Installation
Install Hylyx with a single command:
Requirements:
- macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
- Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, etc.)
To uninstall:
Quick Start
Install a VM — SSH key is auto-detected and injected:
Your SSH key is automatically detected from ~/.ssh/ (id_ed25519.pub, id_rsa.pub, etc.) and injected into the VM. Just SSH in.
SSH key auto-detected from ~/.ssh/ (ed25519, ecdsa, rsa).
Features
Native Virtualization: Built on Apple’s Virtualization Framework. No emulation. No legacy overhead.
Instant Boot: From download to working Linux shell in under 30 seconds.
Disk Resize: Grow or shrink VM disks on the fly.
Bridged Networking: Bridge VMs to your local network for direct access, or use NAT (default).
Directory Sharing: Mount host directories inside the VM via virtio-fs.
Fast Provisioning: Automatic SSH key injection during installation.
Commands
VM Lifecycle
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
hylyx install <name> [distro] | Create VM, inject SSH key, start |
hylyx start <name> | Start VM in background |
hylyx start <name> -c | Start with serial console |
hylyx stop <name> ... | Stop VM(s) |
hylyx restart <name> ... | Restart VM(s) |
hylyx del <name> ... | Delete VM(s) |
VM Management
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
hylyx info <name> | Show details, discover IP |
hylyx clone <src> <dst> | Clone stopped VM |
hylyx resize <name> <GB> | Grow or shrink disk |
sudo hylyx autostart <name> | Enable boot startup |
sudo hylyx autostart <name> off | Disable boot startup |
Discovery
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
hylyx images [filter] | List available images |
hylyx bridges | List network interfaces |
System
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
hylyx update | Update Hylyx |
hylyx uninstall | Remove Hylyx |
hylyx help | Show help |
Create Options
Customize VMs at creation time:
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
-p <n> | All cores | Number of CPU cores |
-m <GB> | 2 | Memory in gigabytes |
-s <GB> | 16 | Disk size in gigabytes |
-b <iface> | NAT | Bridge to network interface |
-d <path> | None | Host directory to mount in guest |
-t <file> | None | Use local rootfs archive instead of cloud image |
Example with options:
Disk Resize
Grow or shrink VM disks.
Note: Shrinking requires enough free space in the VM.
Networking
NAT (Default)
VMs use NAT by default. The host can connect to VMs, but VMs appear as the host on the network.
Bridged Networking
Bridge VMs directly to your local network:
Bridged VMs get their own IP from your router’s DHCP.
Directory Sharing
Mount a host directory inside the VM:
Inside the VM, mount it:
Add to /etc/fstab for automatic mounting:
Data Location
All VM data is stored in: