Command Reference on Lima

autostart

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl autostart

Manage automatic startup of Lima instances

Options

 -h, --help help for autostart

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

autostart disable

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl autostart disable

Unregister an instance from automatic startup

limactl autostart disable INSTANCE [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for disable

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

autostart enable

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl autostart enable

limactl autostart enable INSTANCE [flags]

Options

 --condition string When to start the instance: "login" (user session) or "boot" (system boot, macOS only) (default "login")
 -h, --help help for enable
 --keep-alive Restart the instance automatically if the host agent exits unexpectedly (default true)
 --user string macOS username to run the instance as when --condition=boot (default: $USER)

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

clone

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl clone

Clone an instance of Lima

Synopsis

Clone an instance of Lima.

Not to be confused with ’limactl copy’ (’limactl cp’).

limactl clone OLDINST NEWINST [flags]

Options

 --block-device strings [limactl edit] Host block devices to attach (macOS VZ), e.g. /dev/disk4; requires a protected helper and 'limactl sudoers --block-device' setup
 --cpus int [limactl edit] Number of CPUs
 --disk float32 [limactl edit] Disk size in GiB
 --dns ipSlice [limactl edit] Specify custom DNS (disable host resolver) (default [])
 -h, --help help for clone
 --memory float32 [limactl edit] Memory in GiB
 --mount strings [limactl edit] Directories to mount, suffix ':w' for writable (Do not specify directories that overlap with the existing mounts)
 --mount-inotify [limactl edit] Enable inotify for mounts
 --mount-none [limactl edit] Remove all mounts
 --mount-only strings [limactl edit] Similar to --mount, but overrides the existing mounts
 --mount-type string [limactl edit] Mount type (reverse-sshfs, 9p, virtiofs)
 --mount-writable [limactl edit] Make all mounts writable
 --nested-virt [limactl edit] Enable nested virtualization
 --network strings [limactl edit] Additional networks, e.g., "vzNAT" or "lima:shared" to assign vmnet IP
 --param stringArray [limactl edit] Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --rosetta [limactl edit] Enable Rosetta (for vz instances)
 --set stringArray [limactl edit] Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.
 --shell string [limactl edit] User login shell in the guest (e.g. /bin/bash, /bin/zsh)
 --ssh-port uint16 [limactl edit] SSH port (0 for random)
 --start Start the instance after cloning
 --video [limactl edit] Enable video output (has negative performance impact for QEMU)
 --vm-type string [limactl edit] Virtual machine type

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

completion

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl completion

Generate the autocompletion script for the specified shell

Synopsis

Generate the autocompletion script for limactl for the specified shell.
See each sub-command’s help for details on how to use the generated script.

Options

 -h, --help help for completion

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

completion bash

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl completion bash

Generate the autocompletion script for bash

Synopsis

Generate the autocompletion script for the bash shell.

This script depends on the ‘bash-completion’ package. If it is not installed already, you can install it via your OS’s package manager.

To load completions in your current shell session:

source <(limactl completion bash)

To load completions for every new session, execute once:

Linux:

limactl completion bash > /etc/bash_completion.d/limactl

macOS:

limactl completion bash > $(brew --prefix)/etc/bash_completion.d/limactl

You will need to start a new shell for this setup to take effect.

completion fish

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl completion fish

Generate the autocompletion script for fish

Synopsis

Generate the autocompletion script for the fish shell.

To load completions in your current shell session:

limactl completion fish | source

To load completions for every new session, execute once:

limactl completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/limactl.fish

You will need to start a new shell for this setup to take effect.

limactl completion fish [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for fish
 --no-descriptions disable completion descriptions

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

completion powershell

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl completion powershell

Generate the autocompletion script for powershell

Synopsis

Generate the autocompletion script for powershell.

To load completions in your current shell session:

limactl completion powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression

To load completions for every new session, add the output of the above command to your powershell profile.

limactl completion powershell [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for powershell
 --no-descriptions disable completion descriptions

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

completion zsh

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl completion zsh

Generate the autocompletion script for zsh

Synopsis

Generate the autocompletion script for the zsh shell.

If shell completion is not already enabled in your environment you will need to enable it. You can execute the following once:

echo "autoload -U compinit; compinit" >> ~/.zshrc

To load completions in your current shell session:

source <(limactl completion zsh)

To load completions for every new session, execute once:

copy

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl copy

Copy files between host and guest

Synopsis

Copy files between host and guest

Prefix guest filenames with the instance name and a colon.

