Local-First Linux MicroVMs for macOS
Shuru is a lightweight sandbox that spins up Linux VMs on macOS using Apple's Virtualization.framework. Boots in about a second on Apple Silicon, and everything is ephemeral by default. There's a checkpoint system for when you do want to persist state, and sandboxes run without network access unless you explicitly allow it. Single Rust binary, no dependencies. Built it for sandboxing AI agent code execution, but it works well for anything where you need a disposable Linux environment.
Local-First Linux MicroVMs for macOS launched on February 22, 2026 with 213 votes, #136 of 16,628 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches.
In plain words
Shuru is a lightweight sandbox that creates ephemeral Linux virtual machines on macOS using Apple's Virtualization.framework, booting in approximately one second on Apple Silicon. It runs as a single Rust binary with no dependencies and isolates environments from network access by default, though users can explicitly enable connectivity. A checkpoint system allows persisting state when needed. Originally built for sandboxing AI agent code execution, Shuru serves anyone requiring disposable Linux environments on macOS.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Lightweight Linux VMs powered by Apple Virtualization.framework. Ephemeral by default. No Docker required.
Local-first microVM sandbox for AI agents on macOS, with experimental Linux ARM64 support
Lightweight Linux VMs powered by Apple Virtualization.framework on macOS and KVM on Linux ARM64. Ephemeral by default. No Docker required. Every run starts from a clean rootfs. Install anything, break anything. Nothing persists unless you save it. Save disk state as named snapshots. Restore, branch, and iterate. Like git commits for your environment. Built on Virtualization.framework. No emulation layer, no Docker dependency. Near-native speed on ARM64. Boot a fresh VM with a single command. Changes vanish on exit. Sandboxes are offline by default. Enable networking with one flag. Set CPUs, memory, and disk size per run or in a config file. Share host directories into the VM. Read-only by…from shuru.run
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