appvm/README.md

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# Nix application VMs: security through virtualization

Simple application VMs (hypervisor-based sandbox) based on Nix package manager.

Uses one **read-only** /nix directory for all appvms. So creating a new appvm (but not first) is just about one minute.

![appvm screenshot](screenshots/2018-07-05.png)

## Dependencies

    $ sudo apt install golang virt-manager curl git
    $ sudo usermod -a -G libvirt $USER

    $ echo 'export GOPATH=$HOME/go' >> ~/.bash_profile
    $ echo 'export PATH=$PATH:$GOPATH/bin' >> ~/.bash_profile
    $ echo 'source ~/.bash_profile' >> ~/.bashrc
    $ source ~/.bash_profile

You need to **relogin** if you install virt-manager (libvirt) first time.

## Install Nix package manager

    $ sudo mkdir -m 0755 /nix && sudo chown $USER /nix
    $ curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh
    $ . ~/.nix-profile/etc/profile.d/nix.sh

## Libvirt from user (required if you need access to shared files)

    $ echo user = "\"$USER\"" | sudo tee -a /etc/libvirt/qemu.conf
    $ sudo systemctl restart libvirtd

## Install appvm tool

    $ go get code.dumpstack.io/tools/appvm

## Update appvm tool

    $ go get -u code.dumpstack.io/tools/appvm

## Search for applications

    $ appvm search chromium

## Generate new application

	$ nix-channel --list
	nix https://nixos.org/channels/nixos-unstable
    $ appvm generate nix.firefox

## Run application

    $ appvm start chromium
    $ # ... long wait for first time, because we need to collect a lot of packages

You can customize local settings in **~/.config/appvm/nix/local.nix**.

Default hotkey to release cursor: ctrl+alt.

## Shared directory

    $ ls appvm/chromium
    foo.tar.gz
    bar.tar.gz

## Close VM

    $ appvm stop chromium

## Automatic ballooning

Add this command:

    $ appvm autoballoon

to crontab like that:

    $ crontab -l
    * * * * * /home/user/dev/go/bin/appvm autoballoon

# App description

    $ cat nix/chromium.nix
    {pkgs, ...}:
    {
      imports = [
        <nixpkgs/nixos/modules/virtualisation/qemu-vm.nix>
        <nix/base.nix>
      ];

      services.xserver.displayManager.sessionCommands =
        "while [ 1 ]; do ${pkgs.chromium}/bin/chromium; done &";
    }

For create new app you should add package name (search at https://nixos.org/nixos/packages.html) and path to binary (typically same as package name).