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is the perfect tool for testing CNAP worker configurations locally without any cloud costs. Built by Canonical specifically for testing scenarios, Multipass lets you quickly spin up Ubuntu VMs on your local machine to test worker setups before buying production machines. It provides free local testing, rapid iteration (quickly create, destroy, and recreate test workers), and production simulation (test exact worker setup procedures in a local environment).
Performance considerations: Local testing with Multipass will be slower than production servers due to your home internet connection (typically much slower than datacenter 1-10+ Gbps links) and limited local resources. Ensure your VM has at least 1 CPU and 3GB RAM for reliable testing.
CNAP’s managed architecture is designed so your workers don’t need a public IP address. When a worker starts, it automatically creates an outbound tunnel to the , allowing the control plane to reach the securely.

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Prerequisites

Install Multipass on your development machine:

macOS Installation

Using Homebrew (Recommended)
Install Multipass
brew install multipass
Manual DownloadDownload from https://multipass.run Install the .pkg file
Verify installation (macOS)
multipass version
Using Snap (Recommended)
Install Multipass
# Ubuntu/Debian and most Linux distributions
sudo snap install multipass
Manual DownloadDownload from https://multipass.run Follow distribution-specific installation instructions
Verify installation (Linux)
multipass version
Using Chocolatey (Recommended)
Install Multipass
choco install multipass
Manual DownloadDownload installer from https://multipass.run Run the .exe installer
Verify installation (Windows)
multipass version

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Setting Up a Test Worker

1

Create Your CNAP Cluster

First, ensure you have an active cluster in your CNAP dashboard. You’ll need the worker setup command from this cluster.
2

Launch Multipass VM

Create a new Ubuntu VM with adequate resources for testing:
Create and verify VM
# Create VM with recommended specs for testing
multipass launch --name cnap-worker --cpus 2 --memory 4G --disk 20G

# Verify VM is running
multipass list
Use --cpus 4 --memory 8G for more realistic production testing scenarios.
3

Connect to Your Test VM

Connect to VM
# SSH into the Multipass VM
multipass shell cnap-worker
You’re now inside the Ubuntu VM, ready to test the worker setup.
4

Get Worker Setup Command and Test

In your CNAP dashboard, navigate to your active cluster, click the “Quick Actions” menu, select “Add a worker”, and copy the bootstrap command.Inside the Multipass VM, run the worker setup command:
Infrastructure setup command in the CNAP dashboard.
The setup will automatically:
  • Install Kubernetes components
  • Configure networking
  • Join the worker to your cluster
  • Establish outbound tunnel to control plane
5

Verify Connection

Check your CNAP dashboard - the worker should appear as “Active” within 1-2 minutes.

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Testing Product Deployments

With your Multipass worker connected, you can test complete product deployment workflows:
  1. Create test products in your CNAP dashboard
  2. Deploy to test cluster using your Multipass worker
  3. Verify deployments work correctly
  4. Iterate configurations without cloud costs
Product ingress considerations: If your product exposes services and expects a public IP, you’ll need to use your local VM’s IP address instead. Get it with multipass info cnap-worker. This depends on each product’s deployment - some products use cloudflared tunnels which work seamlessly, while others may require manual IP configuration for local testing.

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Cleanup and Management

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VM Management

Manage VM lifecycle
# Stop the VM when not testing
multipass stop cnap-worker

# Start it again when needed
multipass start cnap-worker

# Delete when done testing
multipass delete cnap-worker
multipass purge

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Worker Cleanup

When you’re done testing, remove the worker from your cluster:
  1. In CNAP dashboard, go to your cluster
  2. Find the Multipass worker in the worker list
  3. Remove it to keep your cluster clean

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Advanced Testing Scenarios

Test multi-worker scenarios by creating multiple VMs:
Create multiple test workers
# Create additional test workers
multipass launch --name cnap-worker-2 --cpus 2 --memory 4G --disk 20G
multipass launch --name cnap-worker-3 --cpus 2 --memory 4G --disk 20G

# Connect each one using the same worker setup command

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Troubleshooting

  • Check available system resources (CPU, RAM, disk)
  • Verify Multipass service is running: multipass version
  • Try with lower resource requirements: --cpus 1 --memory 2G
  • Ensure VM has internet connectivity: curl -I https://dash.cnap.tech/worker.sh
  • Verify the worker token hasn’t expired (6 hours)
  • Try the setup command with sudo explicitly
  • Wait 2-3 minutes for registration to complete
  • Check VM system time is synchronized
  • Verify outbound HTTPS connections work
  • Check CNAP dashboard shows cluster as “Active”

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What’s Next?

Once you’ve validated your worker configuration with Multipass:

Add Production Workers

Use the same commands on production servers

Learn About Clusters

Understand how clusters work in CNAP

Package Your Software

Create products to deploy on your tested infrastructure

Launch Your Marketplace

Create a storefront for your products