user-v2 network

user-v2 network provides a user-mode networking similar to the default user-mode network and also provides support for vm -> vm communication.

To enable this network mode, define a network with mode: user-v2 in networks.yaml

By default, the below network configuration is already applied (Since v0.18).

...
networks:
  user-v2:
    mode: user-v2
    gateway: 192.168.104.1
    netmask: 255.255.255.0
...

Instances can then reference these networks from their lima.yaml file:

{{< tabpane text=true >}} {{% tab header="CLI" %}}

limactl start --network=lima:user-v2

{{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="YAML" %}}

networks:
   - lima: user-v2

{{% /tab %}} {{< /tabpane >}}

An instance's IP address is resolvable from another instance as lima-<NAME>.internal. (e.g., lima-default.internal.).

Note

Enabling user-v2 network will disable the [default user-mode network]({{< ref "/docs/config/network/user" >}}).

Accessing VMs from the host

By default, the lima-<NAME>.internal hostnames are only resolvable from within the guest VMs. To access the guest network from the host, use limactl tunnel to create a SOCKS proxy:

limactl tunnel <INSTANCE>

The command will output the proxy address (the port is randomly assigned):

$ limactl tunnel default
Set `ALL_PROXY=socks5h://127.0.0.1:<PORT>`, etc.
The instance can be connected from the host as <http://lima-default.internal> via a web browser.

You can then access any VM on the user-v2 network from the host using the SOCKS proxy:

{{< tabpane text=true >}} {{% tab header="curl" %}}

curl --proxy socks5h://127.0.0.1:<PORT> http://lima-default.internal

{{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Environment variable" %}}

export ALL_PROXY=socks5h://127.0.0.1:<PORT>
curl http://lima-default.internal

{{% /tab %}} {{% tab header="Web browser" %}} Configure your browser to use the SOCKS5 proxy at 127.0.0.1:<PORT>, then navigate to http://lima-default.internal. {{% /tab %}} {{< /tabpane >}}

Note

limactl tunnel is experimental.