# zeroboot-vm-sandbox

This skill runs agent code inside a real KVM virtual machine through Zeroboot, forking a template in under a millisecond.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1300 installs · ★ 88
- Author: reason-machines
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-09
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox

## What it does

The skill tells your agent how to execute untrusted code in an actual VM rather than a container. A Firecracker template boots once and its memory plus CPU state are saved to a snapshot. Every new sandbox then maps that snapshot with `mmap(MAP_PRIVATE)`, and the kernel handles copy-on-write page faults on its own.

You get a Python SDK (`zeroboot`), a Node package (`@zeroboot/sdk`) and the `POST /v1/exec` REST endpoint. The examples cover an agent code-execution loop, running several sandboxes concurrently, and wrapping the call as a tool for an LLM. Memory isolation is hardware-enforced, and each fork carries its own kernel instance.

An API key is required: set `ZEROBOOT_API_KEY` in the environment instead of hardcoding it. Self-hosting needs a Linux host with `/dev/kvm`, the Firecracker binary and a Rust 2021 toolchain — without `/dev/kvm` the build fails, and loading the `kvm` module is the fix.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill zeroboot-vm-sandbox -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill zeroboot-vm-sandbox -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill zeroboot-vm-sandbox -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install reason-machines/trending-skills zeroboot-vm-sandbox
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill zeroboot-vm-sandbox -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills --path skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill zeroboot-vm-sandbox -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/zeroboot-vm-sandbox/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- run model-generated code without touching your own machine
- spin up a fresh isolated sandbox per agent run
- execute several code snippets concurrently
- expose a code-execution tool to an agent over REST or an SDK
- keep one task's code away from another task's files and memory

## Example prompts
- run this code in a zeroboot sandbox and show me the output
- create an isolated VM sandbox and execute this Python script
- run ten code snippets in parallel through zeroboot

## Similar
- [deno-sandbox](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/deno-sandbox.md) — skill · 358 installs
- [rivet-secure-exec](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/rivet-secure-exec.md) — skill · 918 installs
- [sandbox-guard](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/sandbox-guard.md) — skill · 483 installs
- [sandbox-stable](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/sandbox-stable.md) — skill · 68500 installs
- [sandbox-sdk](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/sandbox-sdk.md) — skill · 4 installs
- [bailian-sandbox](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/bailian-sandbox.md) — skill · 812 installs

From the same set: [reason-machines/trending-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/reason-machines/trending-skills.md) — 49 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md