SwiftVM Download

macOS Guests

SwiftVM installs macOS from Apple and, from macOS 27 on, sets it up for you: no setup assistant to click through.

Creating#

Choose New Virtual Machine, and macOS as the operating system.

Setting What it is
Version The latest macOS, downloaded from Apple (about 25 GB), or Choose Restore Image… for an IPSW you already have
Hardware Processors, memory, and disk size. Pick a generous disk: it can't grow later
Account Full name, account name, and a password
Log in automatically The guest logs in to the account when it starts
Sign in over SSH with my key Installs your SSH key, so ssh works without a password

Installing takes a few minutes. The download is kept, so the next Mac you create starts installing right away. A download that is cut short carries on where it stopped.

From the command line:

swiftvm create macos --name "Build Mac" --password 'a password for the account'
swiftvm create macos --ipsw ~/Downloads/restore.ipsw --password '…'

First start#

A macOS 27 or newer guest sets itself up on its first start:

  • It creates the account and turns on Remote Login.
  • SwiftVM installs your SSH key and the guest tools.
  • The guest is put on your Mac's time zone, once. If you pick another one in the guest later, it stays.

Versions before macOS 27 can't be set up automatically. Create the account in the setup assistant when the machine first starts.

Shutting down#

  • With the guest tools, Shut Down turns the Mac off at once, the way sudo shutdown -h now does. Apps aren't asked about unsaved documents.
  • Without them, macOS asks on its own screen before it shuts down. SwiftVM brings the machine's window forward so you can confirm.
  • Suspend never asks.

Recovery#

Start in Recovery, in the menu of a machine that is shut down, boots macOS Recovery.

Good to know#

Edit this page on GitHub