the smallest fastest and easiest virtual machine for web browser only?

[compn]

With javascript being able to run linux in a web browser, crypto miners, untested and unscanned browser extensions, zero day attacks, web browsers themselves spying on you ( https://www.npr.org/2024/04/01/1242019127/google-incognito-mode-settlement-search-history ) , scam websites... and the complete lack of the web browsers caring about security at all...

the only solution i can think of to stay safe online, is to keep my web browsers separate from my computer. with the virtual machine ability to stop them from using cpu when i dont want them ker-chunking in the background.

i see there is a virtual browser service - browserling.com/virtual-browser - but thats using a vm on someone elses computer! i doubt i would trust that very much!

there is even 'run a vm in your browser' https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm?tab=readme-ov-file but that vm is 600mb debian image.

theres kasm, but thats more for server/workstation vm streaming. howto video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbtGd3lWc4M . it looks really neat but i dont have a home lab server running at the moment.

there is windows sandbox! wow microsoft realizes how bad windows security really is! oh wait its not available for windows home versions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-isolation/windows-sandbox/ . but just like windows i wouldnt trust microsoft sandbox to properly and securely sandbox.

i know there are smaller vm that come with latest firefox or other web browsers ?

i guess the best search will be "tiny debian vm with browser" not "sandboxed browser vm"

[compn]

this blog post explains how to make a tinycore 15 vm gui + web browser for 229mb https://enterpriseadmins.org/blog/scripting/tinycore-15-virtual-machine-very-small-vm-for-testing/

this is probably the smallest we're going to see. unless theres some android vm w/ android browser or some specific browser vm somewhere that google wont let me find.

[4wd]

Given the numerous old Android devices lying around and your constraints, I'd be tempted to:
- use an Android device set up without a Google account,
- install F-Droid or Aurora for your app store,
- install a browser,
- install a VNC server, (e.g. droidVNC-NG), or similar remote access server, (there's also MS's Phone Link if you want to try it - there's a few videos on YT),
- connect from your computer.

About as separate as you can get 

[compn]

mobile version of browsers usually are kind of ... bad. but otherwise yeah that could work.

[ibay770]

Maybe sandboxie would work.

Or Qemu