feat(autostart): add --keep-alive flag to limactl autostart enable

Add --keep-alive (default: true) to both LaunchAgent and LaunchDaemon
plist templates. When enabled, launchd restarts the Lima host agent
automatically if it exits unexpectedly, preventing instances from
remaining in a Broken state until the next login or reboot.

The flag is accepted on all platforms; on Linux it is a no-op since
systemd restart behavior is configured separately in the unit file.

Closes: #4992

Signed-off-by: Robert Esker <resker@gmail.com>

Author: resker

cmd/limactl/autostart.go

@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ func newAutostartEnableCommand() *cobra.Command {
 		"user", "",
 		"macOS username to run the instance as when --condition=boot (default: $USER)",
 	)
+	flags.Bool(
+		"keep-alive", true,
+		"Restart the instance automatically if the host agent exits unexpectedly",
+	)
 	return cmd
 }
 

cmd/limactl/autostart_darwin.go

@@ -20,7 +20,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 func autostartEnableAction(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	condition, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("condition")
+	flags := cmd.Flags()
+	condition, err := flags.GetString("condition")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	keepAlive, err := flags.GetBool("keep-alive")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -36,12 +41,13 @@ func autostartEnableAction(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	switch condition {
 	case "login":
-		if err := autostart.RegisterToStartAtLogin(ctx, inst); err != nil {
+		mgr := autostart.ManagerWith(keepAlive)
+		if err := mgr.RegisterToStartAtLogin(ctx, inst); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to register instance %#q to start at login: %w", inst.Name, err)
 		}
 		logrus.Infof("Instance %#q registered to start at login", inst.Name)
 	case "boot":
-		userName, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("user")
+		userName, err := flags.GetString("user")
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -51,7 +57,7 @@ func autostartEnableAction(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		if userName == "" {
 			return errors.New("could not determine user; pass --user")
 		}
-		return daemonInstall(ctx, inst.Name, inst.Dir, userName)
+		return daemonInstall(ctx, inst.Name, inst.Dir, userName, keepAlive)
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("unknown condition %q: must be \"login\" or \"boot\"", condition)
 	}
@@ -89,18 +95,22 @@ func autostartDisableAction(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func daemonInstall(ctx context.Context, instName, workDir, userName string) error {
+func daemonInstall(ctx context.Context, instName, workDir, userName string, keepAlive bool) error {
 	selfExe, err := os.Executable()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not determine limactl path: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	content, err := textutil.ExecuteTemplate(launchd.DaemonTemplate, map[string]string{
+	vars := map[string]string{
 		"Binary":   selfExe,
 		"Instance": instName,
 		"WorkDir":  workDir,
 		"UserName": userName,
-	})
+	}
+	if keepAlive {
+		vars["KeepAlive"] = "true"
+	}
+	content, err := textutil.ExecuteTemplate(launchd.DaemonTemplate, vars)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to render daemon plist: %w", err)
 	}

cmd/limactl/autostart_others.go

@@ -35,7 +35,12 @@ func autostartEnableAction(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := autostart.RegisterToStartAtLogin(ctx, inst); err != nil {
+	keepAlive, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("keep-alive")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	mgr := autostart.ManagerWith(keepAlive)
+	if err := mgr.RegisterToStartAtLogin(ctx, inst); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to register instance %#q to start at login: %w", inst.Name, err)
 	}
 	logrus.Infof("Instance %#q registered to start at login", inst.Name)

pkg/autostart/launchd/io.lima-vm.autostart.INSTANCE.plist

@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 	</array>
 	<key>RunAtLoad</key>
 	<true/>
+{{ if .KeepAlive }}	<key>KeepAlive</key>
+	<true/>
+{{ end }}
 	<key>StandardErrorPath</key>
 	<string>launchd.stderr.log</string>
 	<key>StandardOutPath</key>

pkg/autostart/launchd/io.lima-vm.daemon.INSTANCE.plist

@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 	</array>
 	<key>RunAtLoad</key>
 	<true/>
+{{ if .KeepAlive }}	<key>KeepAlive</key>
+	<true/>
+{{ end }}
 	<key>StandardErrorPath</key>
 	<string>launchd.stderr.log</string>
 	<key>StandardOutPath</key>

pkg/autostart/managers_darwin.go

@@ -7,13 +7,23 @@ import "github.com/lima-vm/lima/v2/pkg/autostart/launchd"
 
 // Manager returns the autostart manager for Darwin.
 func Manager() autoStartManager {
+	return ManagerWith(true)
+}
+
+// ManagerWith returns the autostart manager for Darwin with the given options.
+func ManagerWith(keepAlive bool) autoStartManager {
+	extra := map[string]string{}
+	if keepAlive {
+		extra["KeepAlive"] = "true"
+	}
 	return &TemplateFileBasedManager{
 		filePath:              launchd.GetPlistPath,
 		template:              launchd.Template,
 		enabler:               launchd.EnableDisableService,
 		autoStartedIdentifier: launchd.AutoStartedServiceName,
 		requestStart:          launchd.RequestStart,
 		requestStop:           launchd.RequestStop,
+		extraTemplateVars:     extra,
 	}
 }
 

pkg/autostart/managers_linux.go

@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ func DaemonManager(_ string) autoStartManager {
 	return &notSupportedManager{}
 }
 
+// ManagerWith returns the autostart manager for Linux.
+// The keepAlive parameter is accepted for API compatibility but ignored;
+// systemd restart behavior is configured separately via the unit file.
+func ManagerWith(_ bool) autoStartManager {
+	return Manager()
+}
+
 // Manager returns the autostart manager for Linux.
 func Manager() autoStartManager {
 	if systemd.IsRunningSystemd() {

pkg/autostart/managers_others.go

@@ -14,3 +14,8 @@ func Manager() autoStartManager {
 func DaemonManager(_ string) autoStartManager {
 	return &notSupportedManager{}
 }
+
+// ManagerWith is not supported on this OS.
+func ManagerWith(_ bool) autoStartManager {
+	return &notSupportedManager{}
+}

website/content/en/docs/usage/autostart.md

@@ -48,6 +48,19 @@ The `--user` flag specifies which macOS user the instance runs as (default:
 `$USER`). The plist is installed to
 `/Library/LaunchDaemons/io.lima-vm.daemon.<instance>.plist`.
 
+## Keep-alive behavior
+
+By default (`--keep-alive=true`), launchd will automatically restart the Lima
+host agent if it exits unexpectedly. To disable this:
+
+```bash
+limactl autostart enable --keep-alive=false default
+```
+
+This applies to both `--condition=login` (macOS LaunchAgent) and
+`--condition=boot` (macOS LaunchDaemon). On Linux, restart behavior is
+configured separately in the systemd unit file.
+
 ## Lima < 2.2
 
 Use `limactl start-at-login` (equivalent to `limactl autostart enable --condition=login`):