## File: README.md [[šŸŒŽ**Web site**]](https://lima-vm.io/) [[šŸ“–**Documentation**]](https://lima-vm.io/docs/) [[šŸ‘¤**Slack (`#lima`)**]](https://slack.cncf.io) # Lima: Linux Machines [](https://deepwiki.com/lima-vm/lima) [](https://www.bestpractices.dev/projects/6505) [](https://scorecard.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com/lima-vm/lima) [Lima](https://lima-vm.io/) launches Linux virtual machines with automatic file sharing and port forwarding (similar to WSL2). The original goal of Lima was to promote [containerd](https://containerd.io) including [nerdctl (contaiNERD ctl)](https://github.com/containerd/nerdctl) to Mac users, but Lima can be used for non-container applications as well. Lima also supports other container engines (Docker, Podman, Kubernetes, etc.) and non-macOS hosts (Linux, NetBSD, etc.). ## Getting started Set up (Homebrew): ```bash brew install lima limactl start ``` To run Linux commands: ```bash lima uname -a ``` To run containers with containerd: ```bash lima nerdctl run --rm hello-world ``` To run containers with Docker: ```bash limactl start template:docker export DOCKER_HOST=$(limactl list docker --format 'unix://{{.Dir}}/sock/docker.sock') docker run --rm hello-world ``` To run containers with Kubernetes: ```bash limactl start template:k8s export KUBECONFIG=$(limactl list k8s --format 'unix://{{.Dir}}/copied-from-guest/kubeconfig.yaml') kubectl apply -f ... ``` See for the further information. ## Contributing We welcome contributions! Please see our [Contributing Guide](https://lima-vm.io/docs/community/contributing/) for details on: - **Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)**: All commits must be signed off with `git commit -s` - Code licensing and pull request guidelines - Testing requirements ## Community ### Adopters Container environments: - [Rancher Desktop](https://rancherdesktop.io/): Kubernetes and container management to the desktop - [Colima](https://github.com/abiosoft/colima): Docker (and Kubernetes) on macOS with minimal setup - [Finch](https://github.com/runfinch/finch): Finch is a command line client for local container development - [Podman Desktop](https://podman-desktop.io/): Podman Desktop GUI has a plug-in for Lima virtual machines GUI: - [Lima xbar plugin](https://github.com/unixorn/lima-xbar-plugin): [xbar](https://xbarapp.com/) plugin to start/stop VMs from the menu bar and see their running status. - [lima-gui](https://github.com/afbjorklund/lima-gui): Qt GUI for Lima ### Communication channels - [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/lima-vm/lima/discussions) - `#lima` channel in the CNCF Slack - New account: - Login: - Community meetings on Zoom (tentatively monthly) - Meeting notes & agenda proposals: https://github.com/lima-vm/lima/discussions/categories/meetings - Calendar: https://zoom-lfx.platform.linuxfoundation.org/meetings/lima ### Social media accounts Follow us for project updates, release announcements, and community news: - https://x.com/@TheLimaProject - https://mastodon.social/@TheLimaProject ### Code of Conduct Lima follows the [CNCF Code of Conduct](https://github.com/cncf/foundation/blob/main/code-of-conduct.md). - - - **We are a [Cloud Native Computing Foundation](https://cncf.io/) incubating project.** The Linux FoundationĀ® (TLF) has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of TLF trademarks, see [Trademark Usage](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/legal/trademark-usage). --- ## File: templates/README.md ## Quick usage To create and start a new instance from the template `fedora`: ```bash # Note: In Lima 1.x, template URLs included leading slashes, e.g. `template://fedora`. limactl create template:fedora limactl start fedora ``` or ```bash limactl start template:fedora # For the second time onward, just run `limactl start fedora` ``` To open a shell: ```bash limactl shell fedora ``` or ```bash export LIMA_INSTANCE=fedora lima ``` ## Template list ā­ = ["Tier 1"](#tier) ā˜† = ["Tier 