoft/aspire@25830f84bd (2026-09-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d1c798d98735ce1a. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Aspire.Hosting.Azure.Sandboxes/AzureSandboxContainerDeployment.cs:1111

        var entrypoint = resource is ContainerResource container && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(container.Entrypoint)
            ? new[] { container.Entrypoint }
            : null;
        var command = resolvedArgs.Count == 0 ? null : resolvedArgs;

        return new ResolvedModeledCommand(entrypoint, command, egressHosts);
    }

    internal static bool HasModeledCommandConfiguration(IResource resource) =>
        resource is ContainerResource { Entrypoint: { Length: > 0 } } ||
        resource.TryGetAnnotationsOfType<CommandLineArgsCallbackAnnotation>(out var callbacks) && callbacks.Any();

    private static async Task<ContainerImageMetadata> InspectLocalContainerImageAsync(PipelineStepContext context, string imageReference)
    {
        var runtime = await ResolveContainerRuntimeAsync(context).ConfigureAwait(false);
        var result = await runtime.InspectImageConfigAsync(imageReference, context.CancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
        if (result.Status == ContainerImageInspectionStatus.Unsupported)
        {
            throw new NotSupportedException(
                $"Container runtime '{runtime.Name}' does not support image configuration inspection, which is required for Azure sandbox deployment.");
        }

        if (result.Status == ContainerImageInspectionStatus.Failed)
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException(
                result.ErrorMessage ?? $"Container runtime failed to inspect image configuration '{imageReference}'.");
        }

        if (!result.TryGetConfig(out var config))
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Container runtime did not return image configuration for '{imageReference}'.");
        }

        return new ContainerImageMetadata(
            config.Entrypoint,
            config.Command,
            new Dictionary<string, string>(StringComparer.Ordinal),

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