Backends:
auto - Automatically selects the best available backend (rsync preferred, falls back to scp)
rsync - Uses rsync for faster transfers with resume capability (requires rsync on both host and guest)
scp - Uses scp for reliable transfers (always available)

Not to be confused with ’limactl clone’.

create

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl create

Create an instance of Lima

limactl create FILE.yaml|URL [flags]

Examples


 To create an instance "default" from the default Ubuntu template:
 $ limactl create

 To create an instance "default" from a template "docker":
 $ limactl create --name=default template:docker

 To create an instance "default" with modified parameters:
 $ limactl create --cpus=2 --memory=2

 To create an instance "default" with yq expressions:
 $ limactl create --set='.cpus = 2 | .memory = "2GiB"'
 Note: Some yq operators are restricted. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions'.

 To create an instance "default" with a template parameter:
 $ limactl create --name=default --param containerdSnapshotter=false template:docker

 To see the template list:
 $ limactl create --list-templates

 To create an instance "default" from a local file:
 $ limactl create --name=default /usr/local/share/lima/templates/fedora.yaml

 To create an instance "default" from a remote URL (use carefully, with a trustable source):
 $ limactl create --name=default https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lima-vm/lima/master/templates/alpine.yaml

 To create an instance "local" from a template passed to stdin (--name parameter is required):
 $ cat template.yaml | limactl create --name=local -

Options

 --arch string Machine architecture (x86_64, aarch64, riscv64, armv7l, s390x, ppc64le)
 --arch-variant string Architecture variant (e.g. "v3" for x86-64-v3)
 --audio-device string Audio device backend (e.g., 'pa', 'coreaudio', 'none')
 --audio-interface string Audio virtual hardware interface ('hda' or 'virtio')
 --audio-microphone Attach an audio input stream as well as playback (vz only)
 --block-device strings Host block devices to attach (macOS VZ), e.g. /dev/disk4; requires a protected helper and 'limactl sudoers --block-device' setup
 --containerd string containerd mode (user, system, user+system, none)
 --cpus int Number of CPUs
 --disk float32 Disk size in GiB
 --dns ipSlice Specify custom DNS (disable host resolver) (default [])
 -h, --help help for create
 --image-variant string Image variant
 --list-drivers List available drivers and exit
 --list-templates List available templates and exit
 --memory float32 Memory in GiB
 --mount strings Directories to mount, suffix ':w' for writable (Do not specify directories that overlap with the existing mounts)
 --mount-inotify Enable inotify for mounts
 --mount-none Remove all mounts
 --mount-only strings Similar to --mount, but overrides the existing mounts
 --mount-type string Mount type (reverse-sshfs, 9p, virtiofs)
 --mount-writable Make all mounts writable
 --name string Override the instance name
 --nested-virt Enable nested virtualization
 --network strings Additional networks, e.g., "vzNAT" or "lima:shared" to assign vmnet IP
 --param stringArray Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --plain Plain mode. Disables mounts, port forwarding, containerd, etc.
 --port-forward stringArray Port forwards (host:guest), e.g., '8080:80' or '9090:9090,static=true' for static port-forwards
 --rosetta Enable Rosetta (for vz instances)
 --set stringArray Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.
 --shell string User login shell in the guest (e.g. /bin/bash, /bin/zsh)
 --ssh-port uint16 SSH port (0 for random)
 --video Enable video output (has negative performance impact for QEMU)
 --vm-type string Virtual machine type

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

delete

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl delete

Delete an instance of Lima

limactl delete INSTANCE [INSTANCE, ...] [flags]

Options

 -f, --force Forcibly kill the processes
 -h, --help help for delete

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

disk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl disk

Lima disk management

Examples

 Create a disk:
 $ limactl disk create DISK --size SIZE [--format qcow2]

 List existing disks:
 $ limactl disk ls

 Delete a disk:
 $ limactl disk delete DISK

 Resize a disk:
 $ limactl disk resize DISK --size SIZE

Options

 -h, --help help for disk

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

disk create

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl disk create

Create a Lima disk

limactl disk create DISK [flags]

Examples


To create a new disk:
$ limactl disk create DISK --size SIZE [--format qcow2]

Options

 --format string Specify the disk format (default "qcow2")
 -h, --help help for create
 --size string Configure the disk size

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

disk delete

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl disk delete

Delete one or more Lima disks

limactl disk delete DISK [DISK, ...] [flags]

Examples


To delete a disk:
$ limactl disk delete DISK

To delete multiple disks:
$ limactl disk delete DISK1 DISK2 ...