2"](#tier) ### Default - [`default`](./default.yaml) (ā­Ubuntu, with containerd/nerdctl) ### Linux distributions - [`almalinux-8`](./almalinux-8.yaml): AlmaLinux 8 - [`almalinux-9`](./almalinux-9.yaml): AlmaLinux 9 - [`almalinux-10`](./almalinux-10.yaml), `almalinux`: AlmaLinux 10 - [`experimental/almalinux-kitten-10`](./experimental/almalinux-kitten-10.yaml), `experimental/almalinux-kitten`: AlmaLinux Kitten 10 - [`alpine-3.21`](./alpine-3.21.yaml): Alpine Linux 3.21 - [`alpine-3.22`](./alpine-3.22.yaml): Alpine Linux 3.22 - [`alpine-3.23`](./alpine-3.23.yaml), `alpine`: ā˜†Alpine Linux 3.23 - [`alpine-iso`](./alpine-iso.yaml): ā˜†Alpine Linux (ISO9660 image). Compatible with the `alpine` template used in Lima prior to v1.0. - [`archlinux`](./archlinux.yaml): ā˜†Arch Linux - [`centos-stream-9`](./centos-stream-9.yaml), `centos-stream`: CentOS Stream 9 - [`centos-stream-10`](./centos-stream-10.yaml): CentOS Stream 10 - [`debian-11`](./debian-11.yaml): Debian GNU/Linux 11 (Bullseye) - [`debian-12`](./debian-12.yaml): Debian GNU/Linux 12 (Bookworm) - [`debian-13`](./debian-13.yaml), `debian`: ā­Debian GNU/Linux 13 (Trixie) - [`fedora-41`](./fedora-41.yaml): Fedora 41 - [`fedora-42`](./fedora-42.yaml): Fedora 42 - [`fedora-43`](./fedora-43.yaml), Fedora 43 - [`fedora-44`](./fedora-44.yaml), `fedora`: ā­Fedora 44 - [`opensuse-leap-15`](./opensuse-leap-15.yaml): openSUSE Leap 15 - [`opensuse-leap-16`](./opensuse-leap-16.yaml), `opensuse-leap`, `opensuse`: ā­openSUSE Leap 16 - [`oraclelinux-8`](./oraclelinux-8.yaml): Oracle Linux 8 - [`oraclelinux-9`](./oraclelinux-9.yaml): Oracle Linux 9 - [`oraclelinux-10`](./oraclelinux-10.yaml), `oraclelinux`: Oracle Linux 10 - [`rocky-8`](./rocky-8.yaml): Rocky Linux 8 - [`rocky-9`](./rocky-9.yaml): Rocky Linux 9 - [`rocky-10`](./rocky-10.yaml), `rocky`: Rocky Linux 10 - [`ubuntu-20.04`](./ubuntu-20.04.yaml): Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) - [`ubuntu-22.04`](./ubuntu-22.04.yaml): Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) - [`ubuntu-24.04`](./ubuntu-24.04.yaml): Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) - [`ubuntu-24.10`](./ubuntu-24.10.yaml): Ubuntu 24.10 (Oracular Oriole) - [`ubuntu-25.04`](./ubuntu-25.04.yaml): Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin) - [`ubuntu-25.10`](./ubuntu-25.10.yaml): Ubuntu 25.10 (Questing Quokka) - [`ubuntu-26.04`](./ubuntu-26.04.yaml), `ubuntu`, `ubuntu-lts`: Ubuntu 26.04 (Resolute Raccoon) - Same as `default` but comment lines are omitted from the YAML - [`experimental/ubuntu-next`](./experimental/ubuntu-next.yaml): Ubuntu vNext - [`experimental/gentoo`](./experimental/gentoo.yaml): Gentoo - [`experimental/opensuse-tumbleweed`](./experimental/opensuse-tumbleweed.yaml): openSUSE Tumbleweed - [`experimental/debian-sid`](./experimental/debian-sid.yaml): Debian Sid - [`experimental/fedora-rawhide`](./experimental/fedora-rawhide.yaml): Fedora Rawhide ### Non-Linux NOTE: support for non-Linux OSes is [experimental](https://lima-vm.io/docs/releases/experimental/). - [`macos-15`](./macos-15.yaml): [macOS](https://lima-vm.io/docs/usage/guests/macos/) 15 (Sequoia) - [`macos-26`](./macos-26.yaml), `macos`: [macOS](https://lima-vm.io/docs/usage/guests/macos/) 26 (Tahoe) - [`freebsd-15`](./freebsd-15.yaml), `freebsd`: [FreeBSD](https://lima-vm.io/docs/usage/guests/freebsd/) 15 - [`experimental/freebsd-current`](./experimental/freebsd-current.yaml): [FreeBSD](https://lima-vm.io/docs/usage/guests/freebsd/) CURRENT - [`windows-2025`](./windows-2025.yaml): [Windows](https://lima-vm.io/docs/usage/guests/windows/) server 2025 ### Alternative package managers - [`linuxbrew`](./linuxbrew.yaml), `homebrew-linux`: [Homebrew](https://brew.sh) on Linux (Ubuntu) - [`homebrew-macos`](./homebrew-macos.yaml): [Homebrew](https://brew.sh) on macOS ### Containers #### Container engines - [`apptainer`](./apptainer.yaml): [Apptainer](https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/containers/apptainer/) - [`apptainer-rootful`](./apptainer-rootful.yaml): [Apptainer](https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/containers/apptainer/) (rootful) - [`docker`](./docker.yaml): ā­[Docker](https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/containers/docker/) - [`docker-rootful`](./docker-rootful.yaml): [Docker](https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/containers/docker/) (rootful) - [`podman`](./podman.yaml): [Podman](https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/containers/podman/) - [`podman-rootful`](./podman-rootful.yaml): [Podman](https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/containers/podman/) (rootful) - LXD is installed in the default Ubuntu template, so there is no `lxd` #### Container image builders - [`buildkit`](./buildkit.yaml): BuildKit #### Container orchestration - [`faasd`](./faasd.yaml): [Faasd](https://docs.openfaas.com/deployment/edge/) - [`k0s`](./k0s.yaml): [k0s](https://k0sproject.io/) Zero Friction Kubernetes - [`k3s`](./k3s.yaml): Kubernetes via k3s - [`k8s`](./k8s.yaml): ā­[Kubernetes](https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/containers/kubernetes/) via kubeadm - [`experimental/rke2`](./experimental/rke2.yaml): RKE2 - [`experimental/u7s`](./experimental/u7s.yaml): [Usernetes](https://github.com/rootless-containers/usernetes): Rootless Kubernetes ### AI agents See . ### Optional feature enablers - [`experimental/vnc`](./experimental/vnc.yaml): use vnc display and xorg server - [`experimental/alsa`](./experimental/alsa.yaml): use alsa and default audio device ### Lost+found Details - `centos`: Removed in Lima v0.8.0, as CentOS 8 reached [EOL](https://www.centos.org/centos-linux-eol/). Replaced by [`almalinux`](./almalinux.yaml), [`centos-stream`](./centos-stream.yaml), [`oraclelinux`](./oraclelinux.yaml), and [`rocky`](./rocky.yaml). - `singularity`: Moved to [`apptainer-rootful`](./apptainer-rootful.yaml) in Lima v0.13.0, as Singularity was renamed to Apptainer. - `experimental/apptainer`: Moved to [`apptainer`](./apptainer.yaml) in Lima v0.13.0. - `experimental/{almalinux,centos-stream-9,oraclelinux,rocky}-9`: Moved to [`almalinux-9`](./almalinux-9.yaml), [`centos-stream-9`](./centos-stream-9.yaml), [`oraclelinux-9`](./oraclelinux-9.yaml), and [`rocky-9`](./rocky-9.yaml) in Lima v0.13.0. - `nomad`: Removed in Lima v0.17.1, as Nomad is [no longer free software](https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/commit/b3e30b1dfa185d9437a25830522da47b91f78816) - `centos-stream-8`: Remove in Lima v0.23.0, as CentOS Stream 8 reached [EOL](https://blog.centos.org/2023/04/end-dates-are-coming-for-centos-stream-8-and-centos-linux-7/). - `deprecated/centos-7`: Remove in Lima v0.23.0, as CentOS 7 reached [EOL](https://blog.centos.org/2023/04/end-dates-are-coming-for-centos-stream-8-and-centos-linux-7/). - `experimental/vz`: Merged into the default template in Lima v1.0. See also . - `experimental/armv7l`: Merged into the `default` template in Lima v1.0. Use `limactl create --arch=armv7l template:default`. - `experimental/riscv64`: Merged into the `default` template in Lima v1.0. Use `limactl create --arch=riscv64 template:default`. - `vmnet`: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use `limactl create --network=lima:shared template:default` instead. See also . - `experimental/net-user-v2`: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use `limactl create --network=lima:user-v2 template:default` instead. See also . - `experimental/9p`: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use `limactl create --vm-type=qemu --mount-type=9p template:default` instead. See also . - `experimental/virtiofs-linux`: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use `limactl create --mount-type=virtiofs-linux template:default` instead. See also . ## Tier - "Tier 1" (marked with ā­): Good stability. Regularly tested on the CI. - "Tier 2" (marked with ā˜†): Moderate stability. Regularly tested on the CI. Other templates are tested only occasionally and manually.