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Microsandbox: Virtual Machines that feel and perform like containers

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Re: Microsandbox: Virtual Machines that feel and perform like containers

#5

Post by esafak »

appcypher wrote: post #3

Thanks for sharing! I'm the creator of microsandbox. If there is anything you need to know about the project, let me know. This project is meant to make creating microvms from your machine as easy as using Docker containers. Ask me anything.

Looks neat. If I understand correctly, I can use it to spin up backends on the fly? You have an ambitious list of languages to support: https://github.com/microsandbox/microsandbox/tree/main/sdk

edit: A fleshed out contributors guide to add support for a new language would help. https://github.com/microsandbox/microsandbox/blob/main/CONTR...

Re: Microsandbox: Virtual Machines that feel and perform like containers

#6

Post by 0cf8612b2e1e »

appcypher wrote: post #3

Thanks for sharing! I'm the creator of microsandbox. If there is anything you need to know about the project, let me know. This project is meant to make creating microvms from your machine as easy as using Docker containers. Ask me anything.

Only did a quick skim of the readme, but a few questions which I would like some elaboration.

How is it so fast? Is it making any trade offs vs a traditional VM? Is there potential the VM isolation is compromised?

Can I run a GUI inside of it?

Do you think of this as a new Vagrant?

How do I get data in/out?

Re: Microsandbox: Virtual Machines that feel and perform like containers

#7

Post by appcypher »

esafak wrote: post #5
appcypher wrote: post #3

Thanks for sharing! I'm the creator of microsandbox. If there is anything you need to know about the project, let me know. This project is meant to make creating microvms from your machine as easy as using Docker containers. Ask me anything.

Looks neat. If I understand correctly, I can use it to spin up backends on the fly? You have an ambitious list of languages to support: https://github.com/microsandbox/microsandbox/tree/main/sdk edit: A fleshed out contributors guide to add support for a new language would help. https://github.com/microsandbox/microsandbox/blob/main/CONTR...

Yes. Self-hosting and using it on your own backend infra is the main use-case. And JVM support should just work since it is a Linux machine.

Re: Microsandbox: Virtual Machines that feel and perform like containers

#9

Post by appcypher »

0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #6
appcypher wrote: post #3

Thanks for sharing! I'm the creator of microsandbox. If there is anything you need to know about the project, let me know. This project is meant to make creating microvms from your machine as easy as using Docker containers. Ask me anything.

Only did a quick skim of the readme, but a few questions which I would like some elaboration. How is it so fast? Is it making any trade offs vs a traditional VM? Is there potential the VM isolation is compromised? Can I run a GUI inside of it? Do you think of this as a new Vagrant? How do I get data in/out?

> How is it so fast? Is it making any trade offs vs a traditional VM? Is there potential the VM isolation is compromised?

It is a lighweight VM and uses the same technology as Firecracker

> Can I run a GUI inside of it?

It is planned but not yet implemented. But it is absolutely possible.

> Do you think of this as a new Vagrant?

I would consider Docker for VMs instead. In a similar way, it focuses on dev ops type use case like deplying apps, etc.

> How do I get data in/out?

There is an SDK and server that help does that and file streaming is planned. But right now, you can execute commands in the VM and get the result back via the server

Re: Microsandbox: Virtual Machines that feel and perform like containers

#10

Post by jauntywundrkind »

Why not some of the existing microvm efforts?

Cloud Hypervisor and Firecracker both have an excellent reputation for ultra lightweight VM's. Both are usable in the very popular Kata Containers project (as well as other upstart VM's Dragonball, & StratoVirt). In us by for example the CNCF Confidential Containers https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/blob/main... https://confidentialcontainers.org/

There's also smaller efforts such as firecracker-containerd or Virtink, both which bring OCI powered microvms into a Docker like position (easy to slot into Kubernetes), via Firecracker and Cloud Hypervisor respectively. https://github.com/smartxworks/virtink https://github.com/firecracker-microvm/firecracker-container...

Poking around under the hood, microsandbox appears to use krun. There is krunvm for OCI support (includes MacOS/arm64 support!). https://github.com/containers/krunvm https://github.com/slp/krun

The orientation as a safe sandbox for AI / MCP tools is a very nicely packaged looking experience, and very well marketred. Congratulations! I'm still not sure why this warrants being it's own project.

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