I built SmolBox, an Elixir library for running programs in disposable microVMs through SmolVM workers, on Linux and macOS Apple Silicon.

This article walks through a Python example, from submitting work to collecting output files and confirming cleanup. It explains how execution continues independently of the submitting process, how stable execution identities work, and why SmolBox doesn’t silently rerun a command when its outcome is unknown.

Python is just the example. The same lifecycle supports JavaScript, TypeScript and other programs when the approved guest image includes the required runtime and dependencies.

I also explain why I chose SmolVM and when an embedded interpreter, local process or function platform might fit better.

How are you handling execution, results and cleanup when running code outside the BEAM?

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