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MicroVM.nix

Handbook:HTMLMarkdown • Matrix chat • Changelog

Demo GIF

A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2 Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or imperatively with the provided microvm command.

Project Presentation (video)

At a glance

  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces (virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated /nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs (smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user networking which requires no additional setup on the host.

Hypervisors

HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket

Installation

nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix

(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following examples.)

Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions

nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm

Examples

Run MicroVMs on your local machine

nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example

Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors

nix run microvm#vm

Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.

Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding

nix run microvm#graphics neverball

Commercial support

Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology: https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact

Looking for help or customization?

Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact

About

NixOS MicroVMs

microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/

Resources

Readme
License
Activity
Custom properties

Stars

0 stars

Watchers

0 watching

Forks

0 forks
Report repository

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages

, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Add copy buttons to all 
 blocks\n(function() {\n function addCopyButtons() {\n document.querySelectorAll('pre code').forEach(function(codeBlock) {\n if (codeBlock.parentElement.hasAttribute('data-copy-added')) return;\n codeBlock.parentElement.setAttribute('data-copy-added', 'true');\n \n var btn = document.createElement('button');\n btn.textContent = 'Copy';\n btn.style.cssText = 'position:absolute;top:4px;right:4px;padding:2px 8px;font-size:11px;background:#4ecdc4;border:none;border-radius:4px;color:#1a1a2e;cursor:pointer;opacity:0.7;transition:opacity 0.2s;';\n btn.onmouseover = function() { this.style.opacity = '1'; };\n btn.onmouseout = function() { this.style.opacity = '0.7'; };\n btn.onclick = function() {\n navigator.clipboard.writeText(codeBlock.textContent).then(function() {\n btn.textContent = 'Copied!';\n setTimeout(function() { btn.textContent = 'Copy'; }, 1500);\n });\n };\n codeBlock.parentElement.style.position = 'relative';\n codeBlock.parentElement.appendChild(btn);\n });\n }\n \n addCopyButtons();\n \n // Re-run on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(addCopyButtons);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Add Copy Buttons to Code Blocks");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Add Copy Buttons to Code Blocks]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "github.com";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + "github\\.com" + '

Skip to content
BranchesTags
Repository files navigation
MicroVM.nix
Handbook:HTMLMarkdown
•
Matrix chat
•
Changelog
Demo GIF
A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2
Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more
isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and
run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as
systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or
imperatively with the provided microvm command.
Project Presentation (video)
At a glance
  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces
(virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be
shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated
/nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional
writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs
(smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations
section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as
a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy
through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be
attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user
networking which requires no additional setup on the host.
Hypervisors
HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket
Installation
nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix
(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just
replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following
examples.)
Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions
nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm
Examples
Run MicroVMs on your local machine
nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example
Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors
nix run microvm#vm
Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested
MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.
Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding
nix run microvm#graphics neverball
Commercial support
Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a
team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology:
https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact
Looking for help or customization?
Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to
work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact
About
NixOS MicroVMs
microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/
Resources
Readme
License
Activity
Custom properties
Stars
0 stars
Watchers
0 watching
Forks
0 forks
Report repository
Releases
Packages
Contributors
Languages

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Force GitHub README to respect dark mode\n(function() {\n var style = document.createElement('style');\n style.textContent = '\n .markdown-body {\n color-scheme: dark light;\n }\n .markdown-body pre { background: #161b22 !important; }\n .markdown-body code { background: rgba(110, 118, 129, 0.4) !important; }\n .markdown-body table th, .markdown-body table td { border-color: #30363d !important; }\n .markdown-body img { background: #0d1117; }\n .markdown-body blockquote { border-left-color: #8b949e; }\n .markdown-body hr { border-color: #30363d; }\n ';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n})();", "GitHub Dark Mode README Fix");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:GitHub Dark Mode README Fix]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

Skip to content
BranchesTags
Repository files navigation
MicroVM.nix
Handbook:HTMLMarkdown
•
Matrix chat
•
Changelog
Demo GIF
A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2
Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more
isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and
run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as
systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or
imperatively with the provided microvm command.
Project Presentation (video)
At a glance
  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces
(virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be
shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated
/nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional
writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs
(smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations
section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as
a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy
through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be
attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user
networking which requires no additional setup on the host.
Hypervisors
HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket
Installation
nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix
(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just
replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following
examples.)
Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions
nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm
Examples
Run MicroVMs on your local machine
nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example
Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors
nix run microvm#vm
Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested
MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.
Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding
nix run microvm#graphics neverball
Commercial support
Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a
team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology:
https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact
Looking for help or customization?
Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to
work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact
About
NixOS MicroVMs
microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/
Resources
Readme
License
Activity
Custom properties
Stars
0 stars
Watchers
0 watching
Forks
0 forks
Report repository
Releases
Packages
Contributors
Languages

