Run a guest from Xila's terminal

Launch a guest already present in Xila’s virtual filesystem. The Wasm runner executes applications; it does not install bundles or launcher shortcuts.

Before you begin

• Start an Xila runtime with /applications/executables/wasm mounted, such as the native or browser example.
• Place a compatible guest in the VFS as a regular file. New browser seed images include /applications/bundles/xila.calculator/executables/calculator.wasm; the browser has no general guest upload mechanism.
• Check the guest’s required imports against the runtime and graphics references.

Launch the application

Open Xila’s graphical terminal and enter an absolute VFS path:

/applications/executables/wasm /applications/bundles/xila.calculator/executables/calculator.wasm

For another guest, replace the Calculator bundle path with its actual executable path in Xila’s VFS. This command runs in Xila’s terminal, not your host shell.

Normal execution calls _start: () -> (). The loader reads the supplied path directly; use an absolute VFS path rather than relying on Current_directory resolution inside the WASM loader.

Verify completion

Check the guest’s expected output or interface and the terminal for reported errors. For Calculator, evaluate 1 + 2 = 3 and close its window; the desktop should remain usable. For a launcher shortcut, check that the installed bundle contains shortcut.json and reopen the app drawer to trigger Shell discovery; execution alone does not create a shortcut.

Troubleshooting

• Missing file: verify the path is in Xila’s VFS, not just on the host computer.
• Entry/import errors: rebuild the guest with the required target and compatible supported imports.
• Unsupported graphics call: check the supported call subset before assuming enabling graphics provides the entire LVGL API.

Related documentation

• Build a guest application
• Add a launcher shortcut
• Wasmi execution model