macOS-Simple-KVM README

The project's README from github.com/foxlet/macOS-Simple-KVM. As one markdown file: README.md.

macOS-Simple-KVM

Documentation to set up a simple macOS VM in QEMU, accelerated by KVM.

By @FoxletFox, and the help of many others. Find this useful? You can donate on Coinbase or Paypal!.

New to macOS and KVM? Check the FAQs.

Getting Started

You'll need a Linux system with qemu (3.1 or later), python3, pip and the KVM modules enabled. A Mac is not required. Some examples for different distributions:

sudo apt-get install qemu-system qemu-utils python3 python3-pip  # for Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, and PopOS.
sudo pacman -S qemu python python-pip python-wheel  # for Arch.
sudo xbps-install -Su qemu python3 python3-pip   # for Void Linux.
sudo zypper in qemu-tools qemu-kvm qemu-x86 qemu-audio-pa python3-pip  # for openSUSE Tumbleweed
sudo dnf install qemu qemu-img python3 python3-pip # for Fedora
sudo emerge -a qemu python:3.4 pip # for Gentoo

Step 1

Run jumpstart.sh to download installation media for macOS (internet required). The default installation uses Catalina, but you can choose which version to get by adding either --high-sierra, --mojave, or --catalina. For example:

./jumpstart.sh --mojave

Note: You can skip this if you already have BaseSystem.img downloaded. If you have BaseSystem.dmg, you will need to convert it with the dmg2img tool.

Step 2

Create an empty hard disk using qemu-img, changing the name and size to preference:

qemu-img create -f qcow2 MyDisk.qcow2 64G

and add it to the end of basic.sh:

    -drive id=SystemDisk,if=none,file=MyDisk.qcow2 \
    -device ide-hd,bus=sata.4,drive=SystemDisk \

Note: If you're running on a headless system (such as on Cloud providers), you will need -nographic and -vnc :0 -k en-us for VNC support.

Then run basic.sh to start the machine and install macOS. Remember to partition in Disk Utility first!

Step 2a (Virtual Machine Manager)

  1. If instead of QEMU, you'd like to import the setup into Virt-Manager for further configuration, just run sudo ./make.sh --add.
  2. After running the above command, add MyDisk.qcow2 as storage in the properties of the newly added entry for VM.

Step 2b (Headless Systems)

If you're using a cloud-based/headless system, you can use headless.sh to set up a quick VNC instance. Settings are defined through variables as seen in the following example. VNC will start on port 5900 by default.

HEADLESS=1 MEM=1G CPUS=2 SYSTEM_DISK=MyDisk.qcow2 ./headless.sh

Step 3

You're done!

To fine-tune the system and improve performance, look in the docs folder for more information on adding memory, setting up bridged networking, adding passthrough hardware (for GPUs), tweaking screen resolution, and enabling sound features.

macOS-Simple-KVM (foxlet/macOS-Simple-KVM)

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13.9K ·GitHub
MacOS-Simple-KVM
What is this?A set of scripts and tools for setting up a macOS virtual machine in QEMU, accelerated by KVM, so you can run macOS on a Linux host.
Is this a packaged app or just scripts I run?It is a collection of shell scripts (jumpstart.sh, basic.sh, make.sh, headless.sh) that automate downloading macOS install media and launching/configuring the QEMU VM, not a standalone app.
How do I get a macOS VM running with this?Run jumpstart.sh to download the macOS installer (choosing --high-sierra, --mojave, or --catalina), create a virtual disk with qemu-img, then run basic.sh to boot QEMU and install macOS.
Do I need an actual Mac to use this?No. You just need a Linux system with QEMU 3.1 or later, python3, pip, and the KVM modules enabled.
Will this just work on a headless server or cloud VM?Not without extra steps: headless/cloud systems need -nographic and -vnc :0 -k en-us flags, and the included headless.sh script sets up a VNC instance on port 5900 for this case. You also must partition the disk in Disk Utility before installing.
Which macOS versions can I install?The scripts support High Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina, with Catalina as the default.
Can I manage the VM with a GUI instead of raw QEMU commands?Yes, running sudo ./make.sh --add imports the setup into Virt-Manager, where you add MyDisk.qcow2 as storage for the VM entry.
Can I improve performance or add GPU passthrough afterward?Yes, the docs folder covers adding more memory, bridged networking, GPU passthrough hardware, screen resolution tweaks, and sound support.
What are similar projects?OSX-KVM, macos, ProxmoxVE, Docker-OSX, vphone-aio, windows, qemu, quickemu
Which topics is it in?hackintosh, macos-virtual-machine, macos-vm, qemu, kvm, virtual-machine, script, homelab, virtualization, sysadmin, shell, networking
Creator
foxlet
Size
6.8 MB
Stars
13.9K
Updated
CommitJul 23
Age
7y
Commits · 90 Days