Cannot create duplicate image alias

1

With the incus command line it is not possible to create an image alias if it already exists.

However, the images server has duplicate aliases all over the place.

$ incus image list images: ubuntu/noble/cloud/amd64 -c Lft
+--------------------------+--------------+-----------------+
|         ALIASES          | FINGERPRINT  |      TYPE       |
+--------------------------+--------------+-----------------+
| ubuntu/24.04/cloud       | b148397bbc9d | CONTAINER       |
| ubuntu/24.04/cloud/amd64 |              |                 |
| ubuntu/noble/cloud       |              |                 |
| ubuntu/noble/cloud/amd64 |              |                 |
+--------------------------+--------------+-----------------+
| ubuntu/24.04/cloud       | e3c22552e85c | VIRTUAL-MACHINE |
| ubuntu/24.04/cloud/amd64 |              |                 |
| ubuntu/noble/cloud       |              |                 |
| ubuntu/noble/cloud/amd64 |              |                 |
+--------------------------+--------------+-----------------+

Is there a reason to not allow duplicate aliases from the incus command line?

$ incus init images:ubuntu/noble/cloud u1
Creating u1
$ incus init images:ubuntu/noble/cloud v1 --vm
Creating v1

$ incus image alias create ubuntu/noble/cloud b148397bbc9d
$ incus image alias create ubuntu/noble/cloud e3c22552e85c
Error: Alias "ubuntu/noble/cloud" already exists
2

Yep, it’s a difference in API.

Image servers using the simplestreams protocol can report multiple images as having the same alias. Incus’ REST API however does not support doing that and making it possible would cause an API break.

3

OK Thanks. I can live with this. No big deal.