boringvm is a lightweight, command-line-based virtual machine manager designed for managing qemu virtual machines. The tool is designed to simplify VM management tasks for users.

Install boringvm by running this one-liner (on macOS run without sudo):

Linux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ericcurtin/boringvm/s/install.sh | sudo bash

macOS:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ericcurtin/boringvm/s/install.sh | bash

• create and manage vm images: easily create or delete virtual machine images.
• run vms with port forwarding: automatically assign available ports for ssh access and forward them to vms.
• list running vms: display currently running vms along with their corresponding forwarded ports.
• ssh access: ssh into running vms or copy ssh keys to them.
• graphical mode support: optionally run vms with graphical display support.

• python3
• qemu
• Linux or macOS

The boringvm tool is operated via the command line. The general usage pattern is:

boringvm <command> [options]

• create: Create a new virtual machine image.
• run: Start a virtual machine.
• ps: List all running virtual machines and their forwarded ports.
• ls: List available VM images.
• ssh: SSH into a running virtual machine.
• ssh-copy-id: Copy the SSH key to a virtual machine.
• stop: Stop a running virtual machine.
• rm: Delete a VM image.

By default, boringvm stores vm images in:

• /var/lib/boringvm/vms (for root users)
• ~/.local/share/boringvm/vms (for non-root users)

1. Create a vm image:

   boringvm create my_vm

2. Run the vm with a graphical interface and a cdrom:

   boringvm run my_vm --cdrom /path/to/cdrom.iso --graphic

3. ssh into the running vm:

   boringvm ssh my_vm

Enjoy using boringvm to manage your virtual machines with ease!