Options

 -f, --force Force delete
 -h, --help help for delete

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

disk import

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl disk import

Import an existing disk to Lima

limactl disk import DISK FILE [flags]

Examples


Import a disk:
$ limactl disk import DISK DISKPATH

Options

 -h, --help help for import

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

disk list

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl disk list

List existing Lima disks

limactl disk list [flags]

Examples


To list existing disks:
$ limactl disk list

Options

 -h, --help help for list
 --json JSONify output

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

disk resize

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl disk resize

Resize existing Lima disk

limactl disk resize DISK [flags]

Examples


Resize a disk:
$ limactl disk resize DISK --size SIZE

Options

 -h, --help help for resize
 --size string Disk size

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

disk unlock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl disk unlock

Unlock one or more Lima disks

limactl disk unlock DISK [DISK, ...] [flags]

Examples


Emergency recovery! If an instance is force stopped, it may leave a disk locked while not actually using it.

To unlock a disk:
$ limactl disk unlock DISK

To unlock multiple disks:
$ limactl disk unlock DISK1 DISK2 ...

Options

 -h, --help help for unlock

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

edit

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl edit

Edit an instance of Lima or a template

limactl edit INSTANCE|FILE.yaml [flags]

Options

 --block-device strings Host block devices to attach (macOS VZ), e.g. /dev/disk4; requires a protected helper and 'limactl sudoers --block-device' setup
 --cpus int Number of CPUs
 --disk float32 Disk size in GiB
 --dns ipSlice Specify custom DNS (disable host resolver) (default [])
 -h, --help help for edit
 --memory float32 Memory in GiB
 --mount strings Directories to mount, suffix ':w' for writable (Do not specify directories that overlap with the existing mounts)
 --mount-inotify Enable inotify for mounts
 --mount-none Remove all mounts
 --mount-only strings Similar to --mount, but overrides the existing mounts
 --mount-type string Mount type (reverse-sshfs, 9p, virtiofs)
 --mount-writable Make all mounts writable
 --nested-virt Enable nested virtualization
 --network strings Additional networks, e.g., "vzNAT" or "lima:shared" to assign vmnet IP
 --param stringArray Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --rosetta Enable Rosetta (for vz instances)
 --set stringArray Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.
 --shell string User login shell in the guest (e.g. /bin/bash, /bin/zsh)
 --ssh-port uint16 SSH port (0 for random)
 --start Start the instance after editing
 --video Enable video output (has negative performance impact for QEMU)
 --vm-type string Virtual machine type

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

factory-reset

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl factory-reset

Factory reset an instance of Lima

limactl factory-reset INSTANCE [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for factory-reset

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

info

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl info

Show diagnostic information

limactl info [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for info
 --yq string Apply yq expression to output (default ".")

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

limactl

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl

Lima: Linux virtual machines

limactl [flags]

Examples

 Start the default instance:
 $ limactl start

 Open a shell:
 $ lima

 Run a container:
 $ lima nerdctl run -d --name nginx -p 8080:80 nginx:alpine

 Stop the default instance:
 $ limactl stop

 See also template YAMLs: /usr/local/share/lima/templates

Options

 --debug Debug mode
 -h, --help help for limactl
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

list

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl list

List instances of Lima

Synopsis

List instances of Lima.

The output can be presented in one of several formats, using the --format flag.

--format json - Output in JSON format
--format yaml - Output in YAML format
--format table - Output in table format
--format ‘{{ }}’ - If the format begins and ends with ‘{{ }}’, then it is used as a go template.

Filtering instances:
--filter EXPR - Filter instances using yq expression (this is equivalent to --yq ‘select(EXPR)’)
Can be specified multiple times (combined with AND logic) and it works with all output formats.
Examples:
--filter ‘.status == “Running”’
--filter ‘.vmType == “vz”’
--filter ‘.status == “Running”’ --filter ‘.vmType == “vz”’ (Same as AND)

network

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl network

Lima network management

Examples

 List all networks:
 $ limactl network list

 Create a network:
 $ limactl network create foo --gateway 192.168.42.1/24

 Connect VM instances to the newly created network:
 $ limactl create --network lima:foo --name vm1
 $ limactl create --network lima:foo --name vm2

 Delete a network:
 $ limactl network delete --force foo

Options

 -h, --help help for network

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

network create

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl network create

Create a Lima network

limactl network create NETWORK [flags]

Examples

 Create a network:
 $ limactl network create foo --gateway 192.168.42.1/24

 Connect VM instances to the newly created network:
 $ limactl create --network lima:foo --name vm1
 $ limactl create --network lima:foo --name vm2

Options

 --gateway string gateway, e.g., "192.168.42.1/24"
 -h, --help help for create
 --interface string interface for bridged mode
 --mode string mode (default "user-v2")

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

network delete

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl network delete

Delete one or more Lima networks

limactl network delete NETWORK [NETWORK, ...] [flags]

Examples

 Delete a network:
 $ limactl network delete --force foo

 Delete multiple networks:
 $ limactl network delete --force foo bar

Options

 -f, --force Force delete (currently always required)
 -h, --help help for delete

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

network list

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl network list

List networks

limactl network list [flags]

Examples

 List all networks:
 $ limactl network list

 List networks in JSON format:
 $ limactl network list --json

Options

 -h, --help help for list
 --json JSONify output

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

protect

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl protect

Protect an instance to prohibit accidental removal

Synopsis

Protect an instance to prohibit accidental removal via the ’limactl delete’ command.
The instance is not being protected against removal via ‘/bin/rm’, Finder, etc.

limactl protect INSTANCE [INSTANCE, ...] [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for protect

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

prune

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl prune

Prune garbage objects

limactl prune [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for prune
 --keep-referred Keep objects that are referred by some instances or templates

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

rename

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl rename

Rename an instance of Lima

limactl rename OLDINST NEWINST [flags]

Options

 --block-device strings [limactl edit] Host block devices to attach (macOS VZ), e.g. /dev/disk4; requires a protected helper and 'limactl sudoers --block-device' setup
 --cpus int [limactl edit] Number of CPUs
 --disk float32 [limactl edit] Disk size in GiB
 --dns ipSlice [limactl edit] Specify custom DNS (disable host resolver) (default [])
 -h, --help help for rename
 --memory float32 [limactl edit] Memory in GiB
 --mount strings [limactl edit] Directories to mount, suffix ':w' for writable (Do not specify directories that overlap with the existing mounts)
 --mount-inotify [limactl edit] Enable inotify for mounts
 --mount-none [limactl edit] Remove all mounts
 --mount-only strings [limactl edit] Similar to --mount, but overrides the existing mounts
 --mount-type string [limactl edit] Mount type (reverse-sshfs, 9p, virtiofs)
 --mount-writable [limactl edit] Make all mounts writable
 --nested-virt [limactl edit] Enable nested virtualization
 --network strings [limactl edit] Additional networks, e.g., "vzNAT" or "lima:shared" to assign vmnet IP
 --param stringArray [limactl edit] Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --rosetta [limactl edit] Enable Rosetta (for vz instances)
 --set stringArray [limactl edit] Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.
 --shell string [limactl edit] User login shell in the guest (e.g. /bin/bash, /bin/zsh)
 --ssh-port uint16 [limactl edit] SSH port (0 for random)
 --start Start the instance after renaming
 --video [limactl edit] Enable video output (has negative performance impact for QEMU)
 --vm-type string [limactl edit] Virtual machine type

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

restart

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl restart

Restart a running instance

limactl restart INSTANCE [flags]

Options

 --block-device strings Host block devices to attach (macOS VZ), e.g. /dev/disk4; requires a protected helper and 'limactl sudoers --block-device' setup
 --cpus int Number of CPUs
 --disk float32 Disk size in GiB
 --dns ipSlice Specify custom DNS (disable host resolver) (default [])
 -f, --force Force stop and restart the instance
 -h, --help help for restart
 --memory float32 Memory in GiB
 --mount strings Directories to mount, suffix ':w' for writable (Do not specify directories that overlap with the existing mounts)
 --mount-inotify Enable inotify for mounts
 --mount-none Remove all mounts
 --mount-only strings Similar to --mount, but overrides the existing mounts
 --mount-type string Mount type (reverse-sshfs, 9p, virtiofs)
 --mount-writable Make all mounts writable
 --nested-virt Enable nested virtualization
 --network strings Additional networks, e.g., "vzNAT" or "lima:shared" to assign vmnet IP
 --param stringArray Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --progress Show provision script progress by tailing cloud-init logs
 --rosetta Enable Rosetta (for vz instances)
 --set stringArray Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.
 --shell string User login shell in the guest (e.g. /bin/bash, /bin/zsh)
 --ssh-port uint16 SSH port (0 for random)
 --video Enable video output (has negative performance impact for QEMU)
 --vm-type string Virtual machine type