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Highlight search terms from Google/DuckDuckGo/Bing referrer\n(function() {\n var ref = document.referrer;\n var terms = [];\n \n if (ref.includes('google.com') || ref.includes('duckduckgo.com') || ref.includes('bing.com')) {\n var url = new URL(ref);\n var q = url.searchParams.get('q') || url.searchParams.get('p');\n if (q) {\n terms = q.split(/\\s+/).filter(function(t) { return t.length > 2; });\n }\n }\n \n if (terms.length === 0) return;\n \n var style = document.createElement('style');\n style.textContent = '.userscript-highlight { background: #fbbf24; color: #1a1a2e; padding: 1px 3px; border-radius: 2px; }';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n \n function highlight(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 3) { // text node\n var text = node.textContent;\n var found = false;\n terms.forEach(function(term) {\n var regex = new RegExp('(' + term.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\\]\\\\]/g, '\\\\') + ')', 'gi');\n if (regex.test(text)) {\n found = true;\n var frag = document.createDocumentFragment();\n var parts = text.split(regex);\n parts.forEach(function(part, i) {\n if (i % 2 === 0) {\n frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(part));\n } else {\n var span = document.createElement('span');\n span.className = 'userscript-highlight';\n span.textContent = part;\n frag.appendChild(span);\n }\n });\n node.parentNode.replaceChild(frag, node);\n }\n });\n } else if (node.nodeType === 1 && node.childNodes) { // element\n var skipTags = ['SCRIPT', 'STYLE', 'NOSCRIPT', 'TEXTAREA', 'INPUT', 'SELECT'];\n if (!skipTags.includes(node.tagName)) {\n Array.from(node.childNodes).forEach(highlight);\n }\n }\n }\n \n highlight(document.body);\n \n // Re-highlight on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n mutations.forEach(function(m) {\n m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 1 || node.nodeType === 3) highlight(node);\n });\n });\n });\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Highlight Search Terms");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Highlight Search Terms]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

Skip to content
BranchesTags
Repository files navigation
MicroVM.nix
Handbook:HTMLMarkdown
•
Matrix chat
•
Changelog
Demo GIF
A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2
Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more
isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and
run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as
systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or
imperatively with the provided microvm command.
Project Presentation (video)
At a glance
  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces
(virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be
shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated
/nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional
writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs
(smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations
section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as
a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy
through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be
attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user
networking which requires no additional setup on the host.
Hypervisors
HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket
Installation
nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix
(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just
replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following
examples.)
Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions
nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm
Examples
Run MicroVMs on your local machine
nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example
Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors
nix run microvm#vm
Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested
MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.
Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding
nix run microvm#graphics neverball
Commercial support
Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a
team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology:
https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact
Looking for help or customization?
Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to
work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact
About
NixOS MicroVMs
microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/
Resources
Readme
License
Activity
Custom properties
Stars
0 stars
Watchers
0 watching
Forks
0 forks
Report repository
Releases
Packages
Contributors
Languages

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Strip utm_, fbclid, gclid, etc. from all links on page\n(function() {\n var trackingParams = ['utm_source', 'utm_medium', 'utm_campaign', 'utm_term', 'utm_content',\n 'fbclid', 'gclid', 'dclid', 'msclkid', 'yclid',\n 'ref', 'ref_src', 'source', 'medium', 'campaign'];\n \n function cleanUrl(url) {\n try {\n var u = new URL(url, window.location.origin);\n var changed = false;\n trackingParams.forEach(function(p) {\n if (u.searchParams.has(p)) {\n u.searchParams.delete(p);\n changed = true;\n }\n });\n return changed ? u.toString() : url;\n } catch (e) {\n return url;\n }\n }\n \n function cleanLinks() {\n document.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) {\n var clean = cleanUrl(a.href);\n if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean;\n });\n }\n \n cleanLinks();\n \n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n mutations.forEach(function(m) {\n m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 1) {\n if (node.tagName === 'A') cleanLinks();\n node.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) {\n var clean = cleanUrl(a.href);\n if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean;\n });\n }\n });\n });\n });\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Remove Tracking Parameters from Links");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Remove Tracking Parameters from Links]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "youtube.com";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + "youtube\\.com" + '

