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user data is just a string, a file asset is a binary zip file. Why do you need to send a file asset?

well, it's extremely convenient to have them as shell files (which they basically are). Even when working with terraform files, I usually load them as separate files. The scenario where I'll work with one as a multiline string is quite rare.

You can read the file from the file system into a string, you just can’t use FileAsset

I worked it out, it's just 'model breaking' - I want to collect my pulumi project logically. Restricting file assets to binary content may be a correct technical motivation but seems counterproductive from a utility point of view. same with other text contents like IAM policies.

You can absolutely do that, it’s just the FileAsset resource that has specific implementation details.

oh well 🙂 we still have that other thread which is a bit more interesting to me

@billowy-army-68599 do you have an example of doing this? Is it just reading the file and adding the string?