118 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
118 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
# WebVM
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[](https://discord.gg/yWRr2YnD9c)
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[](https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/issues)
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This repository hosts the source code for [https://webvm.io](https://webvm.io), a Linux virtual machine that runs in your browser.
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<img src="/assets/welcome_to_WebVM_2024.png" width="70%">
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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.
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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.
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# Enable networking
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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.
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- Open the "Networking" panel from the side-bar
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- Click "Connect to Tailscale" from the panel
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- Log in to Tailscale (create an account if you don't have one)
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- Click "Connect" when prompted by Tailscale
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- If you are unfamiliar with Tailscale or would like additional information see [WebVM and Tailscale](/docs/Tailscale.md).
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# Fork, deploy, customize
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<img src="/assets/fork_deploy_instructions.gif" alt="deploy_instructions_gif" width="90%">
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- Fork the repository.
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- Enable Github pages in settings.
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- Click on `Settings`.
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- Go to the `Pages` section.
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- Select `Github Actions` as the source.
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- If you are using a custom domain, ensure `Enforce HTTPS` is enabled.
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- Run the workflow.
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- Click on `Actions`.
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- Accept the prompt. This is required only once to enable Actions for your fork.
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- Click on the workflow named `Deploy`.
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- Click `Run workflow` and then once more `Run workflow` in the menu.
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- After a few seconds a new `Deploy` workflow will start, click on it to see details.
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- After the workflow completes, which takes a few minutes, it will show the URL below the `deploy_to_github_pages` job.
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<img src="/assets/result.png" width="70%" >
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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.
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# Local deployment
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From a local `git clone`
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- Download the `debian_mini` Ext2 image from [https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/releases/](https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/releases/)
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- You can also build your own by selecting the "Upload GitHub release" workflow option
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- Place the image in the repository root folder
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- Edit `config_github_terminal.js`
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- Uncomment the default values for `CMD`, `ARGS`, `ENV` and `CWD`
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- Replace `IMAGE_URL` with the URL (absolute or relative) for the Ext2 image. For example `"/debian_mini_20230519_5022088024.ext2"`
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- Build WebVM using `npm`, output will be placed in the `build` directory
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- `npm install`
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- `npm run build`
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- Start NGINX, it automatically points to the `build` directory just created
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- `nginx -p . -c nginx.conf`
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- Visit `http://127.0.0.1:8081` and enjoy your local WebVM
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# Example customization: Python3 REPL
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The `Deploy` workflow takes into account the `CMD` specified in the Dockerfile. To build a REPL you can simply apply this patch and deploy.
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```diff
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diff --git a/dockerfiles/debian_mini b/dockerfiles/debian_mini
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index 2878332..1f3103a 100644
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--- a/dockerfiles/debian_mini
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+++ b/dockerfiles/debian_mini
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@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ WORKDIR /home/user/
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# We set env, as this gets extracted by Webvm. This is optional.
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ENV HOME="/home/user" TERM="xterm" USER="user" SHELL="/bin/bash" EDITOR="vim" LANG="en_US.UTF-8" LC_ALL="C"
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RUN echo 'root:password' | chpasswd
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-CMD [ "/bin/bash" ]
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+CMD [ "/usr/bin/python3" ]
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```
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# Bugs and Issues
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Please use [Issues](https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm/issues) to report any bug.
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Or come to say hello / share your feedback on [Discord](https://discord.gg/yTNZgySKGa).
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# More links
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- [WebVM: server-less x86 virtual machines in the browser](https://leaningtech.com/webvm-server-less-x86-virtual-machines-in-the-browser/)
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- [WebVM: Linux Virtualization in WebAssembly with Full Networking via Tailscale](https://leaningtech.com/webvm-virtual-machine-with-networking-via-tailscale/)
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- [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/)
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- Reference GitHub Pages deployment: [Mini.WebVM](https://mini.webvm.io)
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- [Crafting the Impossible: X86 Virtualization in the Browser with WebAssembly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqrbVycTXmw) Talk at JsNation 2022
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# Thanks to...
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This project depends on:
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- [CheerpX](https://cheerpx.io/), made by [Leaning Technologies](https://leaningtech.com/) for x86 virtualization and Linux emulation
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- xterm.js, [https://xtermjs.org/](https://xtermjs.org/), for providing the Web-based terminal emulator
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- [Tailscale](https://tailscale.com/), for the networking component
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- [lwIP](https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/lwip/), for the TCP/IP stack, compiled for the Web via [Cheerp](https://github.com/leaningtech/cheerp-meta/)
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# Versioning
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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).
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The NPM package is updated on every release.
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Every build is immutable, if a specific version works well for you today, it will keep working forever.
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# License
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WebVM is released under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
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You are welcome to use, modify, and redistribute the contents of this repository.
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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.
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Read more about [CheerpX licensing](https://cheerpx.io/docs/licensing)
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If you want to build a product on top of CheerpX/WebVM, please get in touch: sales@leaningtech.com
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