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

screenshot

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl screenshot

Capture a screenshot of the VM display

limactl screenshot INSTANCE [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for screenshot
 -o, --output string Output path; extension must be .png or .bmp (default: INSTANCE-screenshot.png)

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

shell

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl shell

Execute shell in Lima

Synopsis

Execute shell in Lima

lima command is provided as an alias for limactl shell $LIMA_INSTANCE. $LIMA_INSTANCE defaults to “default”.

By default, the first ‘ssh’ executable found in the host’s PATH is used to connect to the Lima instance.
A custom ssh alias can be used instead by setting the $SSH environment variable.

Environment Variables:
--preserve-env: Propagates host environment variables to the guest instance.
Use LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK to specify variables to block (prefix with + to extend the default blocklist).
Use LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW to exempt specific variables from the blocklist.

show-ssh

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl show-ssh

Show the SSH command line (DEPRECATED; use ssh -F instead)

Synopsis

Show the SSH command line (DEPRECATED)

WARNING: ’limactl show-ssh’ is deprecated.
Instead, use ‘ssh -F ~/.lima/default/ssh.config lima-default’ .

limactl show-ssh [flags] INSTANCE

Examples


 "cmd" format (default): Full SSH command line
 $ limactl show-ssh --format=cmd default
 ssh -o IdentityFile="/Users/example/.lima/_config/user" -o User=example -o Hostname=127.0.0.1 -o Port=60022 lima-default

 "args" format: Similar to the cmd format but omits "ssh" and the destination address
 $ limactl show-ssh --format=args default
 -o IdentityFile="/Users/example/.lima/_config/user" -o User=example -o Hostname=127.0.0.1 -o Port=60022

 "options" format: SSH option key value pairs
 $ limactl show-ssh --format=options default
 IdentityFile="/Users/example/.lima/_config/user"
 User=example
 Hostname=127.0.0.1
 Port=60022

 "config" format: ~/.ssh/config format
 $ limactl show-ssh --format=config default
 Host lima-default
 IdentityFile "/Users/example/.lima/_config/user "
 User example
 Hostname 127.0.0.1
 Port 60022

 To show the config file path:
 $ limactl ls --format='{{.SSHConfigFile}}' default
 /Users/example/.lima/default/ssh.config

Options

 -f, --format string Format: cmd, args, options, config (default "cmd")
 -h, --help help for show-ssh

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

snapshot

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl snapshot

Manage instance snapshots

Examples

 List all snapshots of an instance:
 $ limactl snapshot list default

 Create a snapshot:
 $ limactl snapshot create default --tag snap1

 Apply (restore) a snapshot:
 $ limactl snapshot apply default --id 1

 Delete a snapshot:
 $ limactl snapshot delete default --id 1

Options

 -h, --help help for snapshot

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

snapshot apply

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl snapshot apply

Apply (load) a snapshot

limactl snapshot apply INSTANCE [flags]

Examples

 Apply (restore) a snapshot:
 $ limactl snapshot apply default --id 1

Options

 -h, --help help for apply
 --id string ID of the snapshot
 --tag string Name of the snapshot

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

snapshot create

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl snapshot create

Create (save) a snapshot

limactl snapshot create INSTANCE [flags]

Examples

 Create a snapshot of an instance:
 $ limactl snapshot create default --tag snap1

Options

 -h, --help help for create
 --tag string Name of the snapshot

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

snapshot delete

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl snapshot delete

Delete (del) a snapshot

limactl snapshot delete INSTANCE [flags]

Examples

 Delete a snapshot:
 $ limactl snapshot delete default --id 1

Options

 -h, --help help for delete
 --id string ID of the snapshot
 --tag string Name of the snapshot

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

snapshot list

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl snapshot list

List existing snapshots

limactl snapshot list INSTANCE [flags]

