This standalone extension connects Podman Desktop to existing Lima instances for Podman, Docker, or Kubernetes. It also transfers container images to a Lima Kubernetes instance.
For usage and documentation, visit the Lima documentation located on the Podman Desktop website.
Install dependencies and build the extension:
pnpm install
pnpm buildThe build creates dist/extension.js and bundles its runtime dependencies.
Podman Desktop supplies @podman-desktop/api at runtime.
Load the extension through Extensions > Development > Add a local folder extension.... If development mode is disabled, enable it first. Select this project folder. If Lima is stopped, click Start the extension (the play button) beside its row.
The extension uses the lima settings in Podman Desktop:
| Setting | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
lima.type |
podman |
Select podman, docker, or kubernetes. |
lima.name |
Engine type | Select the existing Lima instance. |
lima.socket |
<type>.sock |
Select the socket in the instance sock directory. |
lima.home |
LIMA_HOME or ~/.lima |
Select the directory for Lima instances. |
lima.binary.path |
limactl on PATH |
Select a custom Lima executable. |
To package an OCI image, run:
podman build -f Containerfile -t localhost/podman-desktop-extension-lima:dev .The Containerfile installs the locked dependencies and builds the extension from source.
The final image contains the extension files in /extension.
For registry installation, tag and push the image to your registry. Use Extensions > Install custom... with the image reference.