Skip to content
BranchesTags
Repository files navigation
MicroVM.nix
Handbook:HTMLMarkdown
•
Matrix chat
•
Changelog
Demo GIF
A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2
Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more
isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and
run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as
systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or
imperatively with the provided microvm command.
Project Presentation (video)
At a glance
  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces
(virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be
shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated
/nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional
writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs
(smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations
section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as
a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy
through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be
attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user
networking which requires no additional setup on the host.
Hypervisors
HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket
Installation
nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix
(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just
replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following
examples.)
Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions
nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm
Examples
Run MicroVMs on your local machine
nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example
Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors
nix run microvm#vm
Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested
MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.
Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding
nix run microvm#graphics neverball
Commercial support
Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a
team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology:
https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact
Looking for help or customization?
Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to
work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact
About
NixOS MicroVMs
microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/
Resources
Readme
License
Activity
Custom properties
Stars
0 stars
Watchers
0 watching
Forks
0 forks
Report repository
Releases
Packages
Contributors
Languages

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Auto-enable theater mode on YouTube\n(function() {\n function tryTheater() {\n var btn = document.querySelector('button[aria-label=\"Theater mode\"], ytd-player #player button[title=\"Theater mode\"]');\n if (btn && !btn.classList.contains('activated')) {\n btn.click();\n }\n }\n \n // Try immediately\n tryTheater();\n \n // Try after navigation (SPA)\n var lastUrl = location.href;\n setInterval(function() {\n if (location.href !== lastUrl) {\n lastUrl = location.href;\n setTimeout(tryTheater, 500);\n }\n }, 1000);\n \n // Also try on player load\n var observer = new MutationObserver(tryTheater);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "YouTube Theater Mode Default");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:YouTube Theater Mode Default]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

Skip to content
BranchesTags
Repository files navigation
MicroVM.nix
Handbook:HTMLMarkdown
•
Matrix chat
•
Changelog
Demo GIF
A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2
Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more
isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and
run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as
systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or
imperatively with the provided microvm command.
Project Presentation (video)
At a glance
  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces
(virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be
shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated
/nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional
writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs
(smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations
section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as
a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy
through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be
attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user
networking which requires no additional setup on the host.
Hypervisors
HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket
Installation
nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix
(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just
replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following
examples.)
Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions
nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm
Examples
Run MicroVMs on your local machine
nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example
Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors
nix run microvm#vm
Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested
MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.
Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding
nix run microvm#graphics neverball
Commercial support
Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a
team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology:
https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact
Looking for help or customization?
Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to
work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact
About
NixOS MicroVMs
microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/
Resources
Readme
License
Activity
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0 stars
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0 watching
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0 forks
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, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Remove or un-stick sticky/fixed headers that block content\n(function() {\n function unstick() {\n document.querySelectorAll('header, nav, [role=\"banner\"], .header, .navbar, .sticky, .fixed-top, [style*=\"position: fixed\"], [style*=\"position:sticky\"]').forEach(function(el) {\n if (el.style.position === 'fixed' || el.style.position === 'sticky' || \n getComputedStyle(el).position === 'fixed' || getComputedStyle(el).position === 'sticky') {\n el.style.position = 'static';\n el.style.top = 'auto';\n el.style.zIndex = 'auto';\n }\n });\n }\n \n unstick();\n \n var observer = new MutationObserver(unstick);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true, attributes: true, attributeFilter: ['style', 'class'] });\n})();", "Kill Sticky Headers");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Kill Sticky Headers]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

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MicroVM.nix
Handbook:HTMLMarkdown
•
Matrix chat
•
Changelog
Demo GIF
A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2
Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more
isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and
run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as
systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or
imperatively with the provided microvm command.
Project Presentation (video)
At a glance
  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces
(virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be
shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated
/nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional
writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs
(smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations
section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as
a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy
through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be
attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user
networking which requires no additional setup on the host.
Hypervisors
HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket
Installation
nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix
(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just
replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following
examples.)
Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions
nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm
Examples
Run MicroVMs on your local machine
nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example
Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors
nix run microvm#vm
Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested
MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.
Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding
nix run microvm#graphics neverball
Commercial support
Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a
team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology:
https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact
Looking for help or customization?
Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to
work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact
About
NixOS MicroVMs
microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/
Resources
Readme
License
Activity
Custom properties
Stars
0 stars
Watchers
0 watching
Forks
0 forks
Report repository
Releases
Packages
Contributors
Languages

