[Question] Is it possible to execute a dotnet app inside hyperlight ?

[TeddyAlbina]

Hello,

I'm currently working on the issue of 3rd party code isolation, our clients will have the possibility to dev custom plugins for our software in dotnet.

After reading some stuff about hyperlight, i'm still not sure if it can execute a dotnet app if we provide the runtime etc.

For what i understood this is not possible

It is also impossible to the guest to create files ?

Thanks

[jsturtevant]

The .net runtime would need to be included in the guest to make it executable, this might be technically possible but would be likely challenging. An option that might work is to use https://github.com/hyperlight-dev/hyperlight-wasm. You could then provide a Wit interface that they implement and build in any language that compiles to wasm (including .net). See https://github.com/hyperlight-dev/hyperlight-wasm-calculator-example for an example using JS

[devigned]

Here's a video of Steve Sanderson using Wasmtime + .NET (I think there is one running within Hyperlight too, but I can't find the vid at the moment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u1UaqkPZbg.

One path would be to use Wasm and another would be to compile .NET to target the Hyperlight guest environment (possible, but might be tough).

I don't know that the Hyperlight maintainers will take on this task anytime soon, but we'd be delighted to work with someone who would like to contribute a .NET Hyperlight guest.