Running QEMU on macOS Big Sur

The quest to run a virtual machine running macOS Big Sur can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and configuration, it's achievable. One popular option is using KVM, which requires some tweaks to get working correctly.

Firstly, ensure that your host machine meets the necessary requirements. This includes having an AMD or Intel CPU with VT-x/AMD SVM support (you can check this by running `grep -e vmx -e svm /proc/cpuinfo`). Additionally, you'll need a CPU with SSE4.1 support for macOS Sierra and above, as well as AVX2 support for macOS Mojave and above.

Another crucial aspect is the operating system of your host machine. You can use Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later, which provides robustness improvements and ensures compatibility.

A lesser-known fact is that you can automate the installation process using OpenCV on a modern Linux distribution. This innovative approach can streamline the setup process for those who want to experiment with macOS Big Sur.

The project's documentation also covers how to use it for XNU kernel debugging and development, as well as building and testing open-source projects. Furthermore, you can launch multiple headless VMs (build farm) using this tool, which is useful for large-scale testing.

In addition to these features, munki allows you to deploy software easily, and VNC and SSH support are available out of the box or with minimal effort.

If you're interested in contributing to the project, there are various work items that need attention. One such area is documenting how to run macOS on popular cloud providers like Hetzner, GCP, and AWS.

For those who require commercial support, the project offers direct support and access to the Private OSX-KVM repository for project sponsors. If you're interested in learning more about working with Proxmox and macOS, Nick's blog is an excellent resource.

Overall, this project provides a comprehensive solution for running macOS Big Sur on your machine, and its contributors are always welcome to lend a hand or provide feedback.

Qemu macos big sur