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https://github.com/lima-vm/lima.git
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Sharan Raj T
f3407cac7f
Add support for `nestedVirtualization` in the QEMU driver: - On macOS (aarch64, HVF): requires QEMU 11.1.0 or later and macOS 15 or later (Apple M3 or later). QEMU 11.1 added nested virtualization support to HVF for the aarch64 `virt` machine using `hv_vm_config_set_el2_enabled` (https://wiki.qemu.org/ChangeLog/11.1). Enabled by appending `virtualization=on` to the `-machine virt` option. - On Linux (aarch64, KVM): requires QEMU 10.1.0 or later and a host kernel (6.16 or later) booted with `kvm-arm.mode=nested`. Enabled by appending `virtualization=on` to the `-machine virt` option. - On Linux (x86_64, KVM): verifies that nested virtualization is enabled in the host KVM module (`kvm_intel` or `kvm_amd` parameter `nested`) and that CPU type `host` is used. For unsupported architectures or accelerators, a warning is logged and the field is ignored. Tested on Apple M4 / macOS 26.5 with QEMU 11.1.0: the guest kernel initializes KVM in nVHE mode and a nested KVM VM boots EDK2 to the UEFI shell. Fix #5419 Signed-off-by: Sharan Raj T <sharanrajtm@gmail.com>
Quick usage
To create and start a new instance from the template fedora:
# Note: In Lima 1.x, template URLs included leading slashes, e.g. `template://fedora`.
limactl create template:fedora
limactl start fedora
or
limactl start template:fedora
# For the second time onward, just run `limactl start fedora`
To open a shell:
limactl shell fedora
or
export LIMA_INSTANCE=fedora
lima
Template list
⭐ = "Tier 1"
☆ = "Tier 2"
Default
default(⭐Ubuntu, with containerd/nerdctl)
Linux distributions
almalinux-8: AlmaLinux 8almalinux-9: AlmaLinux 9almalinux-10,almalinux: AlmaLinux 10experimental/almalinux-kitten-10,experimental/almalinux-kitten: AlmaLinux Kitten 10alpine-3.21: Alpine Linux 3.21alpine-3.22: Alpine Linux 3.22alpine-3.23,alpine: ☆Alpine Linux 3.23alpine-iso: ☆Alpine Linux (ISO9660 image). Compatible with thealpinetemplate used in Lima prior to v1.0.archlinux: ☆Arch Linuxcentos-stream-9,centos-stream: CentOS Stream 9centos-stream-10: CentOS Stream 10debian-11: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (Bullseye)debian-12: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (Bookworm)debian-13,debian: ⭐Debian GNU/Linux 13 (Trixie)fedora-41: Fedora 41fedora-42: Fedora 42fedora-43, Fedora 43fedora-44,fedora: ⭐Fedora 44opensuse-leap-15: openSUSE Leap 15opensuse-leap-16,opensuse-leap,opensuse: ⭐openSUSE Leap 16oraclelinux-8: Oracle Linux 8oraclelinux-9: Oracle Linux 9oraclelinux-10,oraclelinux: Oracle Linux 10rocky-8: Rocky Linux 8rocky-9: Rocky Linux 9rocky-10,rocky: Rocky Linux 10ubuntu-20.04: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa)ubuntu-22.04: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)ubuntu-24.04: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat)ubuntu-24.10: Ubuntu 24.10 (Oracular Oriole)ubuntu-25.04: Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin)ubuntu-25.10: Ubuntu 25.10 (Questing Quokka)ubuntu-26.04,ubuntu,ubuntu-lts: Ubuntu 26.04 (Resolute Raccoon)- Same as
defaultbut comment lines are omitted from the YAML
- Same as
experimental/ubuntu-next: Ubuntu vNextexperimental/gentoo: Gentooexperimental/opensuse-tumbleweed: openSUSE Tumbleweedexperimental/debian-sid: Debian Sidexperimental/fedora-rawhide: Fedora Rawhide
Non-Linux
NOTE: support for non-Linux OSes is experimental.
macos-15: macOS 15 (Sequoia)macos-26,macos: macOS 26 (Tahoe)freebsd-15,freebsd: FreeBSD 15experimental/freebsd-current: FreeBSD CURRENTwindows-2025: Windows server 2025
Alternative package managers
linuxbrew,homebrew-linux: Homebrew on Linux (Ubuntu)homebrew-macos: Homebrew on macOS
Containers
Container engines
apptainer: Apptainerapptainer-rootful: Apptainer (rootful)docker: ⭐Dockerdocker-rootful: Docker (rootful)podman: Podmanpodman-rootful: Podman (rootful)- LXD is installed in the default Ubuntu template, so there is no
lxd
Container image builders
buildkit: BuildKit
Container orchestration
faasd: Faasdk0s: k0s Zero Friction Kubernetesk3s: Kubernetes via k3sk8s: ⭐Kubernetes via kubeadmexperimental/rke2: RKE2experimental/u7s: Usernetes: Rootless Kubernetes
AI agents
See https://lima-vm.io/docs/examples/ai/.
Optional feature enablers
experimental/vnc: use vnc display and xorg serverexperimental/alsa: use alsa and default audio deviceexperimental/hcs: use HCS driver on Windows hosts
Lost+found
Details
centos: Removed in Lima v0.8.0, as CentOS 8 reached EOL. Replaced byalmalinux,centos-stream,oraclelinux, androcky.singularity: Moved toapptainer-rootfulin Lima v0.13.0, as Singularity was renamed to Apptainer.experimental/apptainer: Moved toapptainerin Lima v0.13.0.experimental/{almalinux,centos-stream-9,oraclelinux,rocky}-9: Moved toalmalinux-9,centos-stream-9,oraclelinux-9, androcky-9in Lima v0.13.0.nomad: Removed in Lima v0.17.1, as Nomad is no longer free softwarecentos-stream-8: Remove in Lima v0.23.0, as CentOS Stream 8 reached EOL.deprecated/centos-7: Remove in Lima v0.23.0, as CentOS 7 reached EOL.experimental/vz: Merged into the default template in Lima v1.0. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/vmtype/.experimental/armv7l: Merged into thedefaulttemplate in Lima v1.0. Uselimactl create --arch=armv7l template:default.experimental/riscv64: Merged into thedefaulttemplate in Lima v1.0. Uselimactl create --arch=riscv64 template:default.vmnet: Removed in Lima v1.0. Uselimactl create --network=lima:shared template:defaultinstead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/network/.experimental/net-user-v2: Removed in Lima v1.0. Uselimactl create --network=lima:user-v2 template:defaultinstead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/network/.experimental/9p: Removed in Lima v1.0. Uselimactl create --vm-type=qemu --mount-type=9p template:defaultinstead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/mount/.experimental/virtiofs-linux: Removed in Lima v1.0. Uselimactl create --mount-type=virtiofs-linux template:defaultinstead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/mount/.
Tier
- "Tier 1" (marked with ⭐): Good stability. Regularly tested on the CI.
- "Tier 2" (marked with ☆): Moderate stability. Regularly tested on the CI.
Other templates are tested only occasionally and manually.