SmolVM open-sources persistent computer infrastructure for agents that outlive chat sessions
aniketmaurya · x · 2026-09-11
The author argues the shift from 2025's browser-given agents to 2026's computer-given agents: next-gen agents won't just visit websites but install software, run code, keep files, use native apps, stay logged in, and persist across sessions — the design behind personal agents like Grok Bot and Muse.
SmolVM, now open source, provides the infrastructure:
- persistent filesystem
- browser + desktop
- terminal + arbitrary software
- Linux, Windows, and macOS support
- hardware-isolated VMs
Core thesis: your agent shouldn't live inside a chat session — give it a computer.
More from coding & agent
- First-ever Three.js Conference lands in Paris, with a panel on AI-shortened design workflows — OdinLovis · 2026-09-11
- Data engineering, not agent frameworks, is the real bottleneck for enterprise AI agents — dhruv2038 · 2026-09-11
- GPT-6 Astra beats Factorio with enemies in 44 in-game hours at ~$4,500 API cost — liminal_bardo · 2026-09-11
- Investment Analyst Asks How to Build a Claude-Based Diligence Agent Stack — Careless_Tie2286 · 2026-09-11
- Treating agents like 50 First Dates: a 3-layer context system so every conversation doesn't start from zero — evielync · 2026-09-11
- Running the Firefox MCP on Android via Termux, ngrok, and mcp-proxy — Nervous-Strain7544 · 2026-09-11