TL;DR
Apple silicon Macs lacked effective tools for running macOS virtual machines. Viable, ViableS, Vimy, and Liviable were developed to create and manage these VMs efficiently.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers can now efficiently run and manage multiple macOS VMs on Apple silicon for testing and research.
Key Takeaways
Full Summary
Apple silicon Macs have historically faced challenges in virtualization, limiting the ability to run macOS virtual machines (VMs). To address this, several tools were developed: Viable creates VMs from IPSW images, ViableS offers a secure, sandboxed environment, Vimy provides a lightweight utility for easy VM access, and Liviable allows for GUI-based VMs from bootable ISO installers.
These tools utilize macOS's lightweight virtualization capabilities, enabling users to customize settings like CPU cores, memory, and display resolution. Users can run multiple VMs simultaneously, with Viable and ViableS supporting up to two at a time.
Recent updates have fixed bugs and improved functionality, enhancing the overall user experience. This development is significant for engineers and researchers needing to test applications or conduct research in a controlled environment.
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