[Bug]: `container network create` hangs on `--subnet` flag usage.
- Dominant language
- Swift
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- 1d 20h
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Description
### I have done the following
- [x] I have searched the existing issues
- [ ] If possible, I've reproduced the issue using the 'main' branch of this project
### Steps to reproduce
`container network create --subnet 192.168.0.0./16 [name]`
`container network create --subnet 192.168.0.0/16 --debug [name]`
### Current behavior
`--debug` flag fails to be recognized.
`--subnet` flag just hangs, and when escaping to try again I get another error.
### Expected behavior
network [name] is created and visible when running `container network ls`
### Environment
```markdown
- OS: macOS 26.3 (25D122)
- Xcode: Version 26.2 (17C52)
- Container: Container CLI version 0.7.1
```
### Relevant log output
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:29.909498 (user/502) : service inactive: com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:29.909540 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88079]) : service state: not running │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:29.909584 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : Service only ran for 0 seconds. Pushing respawn out by 10 seconds. │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:29.909718 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : internal event: WILL_SPAWN, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:29.909724 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : service state: spawn scheduled │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:29.909729 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : service spawn deferred by 10 seconds due to throttle │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.914276 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : service state: spawning │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.914387 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : launching: ipc (mach) │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.917418 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : xpcproxy spawned with pid 88385 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.917476 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : internal event: SPAWNED, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.917486 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : service state: xpcproxy │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.917496 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : deferred event: domain spawn response: 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.917508 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : internal event: SOURCE_ATTACH, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.933548 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : service state: running │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.933573 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : internal event: INIT, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.933617 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : Successfully spawned container-network-vmnet[88385] because ipc (mac│
h) │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977536 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : exited due to exit(1), ran for 61ms │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977559 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : service state: exited │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977572 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : internal event: EXITED, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977580 (user/502) : service inactive: com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977615 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net [88385]) : service state: not running │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977667 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : Service only ran for 0 seconds. Pushing respawn out by 10 seconds. │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977797 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : internal event: WILL_SPAWN, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977804 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : service state: spawn scheduled │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log:2026-02-07 15:26:39.977809 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.malware-net) : service spawn deferred by 10 seconds due to throttle │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:21:50.917472 (user/502) : failed lookup: name = com.apple.container.apiserver, requestor = container[15524], error = 3: No such process │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:19.150593 (user/502) : failed lookup: name = com.apple.container.apiserver, requestor = container[16544], error = 3: No such process │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.073766 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver) : internal event: WILL_SPAWN, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.073773 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver) : service state: spawn scheduled │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.073774 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver) : service state: spawning │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.073804 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver) : launching: speculative │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.074310 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver [16563]) : xpcproxy spawned with pid 16563 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.074321 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver [16563]) : internal event: SPAWNED, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.074323 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver [16563]) : service state: xpcproxy │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.074427 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver [16563]) : internal event: SOURCE_ATTACH, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.100121 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver [16563]) : service state: running │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.100132 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver [16563]) : internal event: INIT, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.100138 (user/502/com.apple.container.apiserver [16563]) : Successfully spawned container-apiserver[16563] because speculative │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.482582 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default) : internal event: WILL_SPAWN, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.482586 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default) : service state: spawn scheduled │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.482588 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default) : service state: spawning │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.482704 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default) : launching: speculative │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.483269 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default [16570]) : xpcproxy spawned with pid 16570 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.483287 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default [16570]) : internal event: SPAWNED, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.483289 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default [16570]) : service state: xpcproxy │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.483413 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default [16570]) : internal event: SOURCE_ATTACH, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.515056 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default [16570]) : service state: running │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.515083 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default [16570]) : internal event: INIT, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:24.515098 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-network-vmnet.default [16570]) : Successfully spawned container-network-vmnet[16570] because speculativ│
e │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.238362 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images) : internal event: WILL_SPAWN, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.238377 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images) : service state: spawn scheduled │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.238379 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images) : service state: spawning │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.238422 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images) : launching: ipc (mach) │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.239772 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images [16573]) : xpcproxy spawned with pid 16573 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.239803 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images [16573]) : internal event: SPAWNED, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.239807 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images [16573]) : service state: xpcproxy │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.239822 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images [16573]) : internal event: SOURCE_ATTACH, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.270970 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images [16573]) : service state: running │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.270992 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images [16573]) : internal event: INIT, code = 0 │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.1:2026-02-07 14:22:25.271003 (user/502/com.apple.container.container-core-images [16573]) : Successfully spawned container-core-images[16573] because ipc (mach) │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.2:2026-02-07 10:11:06.287260 (gui/502 [100017]) : denied lookup: name = com.apple.containermanagerd, requestor = navd[1363], error = 159: Sandbox restriction │
./com.apple.xpc.launchd/launchd.log.2:2026-02-07 11:17:09.823398 (gui/502 [100017]) : denied lookup: name = com.apple.containermanagerd, requestor = navd[1363], error = 159: Sandbox restriction │
./install.log:2026-01-09 12:24:22-05 [hostname] Installer[85282]: container-installer-signed.pkg : com.apple.container-installer : 0.7.1 │
./install.log: "PKLeopardPackage " │
./install.log:2026-01-09 12:24:24-05 [hostname] installd[1531]: PackageKit: Writing receipt for com.apple.container-installer to /
```shell
N/A
```
### Code of Conduct
- [x] I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by reproducing both `container network create` commands, then trace the CLI handling of `--subnet` and `--debug` and the `container-network-vmnet` service shown in the launchd logs. Compare the command behavior with `container network ls`; done means valid subnet input no longer hangs, `--debug` is handled, and the network is created and listed.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- macos, swift
- Domain
- cli, networking
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100