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@norio-nomura norio-nomura commented Oct 5, 2025

This PR is formed with two parts:

  • autostart: Refactor to add autoStartManager to prepare for the following commit
  • autostart: Ensure the instance is started/stopped by launchd or systemctl

Refactor to add autoStartManager

  • Hide creating/deleting an autostart entry file into Register/Unregister as the implementation details.
  • Separate the launchd and systemd-specific code into packages.

Use launchctl or systemctl to start/stop the instance if it’s registered to autostart.

If the instance isn’t launched by launchd, it won’t be stopped on log out.

Affected sub commands:

  • limactl start
  • limactl stop
  • limactl restart
  • limactl edit
  • limactl shell

API changes

pkg/autostart

  • Introduced AutoStartedIdentifier():
    • If not empty, it indicates whether the instance was started by launchd or systemd.
  • Added RequestStart():
    • Delegates the operation to launchd or systemd.
  • Added RequestStop():
    • Delegates the operation to launchd or systemd.

pkg/autostart/launchd

  • Added AutoStartedServiceName():
    • Uses the XPC_SERVICE_NAME environment variable as the service name.
  • Added RequestStart():
    • Uses launchctl enable service-target to avoid failing bootstrap.
    • Uses launchctl bootstrap domain-target plist-path.
  • Added RequestStop():
    • Uses launchctl bootout service-target if the instance is launched by launchd.
  • Added --progress to the limactl option in io.lima-vm.autostart.INSTANCE.plist:
    • Required to support limactl start --progress.

pkg/autostart/systemd

  • Added AutoStartedServiceName():
    • Uses CurrentUnitName() by github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22/util as the service identifier.
  • Added RequestStart():
    • Uses systemctl --user start unit-name.
  • Added RequestStop():
    • Uses systemctl --user stop unit-name if the instance is launched by systemd.
  • Added --progress to the limactl option in [email protected]:
    • Required to support limactl start --progress.

pkg/hostagent

  • Add AutoStartedIdentifier to Info.
    • If not empty, it indicates whether the instance was started by launchd or systemd.

pkg/instance

  • StartWithPaths():
    • Use autostart.IsRegistered() to check if the instance is registered to autostart.
    • If launchHostAgentForeground is true, ignore autostart registration.
    • If the instance is registered to autostart, use autostart.RequestStart() instead of launching HostAgent.
  • StopGracefully():
    • Use autostart.RequestStop().
  • Restart(), RestartForcibly():
    • Use autostart.IsRegistered() to skip networks.Reconcile() if the instance is registered to autostart.

@norio-nomura norio-nomura marked this pull request as draft October 5, 2025 08:55
@norio-nomura norio-nomura force-pushed the improve-autostart branch 7 times, most recently from 783c0f2 to 428fcb1 Compare October 5, 2025 12:13
@norio-nomura norio-nomura marked this pull request as ready for review October 5, 2025 12:42
@AkihiroSuda
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How to test this PR?

@AkihiroSuda
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Also please explain what issue is being solved by this PR

@norio-nomura
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Also please explain what issue is being solved by this PR

opened #4141

@norio-nomura norio-nomura force-pushed the improve-autostart branch 2 times, most recently from ac9db28 to 31d7007 Compare October 6, 2025 07:05
@AkihiroSuda AkihiroSuda added this to the v2.0.0 milestone Oct 6, 2025
@norio-nomura norio-nomura force-pushed the improve-autostart branch 2 times, most recently from 1cea297 to b4e6288 Compare October 6, 2025 23:56
- Hide creating/deleting an autostart entry file into `Register`/`Unregister` as the implementation details.
- Separate the `launchd` and `systemd`-specific code into packages.

Signed-off-by: Norio Nomura <[email protected]>
…ctl`

If the instance isn’t launched by `launchd`, it won’t be stopped on log out.

This changes to use `launchctl` or `systemctl` to start/stop the instance if it’s registered to autostart.

## Affected sub commands:
- `limactl start`
- `limactl stop`
- `limactl restart`
- `limactl edit`
- `limactl shell`

## API changes

### `pkg/autostart`
- Introduced `AutoStartedIdentifier()`:
  - If not empty, it indicates whether the instance was started by `launchd` or `systemd`.
- Added `RequestStart()`:
  - Delegates the operation to `launchd` or `systemd`.
- Added `RequestStop()`:
  - Delegates the operation to `launchd` or `systemd`.

### `pkg/autostart/launchd`
- Added `AutoStartedServiceName()`:
  - Uses the XPC_SERVICE_NAME environment variable as the service name.
- Added `RequestStart()`:
  - Uses `launchctl enable service-target` to avoid failing `bootstrap`.
  - Uses `launchctl bootstrap domain-target plist-path`.
- Added `RequestStop()`:
  - Uses `launchctl bootout service-target` if the instance is launched by `launchd`.
- Added `--progress` to the `limactl` option in `io.lima-vm.autostart.INSTANCE.plist`:
  - Required to support `limactl start --progress`.

### `pkg/autostart/systemd`
- Added `AutoStartedServiceName()`:
  - Uses `CurrentUnitName()` by `github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22/util` as the service identifier.
- Added `RequestStart()`:
  - Uses `systemctl --user start unit-name`.
- Added `RequestStop()`:
  - Uses `systemctl --user stop unit-name` if the instance is launched by `systemd`.
- Added `--progress` to the `limactl` option in `[email protected]`:
  - Required to support `limactl start --progress`.

### `pkg/hostagent`
- Add `AutoStartedIdentifier` to `Info`.
  - If not empty, it indicates whether the instance was started by `launchd` or `systemd`.

### `pkg/instance`
- `StartWithPaths()`:
  - Use `autostart.IsRegistered()` to check if the instance is registered to autostart.
  - If `launchHostAgentForeground` is true, ignore autostart registration.
  - If the instance is registered to autostart, use `autostart.RequestStart()` instead of launching HostAgent.
- `StopGracefully()`:
  - Use `autostart.RequestStop()`.
- `Restart()`, `RestartForcibly()`:
  - Use `autostart.IsRegistered()` to skip `networks.Reconcile()` if the instance is registered to autostart.

Signed-off-by: Norio Nomura <[email protected]>
…hctl bootstrap`

Because instances may be stopped without unloading the plist file.
e.g. `limactl stop -f` or `limactl factory-reset`.
If the plist file is not unloaded, `launchctl bootstrap` will fail.

Signed-off-by: Norio Nomura <[email protected]>
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limactl should use launchctl to start/stop instance if it's registered to start-at-login
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