Smol machines – subsecond coldstart, portable virtual machines

In plain words

Smol machines is a virtual machine tool designed for developers who need fast startup times and portability. It delivers subsecond coldstart performance, making it useful for rapid testing, development workflows, and scenarios where quick VM initialization matters. The project is open source and available on GitHub, targeting technical users who prioritize speed and lightweight virtualization without the overhead of traditional virtual machines.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

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  Sub-millisecond VM sandboxes using CoW memory forkingMar 2026 · github.com · ▲311

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  SmolVLA2025 · huggingface.co · ▲139

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  SmolVM – open-source sandbox for coding and computer-use agentsApr 2026 · github.com · ▲8

  SmolVM is an open-source local sandbox for AI agents on macOS and Linux. I started building it because agent workflows need more than isolated code execution. They need a reusable environment: write files in one step, come back later, snapshot state, pause/resume, and increasingly interact with browsers or full desktop environments. Right now SmolVM is a Python SDK and CLI focused on local developer experience. Current features include: - local sandbox environments - macOS and Linux support - snapshotting - pause/resume - persistent environments across turns Install: ``` curl -sSL…

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  Life & fun · 24h ago · permit.petercai.com

• IV
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  Life & fun · 13d ago · tanzaniaeducationproject.org

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  Life & fun · 14d ago · bigwords.page

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  AI · Apr 2026 · brila.ai

• AG
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