Lima
vmvm-toolopen sourceLinux VMs on macOS with automatic file sharing and port forwarding, the engine under Colima.
documentedlima-vm.io ↗
Lima launches Linux VMs on macOS (Virtualization.framework or QEMU) with automatic file sharing and port forwarding, aimed at running Linux and containers from the Mac. Each VM has its own kernel behind a hardware boundary. It is the engine Colima wraps to provide a Docker/containerd runtime.
Strengths
- Turnkey Linux VMs on macOS with file sharing and port forwarding
- Backend choice of Virtualization.framework or QEMU
- Free, open source, and the base under Colima
Limitations
- macOS only
- Bind-mount file sharing carries the usual virtio-fs/inotify papercuts
- Full-VM overhead versus a per-container microVM
Files & editor
desktop-remotevirtiofs / reverse-sshfs mounts, attach your editor over Remote-SSH, or edit inside with vim/nvim.
How you get your project into the environment and edit it. Shared-kernel routes bind-mount host files for your desktop editor; own-kernel routes keep files in the guest, so a desktop editor attaches over remote, or you edit inside. Mounts and remote editing.