Following the instructions at HACKING.md: git clone https://github.com/snapcore/snapcraft.git cd snapcraft sudo snap install lxd sudo lxd init --auto --storage-backend=dir The following commands seem to be unnecessary in a fresh Ubuntu VM from a cloud image as the ubuntu user is already a member of the lxd group as confirmed by "groups". # sudo adduser "$USER" lxd # newgrp lxd Then: $ ./tools/environment-setup.sh Creating snapcraft-dev Error: Failed to run: /usr/lib/lxd/lxd forkstart snapcraft-dev /var/lib/lxd/containers /var/log/lxd/snapcraft-dev/lxc.conf: Try `lxc info --show-log snapcraft-dev` for more info $ lxc info --show-log snapcraft-dev Name: snapcraft-dev Remote: unix:// Architecture: x86_64 Created: 2019/10/11 14:00 UTC Status: Stopped Type: persistent Profiles: default Log: lxc snapcraft-dev 20191011140030.686 ERROR conf - conf.c:lxc_map_ids:2999 - newuidmap failed to write mapping "newuidmap: uid range [1000-1001) -> [1000-1001) not allowed": newuidmap 7549 0 100000 1000 1000 1000 1 1001 101001 64535 lxc snapcraft-dev 20191011140030.686 ERROR start - start.c:lxc_spawn:1708 - Failed to set up id mapping. lxc snapcraft-dev 20191011140030.706 WARN network - network.c:lxc_delete_network_priv:2613 - Invalid argument - Failed to remove interface "vethRXAOYT" from "lxdbr0" lxc snapcraft-dev 20191011140030.706 ERROR lxccontainer - lxccontainer.c:wait_on_daemonized_start:842 - Received container state "ABORTING" instead of "RUNNING" lxc snapcraft-dev 20191011140030.707 ERROR start - start.c:__lxc_start:1939 - Failed to spawn container "snapcraft-dev" lxc 20191011140030.720 WARN commands - commands.c:lxc_cmd_rsp_recv:132 - Connection reset by peer - Failed to receive response for command "get_state" Expected: container successfully created Actual: lxd error on the uid mapping I don't understand why this isn't working. Here's the problem reduced to just lxd: https://pastebin.ubuntu.com/p/8Sfk349bJf/ It isn't clear to me if this is a problem with the instructions in HACKING.md, with your setup script, or an lxd bug. However this is a great big obstacle in getting a development environment set up for snapcraft, so I'm filing it here.