VMCraft: Why We Built a Pure Python VM Engine (And Ditched libguestfs)
· 5 min read
When we started building hyper2kvm, the VM conversion engine that powers HyperSDK migrations, we assumed we would use libguestfs for disk image manipulation. It is the standard tool, backed by Red Hat, with a mature API and wide Linux distribution support. Six months in, we replaced it entirely with VMCraft -- a pure Python VM manipulation engine that reads and writes disk images directly without booting an appliance. This post explains why, and what we gained.