Run limactl start template://fedora to create a Lima instance named "fedora".

To open a shell, run limactl shell fedora bash or LIMA_INSTANCE=fedora lima bash.

⭐ = "Tier 1"

☆ = "Tier 2"

Default: default (⭐Ubuntu, with containerd/nerdctl)

Distro:

• almalinux-8: AlmaLinux 8

• almalinux-9: AlmaLinux 9

• almalinux-10, almalinux.yaml: AlmaLinux 10

• almalinux-kitten-10, almalinux-kitten.yaml: AlmaLinux Kitten 10

• alpine: ☆Alpine Linux

• alpine-iso: ☆Alpine Linux (ISO9660 image). Compatible with the alpine template used in Lima prior to v1.0.

• archlinux: ☆Arch Linux

• centos-stream-9, centos-stream.yaml: CentOS Stream 9

• centos-stream-10: CentOS Stream 10

• debian-12: Debian GNU/Linux 12(bookworm)

• debian-13, debian.yaml: ⭐Debian GNU/Linux 13(trixie)

• fedora-41: Fedora 41

• fedora-42: Fedora 42

• fedora-43, fedora.yaml: ⭐Fedora 43

• opensuse-leap-15: openSUSE Leap 15

• opensuse-leap-16, opensuse-leap.yaml, opensuse.yaml: ⭐openSUSE Leap 16

• oraclelinux-8: Oracle Linux 8

• oraclelinux-9: Oracle Linux 9

• oraclelinux-10, oraclelinux.yaml: Oracle Linux 10

• rocky-8: Rocky Linux 8

• rocky-9: Rocky Linux 9

• rocky-10, rocky.yaml: Rocky Linux 10

• ubuntu: Ubuntu (same as default.yaml but without extra YAML lines)

• ubuntu-lts: Ubuntu LTS (same as ubuntu.yaml but pinned to an LTS version)

• experimental/ubuntu-next: Ubuntu vNext

• experimental/gentoo: [experimental] Gentoo

• experimental/opensuse-tumbleweed: [experimental] openSUSE Tumbleweed

• experimental/debian-sid: [experimental] Debian Sid

Alternative package managers:

• linuxbrew.yaml: Homebrew on Linux (Ubuntu)

Container engines:

• apptainer: Apptainer

• apptainer-rootful: Apptainer (rootful)

• docker: ⭐Docker

• docker-rootful: Docker (rootful)

• podman: Podman

• podman-rootful: Podman (rootful)

• LXD is installed in the default Ubuntu template, so there is no lxd.yaml

Container image builders:

• buildkit: BuildKit

Container orchestration:

• faasd: Faasd

• k0s: k0s Zero Friction Kubernetes

• k3s: Kubernetes via k3s

• k8s: ⭐Kubernetes via kubeadm

• experimental/rke2: RKE2

• experimental/u7s: Usernetes: Rootless Kubernetes

Optional feature enablers:

• experimental/vnc: [experimental] use vnc display and xorg server

• experimental/alsa: [experimental] use alsa and default audio device

Lost+found:

• ~centos~: Removed in Lima v0.8.0, as CentOS 8 reached EOL. Replaced by almalinux, centos-stream, oraclelinux, and rocky.

• ~singularity~: Moved to apptainer-rootful in Lima v0.13.0, as Singularity was renamed to Apptainer.

• ~experimental/apptainer~: Moved to apptainer in Lima v0.13.0.

• ~experimental/{almalinux,centos-stream-9,oraclelinux,rocky}-9~: Moved to almalinux-9, centos-stream-9, oraclelinux-9, and rocky-9 in Lima v0.13.0.

• ~nomad~: Removed in Lima v0.17.1, as Nomad is no longer free software

• ~centos-stream-8~: Remove in Lima v0.23.0, as CentOS Stream 8 reached EOL.

• ~deprecated/centos-7~: Remove in Lima v0.23.0, as CentOS 7 reached EOL.

• ~experimental/vz~: Merged into the default template in Lima v1.0. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/vmtype/.

• ~experimental/armv7l~: Merged into the default template in Lima v1.0. Use limactl create --arch=armv7l template://default.

• ~experimental/riscv64~: Merged into the default template in Lima v1.0. Use limactl create --arch=riscv64 template://default.

• ~vmnet~: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use limactl create --network=lima:shared template://default instead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/network/.

• ~experimental/net-user-v2~: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use limactl create --network=lima:user-v2 template://default instead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/network/.

• ~experimental/9p~: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use limactl create --vm-type=qemu --mount-type=9p template://default instead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/mount/.

• ~experimental/virtiofs-linux~: Removed in Lima v1.0. Use limactl create --mount-type=virtiofs-linux template://default instead. See also https://lima-vm.io/docs/config/mount/.

Tier

• "Tier 1" (marked with ⭐): Good stability. Regularly tested on the CI.

• "Tier 2" (marked with ☆): Moderate stability. Regularly tested on the CI.

Other templates are tested only occasionally and manually.