I'm definitely having trouble conceptualizing what this even IS much less what one might use it for. Hyperlight is like a containerization system? It lets you host micro-VMs? And now you can use one to host a WASM app? Why on Earth would someone want to host container/VM just to run WASM code? Are we really going down the road AGAIN of taking tech made to run in browsers, and using it to make backend stuff?
this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2025
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Like Silverlight but WASM? Hope it shares the same fate.
Seems like it it isn’t related to Silverlight at all.
I think the parent comment is calling out some concerns that wasm may enable some of the same shenanigans that silver light did. By being compiled code and operating somewhat outside the browser it could be used to lock down more of the browser.
Ok so if I'm understanding correctly Hyperlight lets you sandbox components of your embedded system using hypervisor/VMs. Hyperlight WASM is an alternative sandbox that uses WASM for sandboxing instead.
I guess if you only have WASM there would not be much need for Hyperlight at all, but if you have a mix of WASM and non-WASM code this would be useful.