Examples

 List all snapshots of an instance:
 $ limactl snapshot list default

 List only snapshot tags:
 $ limactl snapshot list default --quiet

 List snapshots in JSON format:
 $ limactl snapshot list default --json

Options

 -h, --help help for list
 --json JSONify output
 -q, --quiet Only show tags

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

start

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl start

Start an instance of Lima

limactl start NAME|FILE.yaml|URL [flags]

Examples


 To create an instance "default" (if not created yet) from the default Ubuntu template, and start it:
 $ limactl start

 To create an instance "default" from a template "docker", and start it:
 $ limactl start --name=default template:docker

Options

 --arch string [limactl create] Machine architecture (x86_64, aarch64, riscv64, armv7l, s390x, ppc64le)
 --arch-variant string [limactl create] Architecture variant (e.g. "v3" for x86-64-v3)
 --audio-device string [limactl create] Audio device backend (e.g., 'pa', 'coreaudio', 'none')
 --audio-interface string [limactl create] Audio virtual hardware interface ('hda' or 'virtio')
 --audio-microphone [limactl create] Attach an audio input stream as well as playback (vz only)
 --block-device strings [limactl create] Host block devices to attach (macOS VZ), e.g. /dev/disk4; requires a protected helper and 'limactl sudoers --block-device' setup
 --containerd string [limactl create] containerd mode (user, system, user+system, none)
 --cpus int [limactl create] Number of CPUs
 --disk float32 [limactl create] Disk size in GiB
 --dns ipSlice [limactl create] Specify custom DNS (disable host resolver) (default [])
 --foreground Run the hostagent in the foreground
 -h, --help help for start
 --image-variant string [limactl create] Image variant
 --list-drivers [limactl create] List available drivers and exit
 --list-templates [limactl create] List available templates and exit
 --memory float32 [limactl create] Memory in GiB
 --mount strings [limactl create] Directories to mount, suffix ':w' for writable (Do not specify directories that overlap with the existing mounts)
 --mount-inotify [limactl create] Enable inotify for mounts
 --mount-none [limactl create] Remove all mounts
 --mount-only strings [limactl create] Similar to --mount, but overrides the existing mounts
 --mount-type string [limactl create] Mount type (reverse-sshfs, 9p, virtiofs)
 --mount-writable [limactl create] Make all mounts writable
 --name string [limactl create] Override the instance name
 --nested-virt [limactl create] Enable nested virtualization
 --network strings [limactl create] Additional networks, e.g., "vzNAT" or "lima:shared" to assign vmnet IP
 --param stringArray [limactl create] Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --plain [limactl create] Plain mode. Disables mounts, port forwarding, containerd, etc.
 --port-forward stringArray [limactl create] Port forwards (host:guest), e.g., '8080:80' or '9090:9090,static=true' for static port-forwards
 --progress Show provision script progress by tailing cloud-init logs
 --rosetta [limactl create] Enable Rosetta (for vz instances)
 --set stringArray [limactl create] Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.
 --shell string [limactl create] User login shell in the guest (e.g. /bin/bash, /bin/zsh)
 --ssh-port uint16 [limactl create] SSH port (0 for random)
 --timeout duration Duration to wait for the instance to be running before timing out (default 10m0s)
 --video [limactl create] Enable video output (has negative performance impact for QEMU)
 --vm-type string [limactl create] Virtual machine type

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

stop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl stop

Stop an instance

limactl stop INSTANCE [INSTANCE, ...] [flags]

Options

 -f, --force Force stop the instance
 -h, --help help for stop

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

sudoers

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl sudoers

Generate the content of the /etc/sudoers.d/lima file

Synopsis

Generate the content of the /etc/sudoers.d/lima file for the host helpers that require privilege escalation:
vmnet.framework support (socket_vmnet) on macOS, or the shared/host/bridged networks (Linux bridges with dnsmasq) on Linux.
On macOS, use --block-device=/dev/rdiskN to also emit opt-in
host block-device helper entries for the listed devices and current user.
Block devices require a root-owned helper and ancestor directories; user-writable
installations need additional setup: https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/disk/#sudoers-setup
--block-device on start/edit selects devices; it does not install sudoers grants.
The content is written to stdout, NOT to the file.
This command must not run as the root user.
On macOS, see https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/network/managed/macos/#socket_vmnet for the usage.

template

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl template

Lima template management (EXPERIMENTAL)

