What is this?
Tart lets you create and run macOS and Linux virtual machines directly on Apple Silicon Macs, built specifically for use in CI pipelines and other automated workflows.
Tart lets you create and run macOS and Linux virtual machines directly on Apple Silicon Macs, built specifically for use in CI pipelines and other automated workflows.Is this a GUI app or a command-line tool?Tart is a command-line virtualization tool, not a GUI app — you create, run and manage VMs entirely through CLI commands, which makes it easy to script and automate.
Tart is a command-line virtualization tool, not a GUI app — you create, run and manage VMs entirely through CLI commands, which makes it easy to script and automate.How do I get a VM running?You run a Tart VM directly from the command line on your Apple Silicon device; the very first run automatically downloads the base VM image for you.
You run a Tart VM directly from the command line on your Apple Silicon device; the very first run automatically downloads the base VM image for you.Do I need a specific Mac and macOS version?Yes — Tart requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later; it won't run on Intel Macs.
Yes — Tart requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later; it won't run on Intel Macs.Any install pitfalls I should know about?The first VM you run downloads a roughly 25 GB base image, so make sure you have a fast connection and plenty of free disk space before starting.
The first VM you run downloads a roughly 25 GB base image, so make sure you have a fast connection and plenty of free disk space before starting.Who is this mainly built for?Developers and teams who need macOS (or Linux) CI runners and automation environments on Apple Silicon hardware, instead of relying on cloud-hosted runners.
Developers and teams who need macOS (or Linux) CI runners and automation environments on Apple Silicon hardware, instead of relying on cloud-hosted runners.Can the VMs run Linux, or only macOS?Both — Tart can run macOS and Linux guest VMs, though the host machine always has to be an Apple Silicon Mac.
Both — Tart can run macOS and Linux guest VMs, though the host machine always has to be an Apple Silicon Mac.Why would I use Tart instead of a cloud macOS CI runner?Tart runs VMs locally on your own Apple Silicon hardware, giving you full control over macOS/Linux CI environments and avoiding the cost and limited availability of cloud-hosted macOS runners.
Tart runs VMs locally on your own Apple Silicon hardware, giving you full control over macOS/Linux CI environments and avoiding the cost and limited availability of cloud-hosted macOS runners.What does the 'fair-source' label mean for Tart?Tart ships under a fair-source license rather than a standard open-source one, meaning the source is visible and usable but may carry some usage restrictions beyond typical MIT/Apache licenses.
Tart ships under a fair-source license rather than a standard open-source one, meaning the source is visible and usable but may carry some usage restrictions beyond typical MIT/Apache licenses.What are similar projects?cua, Docker-OSX, zsvirt, vfkit, vphone-cli, coop, lima, ProxmoxVE
cua, Docker-OSX, zsvirt, vfkit, vphone-cli, coop, lima, ProxmoxVEWhich topics is it in?fair-source, bare-metal, vm, virtual-machine, virtualization, infrastructure, hardware, ci, apple-silicon, swift, testing, devops
fair-source, bare-metal, vm, virtual-machine, virtualization, infrastructure, hardware, ci, apple-silicon, swift, testing, devops