Allow setting a custom instance name in Lima

README.md

@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ Current supported settings:
 | `manager` | VM manager (Options: `auto` (depends on OS), `lima`)| string | "auto" |
 | `ubuntu` | Ubuntu OS version (Options: `18.04`, `20.04`, `22.04`, `24.04`)| string |
 | `hosts_resolver` | VM hosts resolver (Options: `hosts_file`)| string |
+| `instance_name` | Custom name for the VM instance | string | First site name alphabetically |
 | `images` | Custom OS image | object | Set based on `ubuntu` version |
 
 #### `images`
@@ -246,6 +247,9 @@ open:
   site: "https://mysite.com"
   admin: "https://mysite.com/wp/wp-admin"
 virtualenv_integration: true
+vm:
+  manager: "lima"
+  instance_name: "custom-instance-name"  # Optional: Set a specific VM instance name
 ```
 
 Example env var usage:

cli_config/cli_config.go

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type VmConfig struct {
 	HostsResolver string    `yaml:"hosts_resolver"`
 	Images        []VmImage `yaml:"images"`
 	Ubuntu        string    `yaml:"ubuntu"`
+	InstanceName  string    `yaml:"instance_name"`
 }
 
 type Config struct {

cmd/vm_delete.go

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (c *VmDeleteCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	siteName, _, err := c.Trellis.MainSiteFromEnvironment("development")
+	instanceName, err := c.Trellis.GetVmInstanceName()
 	if err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func (c *VmDeleteCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	}
 
 	if c.force || c.confirmDeletion() {
-		if err := manager.DeleteInstance(siteName); err != nil {
+		if err := manager.DeleteInstance(instanceName); err != nil {
 			c.UI.Error("Error: " + err.Error())
 			return 1
 		}

cmd/vm_shell.go

@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ func (c *VmShellCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 
 	args = c.flags.Args()
 
+	instanceName, err := c.Trellis.GetVmInstanceName()
+	if err != nil {
+		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
+		return 1
+	}
+
 	siteName, _, err := c.Trellis.MainSiteFromEnvironment("development")
 	if err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
@@ -60,7 +66,7 @@ func (c *VmShellCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	shellArgs := []string{"--workdir", c.workdir}
 	shellArgs = append(shellArgs, args...)
 
-	if err := manager.OpenShell(siteName, c.workdir, args); err != nil {
+	if err := manager.OpenShell(instanceName, c.workdir, args); err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
 	}

cmd/vm_start.go

@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ func (c *VmStartCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	siteName, _, err := c.Trellis.MainSiteFromEnvironment("development")
+	instanceName, err := c.Trellis.GetVmInstanceName()
 	if err != nil {
-		c.UI.Error("Error: could not automatically set VM name: " + err.Error())
+		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
 	}
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func (c *VmStartCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	err = manager.StartInstance(siteName)
+	err = manager.StartInstance(instanceName)
 	if err == nil {
 		c.printInstanceInfo()
 		return 0
@@ -74,13 +74,13 @@ func (c *VmStartCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	}
 
 	// VM doesn't exist yet, create and start it
-	if err = manager.CreateInstance(siteName); err != nil {
+	if err = manager.CreateInstance(instanceName); err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error("Error creating VM.")
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	if err = manager.StartInstance(siteName); err != nil {
+	if err = manager.StartInstance(instanceName); err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error("Error starting VM.")
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1

cmd/vm_stop.go

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func (c *VmStopCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	siteName, _, err := c.Trellis.MainSiteFromEnvironment("development")
+	instanceName, err := c.Trellis.GetVmInstanceName()
 	if err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (c *VmStopCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	if err := manager.StopInstance(siteName); err != nil {
+	if err := manager.StopInstance(instanceName); err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(err.Error())
 		return 1
 	}

trellis/trellis.go

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ var DefaultCliConfig = cli_config.Config{
 		Manager:       "auto",
 		HostsResolver: "hosts_file",
 		Ubuntu:        "24.04",
+		InstanceName:  "",
 	},
 }
 
@@ -234,6 +235,20 @@ func (t *Trellis) ValidateEnvironment(name string) (err error) {
 	return fmt.Errorf("Error: %s is not a valid environment, valid options are %s", name, t.EnvironmentNames())
 }
 
+func (t *Trellis) GetVmInstanceName() (string, error) {
+	if t.CliConfig.Vm.InstanceName != "" {
+		return t.CliConfig.Vm.InstanceName, nil
+	}
+
+	// Fallback: get main site from environment if no instance name is set.
+	siteName, _, err := t.MainSiteFromEnvironment("development")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error: could not automatically set VM name: %w", err)
+	}
+	return siteName, nil
+}
+
+
 func (t *Trellis) SiteNamesFromEnvironment(environment string) []string {
 	var names []string