(reference-instance-states)=

Instance states

See also: Command-line interface

Instances in Multipass can be in a number of different states:

State	Description
Running	The instance is currently running and is ready to be used.
Stopped	The instance has been intentionally stopped and is not currently consuming resources. It can be started when needed.
Deleted	The instance has been marked for deletion. The instance can either be recovered or purged.
Starting	The instance is in the process of being started up and initialised. It will transition to the Running state once fully started.
Restarting	The instance is undergoing a restart. This involves stopping the instance and then starting it again.
Delayed shutdown	The instance has been sent a shutdown signal and will be stopped after a specified delay. This allows for any ongoing processes to be completed before shutdown.
Suspending	This instance is in the process of being suspended. The instance's state and memory will be saved, allowing it to be resumed from where it left off.
Suspended	The instance has been suspended, meaning its state and memory have been saved. It can be resumed from this state to continue its operation.
Unknown	The state of the instance cannot be determined or retrieved. This might occur due to unexpected errors or issues with Multipass.

<!-- - `Running`: The instance is currently running and is ready to be used. - `Stopped`: The instance has been intentionally stopped and is not currently consuming resources. It can be started when needed. - `Deleted`: The instance has been marked for deletion. The instance can either be recovered or purged. - `Starting`: The instance is in the process of being started up and initialised. It will transition to the `Running` state once fully started. - `Restarting`: The instance is undergoing a restart. This involves stopping the instance and then starting it again. - `Delayed Shutdown`: The instance has been sent a shutdown signal and will be stopped after a specified delay. This allows for any ongoing processes to be completed before shutdown. - `Suspending`: This instance is in the process of being suspended. The instance's state and memory will be saved, allowing it to be resumed from where it left off. - `Suspended`: The instance has been suspended, meaning its state and memory have been saved. It can be resumed from this state to continue its operation. - `Unknown`: The state of the instance cannot be determined or retrieved. This might occur due to unexpected errors or issues with Multipass. -->

These instance states reflect the various stages an instance can be in while using Multipass. Instances in different states can accept different commands. See Command-line interface for more information on which commands can be used and when.