krunvm

manages lightweight microVMs

TLDR

Create microVM

$ krunvm create [image] --name [myvm]

Start microVM

$ krunvm start [myvm]

List microVMs

$ krunvm list

Delete microVM

$ krunvm delete [myvm]

Create with port mapping

$ krunvm create [image] --name [vm] -p [8080:80]

Set CPU and memory

$ krunvm create [image] --cpus [2] --mem [1024]

krunvm is a tool for creating and managing lightweight microVMs built from OCI container images. It uses libkrun, a library that leverages KVM virtualization to run each workload in its own minimal virtual machine, providing stronger isolation than containers while maintaining a container-like user experience with fast startup times and low memory overhead.MicroVMs are created from standard container images pulled from registries, so existing container workflows and images can be reused directly. Each VM can be configured with a specific number of CPUs, memory allocation, and port mappings, similar to container runtime options. The result is a workflow that feels like managing containers but with the security boundaries of hardware virtualization, making krunvm well suited for multi-tenant environments or workloads that require stronger isolation guarantees.

PARAMETERS

create IMAGE

Create microVM from image.

start NAME

Start microVM.

delete NAME

Delete microVM.

list

List microVMs.

--name NAME

VM name.

--cpus N

Number of CPUs.

--mem MB

Memory in MB.

-p MAPPING

Port mapping.

INSTALL

sudo dnf install krunvm

sudo pacman -S krunvm

sudo zypper install krunvm

nix profile install nixpkgs#krunvm

CAVEATS

Linux with KVM required. Container images as base. Lightweight isolation.

HISTORY

krunvm was created by Red Hat as a simple tool for managing microVMs using libkrun virtualization.