# Install kraftkit with Homebrew, apk, Nix, apt, zypper Build and use highly customized and ultra-lightweight unikernel VMs. Version 0.12.14 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-27. Also installable with apk: sudo apk add kraftkit. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:kraftkit ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install kraftkit ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add kraftkit ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kraftkit from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#kraft ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/kr/kraft/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install kraft ``` Evidence: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: kraft from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install kraft ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kraft from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:kraftkit - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 0.12.14 - **Source summary:** Build and use highly customized and ultra-lightweight unikernel VMs - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-27T21:58:41+02:00 - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - kraft (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 0.12.14 ## Project history and usage KraftKit is the `kraft` command-line tool and Go framework for building, packaging, running, and deploying Unikraft unikernel virtual machines. It packages the unikernel workflow into a developer-facing CLI modeled after familiar package managers and build tools. ### Project history The unikraft/kraftkit repository was created on March 16, 2022, as the Go-based successor and companion tooling around the Unikraft unikernel project. The repository describes KraftKit as a suite of tools for custom, minimal, immutable lightweight unikernel virtual machines based on Unikraft. Unikraft itself came from the systems-research and unikernel world, where the goal is to compile an application with only the OS components it needs. KraftKit made that workflow look more like a modern developer CLI: install a `kraft` binary, build a project, run it locally with backends such as QEMU, package artifacts, and deploy to Unikraft Cloud. ### Adoption history KraftKit adoption tracks the effort to make unikernels approachable beyond research labs. The official docs call `kraft` Unikraft's companion command-line tool and say it was modeled after popular package managers and build tools to make building and managing applications as unikernels easier. Homebrew packaging matters for KraftKit because local macOS installation is one of the low-friction paths into a workflow that otherwise spans compilers, virtualization, OCI-style packaging, manifests, cloud deployment, and runtime management. ### How it is used The package installs the `kraft` executable. The CLI can build, clean, configure, package, pull, push, run, start, stop, inspect, and deploy Unikraft unikernels; the official CLI reference also documents local runtime, networking, volume, compose, cloud, image, service, autoscale, certificate, and completion commands. ### Why package nerds care KraftKit is interesting to package nerds because it treats unikernel components like packageable artifacts. It combines a language/toolchain installer, build orchestrator, package manager, local VM runner, and cloud deployer into one CLI, which is exactly the kind of tool that benefits from clean Homebrew distribution. ### Timeline - 2022-03-16: unikraft/kraftkit repository created on GitHub. - 2022-10-27: v0.1.0 tag commit recorded in the KraftKit repository. - 2024-04: Unikraft Cloud was announced as a cloud platform built on Unikraft technology. - 2026-03-08: GitHub release v0.12.5-172-g4d204f63 was published in the observed release stream. - 2026-06-26: GitHub release v0.12.13-22-g189cd286 was published in the observed release stream. ### Related projects - KraftKit is related to Unikraft, KraftCloud or Unikraft Cloud, QEMU, Xen, Firecracker, OCI registries, BuildKit, Dockerfile and Compose workflows, and unikernel systems research. ### Sources - - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - apk - kraftkit - 0.12.3-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kraftkit from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | CLI tool to build and use customized unikernel VMs | https://unikraft.org/ - apk - kraftkit-bash-completion - 0.12.3-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kraftkit-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for kraftkit | https://unikraft.org/ - apk - kraftkit-doc - 0.12.3-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kraftkit-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | CLI tool to build and use customized unikernel VMs (documentation) | https://unikraft.org/ - apk - kraftkit-fish-completion - 0.12.3-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kraftkit-fish-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Fish completions for kraftkit | https://unikraft.org/ - apk - kraftkit-zsh-completion - 0.12.3-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kraftkit-zsh-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Zsh completions for kraftkit | https://unikraft.org/ - apk - runu - 0.12.3-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: runu from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | OCI runtime for running Unikraft unikernels | https://unikraft.org/ - Nix - kraft: installed executable or alias match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/kr/kraft/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - kraft - 1.1-1ubuntu4: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: kraft from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | small business-management application | https://volle-kraft-voraus.de/ - zypper - kraft - 2.0.0-1.6: installed executable or alias match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kraft from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | KDE software to manage office documents in the office | https://volle-kraft-voraus.de ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/kraftkit.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/kraftkit.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph