Linux virtual machines, with a focus on running containers
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcelima is lima is an open-source project written in Go: Linux virtual machines, with a focus on running containers..
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), lima-vm/lima has accumulated 22,101 GitHub stars and 984 forks. It is written in Go, licensed under Apache-2.0, and ranks #775 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Oct 15, 2026.”
| Repository | lima-vm/lima ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | containerd |
| Language & Stack | Go |
| Software License | Apache-2.0 |
| Community Traction | ★ 22.1K stars · ⑂ 984 forks · #775 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Oct 15, 2026) · 510 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 90/100 · Grade AYes, lima is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Oct 15, 2026 (28 days ago). Supported by 22,101 stars and 984 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 90/100, reflecting regular maintenance (28 days ago) and active community feedback (510 open).
Star History
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+87
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
3
PER DAY
#103
MOST-STARRED Go
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +87 | +270 |
| Per day | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +16 | +49 |
lima gained 87 stars in the last 30 days, about 3 a day, and now has 22.1K. It is about 5 years old and has averaged roughly 4.4K stars a year. It ranks #103 among Go repositories and #775 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
42
DAYS ON TRENDING
#575
BEST RANK
Sep 26, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
lima has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #575. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
lima is an open-source project written in Go: Linux virtual machines, with a focus on running containers.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in containerd, lima-vm, macos. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in Go for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ go install github.com/lima-vm/lima@latest⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
Go >= 1.21 runtime environment
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
lima coordinates its core functionality through a modular Go pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Autonomous AI Agents
Orchestrate intelligent workflows and tool-calling routines with lima.
Model Inference & Prompting
Integrate fast, local or cloud-hosted generative AI models directly into production code.
Context Memory & RAG
Augment language models with dynamic vector retrieval and structured project memory.
Developer Productivity
Automate repetitive engineering tasks, code generation, and test creation using AI agents.
🚀 Getting Started
Install lima using your package manager: `go install github.com/lima-vm/lima@latest`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for lima.
Import lima into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `lima --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
lima-vm/lima is currently ranked #775 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #770 | twpayne/chezmoi | Go | ★ 22.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #771 | appium/appium | TypeScript | ★ 22.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #772 | palantir/blueprint | TypeScript | ★ 22.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #773 | tornadoweb/tornado | Python | ★ 22.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #774 | necolas/react-native-web | JavaScript | ★ 22.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #775 | lima-vm/lima This Project | Go | ★ 22.1K | |
| #776 | desktop/desktop | TypeScript | ★ 22.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #777 | android/nowinandroid | Kotlin | ★ 22.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #778 | QwikDev/qwik | TypeScript | ★ 22.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #779 | google/adk-python | Python | ★ 22.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #780 | p0deje/Maccy | Swift | ★ 22K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does lima do? +
Linux virtual machines, with a focus on running containers
Is lima actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, lima is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Oct 15, 2026 (28 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 90/100 (A rating) with 22,101 stars and 510 open issues.
What language is lima written in? +
The primary language is Go. Topics include: containerd, lima-vm, macos, qemu, vm.
How many stars does lima have? +
lima has 22,101 stars and 984 forks on GitHub.
How does lima rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 22,101 stars, lima-vm/lima is ranked #775 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #103 among Go projects.
What license is lima distributed under? +
The repository reports a Apache-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