Options

 -h, --help help for template

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

template copy

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl template copy

Copy template

Synopsis

Copy a template via locator to a local file or stdout (default)

limactl template copy [OPTIONS] TEMPLATE [DEST] [flags]

Examples

 Template locators are local files, file://, https://, or template: URLs

 # Copy default template to STDOUT
 limactl template copy template:default -

 # Copy template from web location to local file and embed all external references
 # (this does not embed template: references)
 limactl template copy --embed https://example.com/lima.yaml mighty-machine.yaml

Options

 --embed Embed external dependencies into template
 --embed-all Embed all dependencies into template
 --fill Fill defaults
 -h, --help help for copy
 --param stringArray Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --set stringArray Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.
 --verbatim Don't make locators absolute

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

template url

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl template url

Transform custom template URLs to regular file or https URLs

limactl template url CUSTOM_URL [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for url

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

template validate

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl template validate

Validate YAML templates

limactl template validate TEMPLATE [TEMPLATE, ...] [flags]

Options

 --fill Fill defaults
 -h, --help help for validate
 --param stringArray Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --set stringArray Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

template yq

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl template yq

Query template expressions

Synopsis

Use the builtin YQ evaluator to extract information from a template. External references are embedded and default values are filled in before the YQ expression is evaluated.

Example: limactl template yq template:default ‘.images[].location’

The example command is equivalent to using an external yq command like this: limactl template copy –fill template:default - | yq ‘.images[].location’

limactl template yq TEMPLATE EXPR [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for yq

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

tunnel

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl tunnel

Create a tunnel for Lima

Synopsis

Create a tunnel for Lima

Create a SOCKS tunnel so that the host can join the guest network.

limactl tunnel [flags] INSTANCE

Options

 -h, --help help for tunnel
 --socks-port int SOCKS port, defaults to a random port
 --type string Tunnel type, currently only "socks" is implemented (default "socks")

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

unprotect

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl unprotect

Unprotect an instance

limactl unprotect INSTANCE [INSTANCE, ...] [flags]

Options

 -h, --help help for unprotect

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

validate

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl validate

Validate YAML templates

limactl validate TEMPLATE [TEMPLATE, ...] [flags]

Options

 --fill Fill defaults
 -h, --help help for validate
 --param stringArray Set a template parameter, e.g. name=value. Can be passed multiple times.
 --set stringArray Modify the template inplace, using yq syntax. Can be passed multiple times. See 'limactl help yq-restrictions' for limitations.

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

watch

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

limactl watch

Watch events from instances

Synopsis

Watch events from Lima instances.

Events include status changes (starting, running, stopping), port forwarding
events, and other instance lifecycle events.

If no instance is specified, events from all instances are watched,
including newly created instances.

The command will continue watching until interrupted (Ctrl+C).

limactl watch [INSTANCE]... [flags]

Examples

 # Watch events from all instances:
 $ limactl watch

 # Watch events from a specific instance:
 $ limactl watch default

 # Include historical events:
 $ limactl watch --history default

 # Show verbose output (host agent logs, etc.):
 $ limactl watch --verbose

 # Watch events in JSON format (for scripting):
 $ limactl watch --json default

Options

 -h, --help help for watch
 --history Include historical events from before watch started
 --json Output events as newline-delimited JSON
 --verbose Show verbose output

Options inherited from parent commands

 --debug Debug mode
 --log-format string Set the logging format [text, json] (default "text")
 --log-level string Set the logging level [trace, debug, info, warn, error]
 --tty Enable TUI interactions such as opening an editor. Defaults to true when stdout is a terminal. Set to false for automation.
 -y, --yes Alias of --tty=false

Command Reference on Lima

autostart

limactl autostart

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

autostart disable

limactl autostart disable

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

autostart enable

limactl autostart enable

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

clone

limactl clone

Synopsis

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

completion

limactl completion

Synopsis

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

completion bash

limactl completion bash

Synopsis

Linux:

macOS:

completion fish

limactl completion fish

Synopsis

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

completion powershell

limactl completion powershell

Synopsis

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

completion zsh

limactl completion zsh

Synopsis

copy

limactl copy

Synopsis

create

limactl create

Examples

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

delete

limactl delete

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

disk

limactl disk

Examples

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

disk create

limactl disk create

Examples

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO

disk delete

limactl disk delete

Examples

Options

Options inherited from parent commands

SEE ALSO