sdme

sdme boots Linux containers using systemd-nspawn with overlayfs copy-on-write layers. Each container runs a real systemd init, so services, journalctl, systemctl, timers, and everything else work like a normal system. Changes stay in the container; the base filesystem is never touched.

It is a single static binary with no daemon. It imports root filesystems from OCI registries (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, NixOS, and more), tarballs, directories, or QCOW2 images. It runs OCI application images (nginx, redis, postgres) as systemd services inside booted containers, and deploys multi-container pods from Kubernetes Pod YAML manifests.

Why sdme?

• Full init: containers boot systemd. Services start, timers fire, journald collects logs. It works like a real machine.
• Test real scenarios: systemd units, multi-service setups, distro packaging, upgrade paths. Anything that needs a booted system.
• Clone your machine: sudo sdme new snapshots your root filesystem and drops you into a shell.
• Any systemd distro: Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, NixOS, openSUSE, CentOS, CachyOS, and more.
• OCI images: run Docker Hub images as systemd services inside a booted system.
• Kubernetes Pod YAML: deploy multi-container pods with volumes, secrets, configmaps, and health probes.
• No daemon: single static binary, no background service.

Downloads, tutorials, and documentation

fiorix.github.io/sdme