webvm/README.md

# WebVM

[![Discord server](https://img.shields.io/discord/988743885121548329?color=%235865F2&logo=discord&logoColor=%23fff)](https://discord.gg/yWRr2YnD9c)
[![Issues](https://img.shields.io/github/issues/leaningtech/webvm)](https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/issues)

This repository hosts the source code for [https://webvm.io](https://webvm.io), a Linux virtual machine that runs in your browser.

<img src="/assets/welcome_to_WebVM_2024.png" width="70%">

WebVM is a server-less virtual environment running fully client-side in HTML5/WebAssembly. It's designed to be Linux ABI-compatible. It runs an unmodified Debian distribution including many native development toolchains.

WebVM is powered by the CheerpX virtualization engine, and enables safe, sandboxed client-side execution of x86 binaries on any browser. CheerpX includes an x86-to-WebAssembly JIT compiler, a virtual block-based file system, and a Linux syscall emulator. 

# Enable networking

Modern browsers do not provide APIs to directly use TCP or UDP. WebVM provides networking support by integrating with Tailscale, a VPN network that supports WebSockets as a transport layer.

- Open the "Networking" panel from the side-bar
- Click "Connect to Tailscale" from the panel
- Log in to Tailscale (create an account if you don't have one)
- Click "Connect" when prompted by Tailscale
- If you are unfamiliar with Tailscale or would like additional information see [WebVM and Tailscale](/docs/Tailscale.md).

# Fork, deploy, customize

<img src="/assets/fork_deploy_instructions.gif" alt="deploy_instructions_gif" width="90%">

- Fork the repository.
- Enable Github pages in settings.
	- Click on `Settings`.
	- Go to the `Pages` section.
	- Select `Github Actions` as the source.
        - If you are using a custom domain, ensure `Enforce HTTPS` is enabled. 
- Run the workflow.
	- Click on `Actions`.
	- Accept the prompt. This is required only once to enable Actions for your fork.
	- Click on the workflow named `Deploy`.
	- Click `Run workflow` and then once more `Run workflow` in the menu.
- After a few seconds a new `Deploy` workflow will start, click on it to see details.
- After the workflow completes, which takes a few minutes, it will show the URL below the `deploy_to_github_pages` job.

<img src="/assets/result.png" width="70%" >

You can now customize `dockerfiles/debian_mini` to suits your needs, or make a new Dockerfile from scratch. Use the `Path to Dockerfile` workflow parameter to select it.

# Local deployment

From a local `git clone`

- Download the `debian_mini` Ext2 image from [https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/releases/](https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/releases/)
	- You can also build your own by selecting the "Upload GitHub release" workflow option
	- Place the image in the repository root folder
- Edit `config_github_terminal.js`
	- Uncomment the default values for `CMD`, `ARGS`, `ENV` and `CWD`
	- Replace `IMAGE_URL` with the URL (absolute or relative) for the Ext2 image. For example `"/debian_mini_20230519_5022088024.ext2"`
- Build WebVM using `npm`, output will be placed in the `build` directory
	- `npm install`
	- `npm run build`
- Start NGINX, it automatically points to the `build` directory just created
	- `nginx -p . -c nginx.conf`
- Visit `http://127.0.0.1:8081` and enjoy your local WebVM

# Example customization: Python3 REPL

The `Deploy` workflow takes into account the `CMD` specified in the Dockerfile. To build a REPL you can simply apply this patch and deploy.

```diff
diff --git a/dockerfiles/debian_mini b/dockerfiles/debian_mini
index 2878332..1f3103a 100644
--- a/dockerfiles/debian_mini
+++ b/dockerfiles/debian_mini
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ WORKDIR /home/user/
 # We set env, as this gets extracted by Webvm. This is optional.
 ENV HOME="/home/user" TERM="xterm" USER="user" SHELL="/bin/bash" EDITOR="vim" LANG="en_US.UTF-8" LC_ALL="C"
 RUN echo 'root:password' | chpasswd
-CMD [ "/bin/bash" ]
+CMD [ "/usr/bin/python3" ]
```

# Bugs and Issues

Please use [Issues](https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/issues) to report any bug.
Or come to say hello / share your feedback on [Discord](https://discord.gg/yTNZgySKGa).

# More links

- [WebVM: server-less x86 virtual machines in the browser](https://leaningtech.com/webvm-server-less-x86-virtual-machines-in-the-browser/)
- [WebVM: Linux Virtualization in WebAssembly with Full Networking via Tailscale](https://leaningtech.com/webvm-virtual-machine-with-networking-via-tailscale/)
- [Mini.WebVM: Your own Linux box from Dockerfile, virtualized in the browser via WebAssembly](https://leaningtech.com/mini-webvm-your-linux-box-from-dockerfile-via-wasm/)
- Reference GitHub Pages deployment: [Mini.WebVM](https://mini.webvm.io)
- [Crafting the Impossible: X86 Virtualization in the Browser with WebAssembly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqrbVycTXmw) Talk at JsNation 2022

# Thanks to... 
This project depends on:
- [CheerpX](https://cheerpx.io/), made by [Leaning Technologies](https://leaningtech.com/) for x86 virtualization and Linux emulation
- xterm.js, [https://xtermjs.org/](https://xtermjs.org/), for providing the Web-based terminal emulator
- [Tailscale](https://tailscale.com/), for the networking component
- [lwIP](https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/lwip/), for the TCP/IP stack, compiled for the Web via [Cheerp](https://github.com/leaningtech/cheerp-meta/)

# Versioning

WebVM depends on the CheerpX x86-to-WebAssembly virtualization technology, which is included in the project via [NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@leaningtech/cheerpx).

The NPM package is updated on every release.

Every build is immutable, if a specific version works well for you today, it will keep working forever.

# License

WebVM is released under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

You are welcome to use, modify, and redistribute the contents of this repository.

The public CheerpX deployment is provided **as-is** and is **free to use** for technological exploration, testing and use by individuals. Any other use by organizations, including non-profit, academia and the public sector, requires a license. Downloading a CheerpX build for the purpose of hosting it elsewhere is not permitted without a commercial license.

Read more about [CheerpX licensing](https://cheerpx.io/docs/licensing)

If you want to build a product on top of CheerpX/WebVM, please get in touch: sales@leaningtech.com