ply on macOS

ply's runtime is built on Linux kernel primitives (namespaces, overlayfs, cgroups), so it doesn't run natively on macOS. The practical path today is Lima — a lightweight Linux VM manager built on Apple's Virtualization framework, with two touches that make it feel native: your home directory is shared into the VM automatically, and ports the guest binds are forwarded to the Mac.

#Setup (once)

brew install lima
limactl start          # boots a default Ubuntu VM
lima sudo ply setup    # after installing ply inside — see below

Install ply inside the VM:

lima bash -c 'curl -fsSL https://plybox.sh/install.sh | sh'

#Daily use

Prefix any ply command with lima — it runs inside the VM, in your current directory (shared automatically):

cd ~/code/myapp
lima ply build .
lima ply run myapp-0.1.0-linux-x64.img

The app's port is forwarded, so curl localhost:3000 works from the Mac. Or open a shell and forget the Mac side exists:

lima          # → a Linux shell, ply installed, your files present

#Notes

• The VM is x86_64 or arm64 to match your Mac — on Apple Silicon you'll run linux-arm64 images. Build for your servers' architecture in CI (the GitHub Action does this for free on x64 runners).
• limactl stop default frees the VM's memory when you're done; limactl start brings it back.
• Windows: use WSL2 — it's a real Linux kernel, and ply runs in it directly with no extra tooling.

#The future

A native ply run on macOS — no resident VM, a disposable microVM per instance — is designed (see docs/ply-vm.md in the repo) but not scheduled. Lima is the recommended path until then.