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Universal Dark Mode - works on any site\n(function() {\n var enabled = true;\n \n function applyDarkMode() {\n if (!enabled) return;\n \n // Create style element if it doesn't exist\n var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');\n if (!style) {\n style = document.createElement('style');\n style.id = 'universal-dark-mode-style';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n }\n \n // Dark mode CSS - inverts colors but preserves images/video\n style.textContent = '\n /* Invert everything except media */\n html {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n background: #1a1a2e !important;\n }\n \n /* Restore images, videos, iframes, canvas */\n img, video, iframe, canvas, svg, picture, [style*=\"background-image\"] {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n }\n \n /* Preserve specific elements that should not be inverted */\n .no-dark-mode, .no-dark-mode *,\n [data-theme=\"light\"], [data-theme=\"light\"],\n .ace_editor, .ace_editor *,\n .CodeMirror, .CodeMirror *,\n .monaco-editor, .monaco-editor *,\n .markdown-body pre, .markdown-body pre *,\n .highlight, .highlight *,\n pre code, pre code * {\n filter: none !important;\n }\n \n /* Fix common UI elements */\n .modal, .popup, .dropdown-menu, .tooltip, .popover {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n background: #2d2d44 !important;\n border-color: #444 !important;\n }\n \n /* Scrollbars */\n ::-webkit-scrollbar { background: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background: #444 !important; }\n ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background: #555 !important; }\n \n /* Selection */\n ::selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ::-moz-selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ';\n }\n \n function removeDarkMode() {\n var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');\n if (style) style.remove();\n }\n \n // Toggle with Alt+Shift+D\n document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {\n if (e.altKey && e.shiftKey && e.key === 'D') {\n e.preventDefault();\n enabled = !enabled;\n if (enabled) {\n applyDarkMode();\n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Enabled');\n } else {\n removeDarkMode();\n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Disabled');\n }\n }\n });\n \n // Apply on load\n applyDarkMode();\n \n // Re-apply on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n if (enabled && !document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style')) {\n applyDarkMode();\n }\n });\n observer.observe(document.head, { childList: true });\n \n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Loaded - Press Alt+Shift+D to toggle');\n})();", "Universal Dark Mode");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Universal Dark Mode]', __e); }
})();
})();

Skip to content
BranchesTags
Repository files navigation
MicroVM.nix
Handbook:HTMLMarkdown
•
Matrix chat
•
Changelog
Demo GIF
A Nix Flake to build NixOS and run it on one of several Type-2
Hypervisors on NixOS/Linux. The project is intended to provide a more
isolated alternative to nixos-container. You can either build and
run MicroVMs like Nix packages, or alternatively install them as
systemd services declaratively in your host's Nix Flake or
imperatively with the provided microvm command.
Project Presentation (video)
At a glance
  • MicroVMs are Virtual Machines but use special device interfaces
(virtio) for high performance.
  • This project runs them on NixOS hosts.
  • You can choose one of five hypervisors for each MicroVM.
  • MicroVMs have a fixed RAM allocation (default: 512 MB) but can be
shrunk using microvm-balloon
  • MicroVMs have a read-only root disk with either a prepopulated
/nix/store or by mounting the host's along with an optional
writable overlay. This filesystem can be built as either squashfs
(smaller) or erofs (faster).
  • You define your MicroVMs in a Nix Flake's nixosConfigurations
section, reusing the nixosModules that are exported by this Flake.
  • MicroVMs can access stateful filesystems either on a image volume as
a block device, or alternatively as a shared directory hierarchy
through 9p or virtiofs.
  • Zero, one, or more virtual tap ethernet network interfaces can be
attached to a MicroVM. qemu and kvmtool also support user
networking which requires no additional setup on the host.
Hypervisors
HypervisorLanguageRestrictions
qemuC
cloud-hypervisorRustno 9p shares
firecrackerRustno 9p/virtiofs shares
crosvmRust9p shares broken
kvmtoolCno virtiofs shares, no control socket
stratovirtRustno 9p/virtiofs shares, no control socket
aliothRustno virtiofs shares, no control socket
Installation
nix registry add microvm github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix
(If you do not want to inflict this change on your system, just
replace microvm with github:microvm-nix/microvm.nix in the following
examples.)
Start writing your own NixOS MicroVM definitions
nix flake init -t microvm
$EDITOR flake.nix
nix run .#my-microvm
Examples
Run MicroVMs on your local machine
nix run microvm#qemu-example
nix run microvm#firecracker-example
nix run microvm#cloud-hypervisor-example
nix run microvm#crosvm-example
nix run microvm#kvmtool-example
nix run microvm#stratovirt-example
Run a MicroVM example with nested MicroVMs on 5 different Hypervisors
nix run microvm#vm
Check networkctl status virbr0 for the DHCP leases of the nested
MicroVMs. They listen for ssh with an empty root password.
Experimental: run graphical applications in cloud-hypervisor with Wayland forwarding
nix run microvm#graphics neverball
Commercial support
Accelerate your operations and secure your infrastructure with support from a
team of virtualization experts. Contact Cyberus Technology:
https://www.cyberus-technology.de/contact
Looking for help or customization?
Get in touch with Numtide to get a quote. We make it easy for companies to
work with Open Source projects: https://numtide.com/contact
About
NixOS MicroVMs
microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/
Resources
Readme
License
Activity
Custom properties
Stars
0 stars
Watchers
0 watching
Forks
0 forks
Report repository
Releases
Packages
Contributors
Languages