macOS

MacOS inside a Docker container.

Features ✨

• KVM acceleration
• Web-based viewer
• Shared host folder
• USB pass through
• Automatic download

Usage 🐳

Docker Compose:

services:
  macos:
    image: dockurr/macos
    container_name: macos
    environment:
      VERSION: "15"
    devices:
      - /dev/kvm
      - /dev/net/tun
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    ports:
      - 8006:8006
      - 5900:5900/tcp
      - 5900:5900/udp
    volumes:
      - ./macos:/storage
    restart: always
    stop_grace_period: 2m

Docker CLI:

docker run -it --rm --name macos -e "VERSION=14" -p 8006:8006 --device=/dev/kvm --device=/dev/net/tun --cap-add NET_ADMIN -v "${PWD:-.}/macos:/storage" --stop-timeout 120 docker.io/dockurr/macos

Kubernetes:

kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dockur/macos/refs/heads/master/kubernetes.yml

GitHub Codespaces:

Requirements ⚙️

• A Linux host with KVM support, or Docker Desktop / Podman on Windows 11 with nested virtualization enabled.
• At least 4 GB of RAM available.
• At least 64 GB of free disk space.

[!NOTE] Docker Desktop on macOS and Windows 10 do not currently provide the required KVM support for this image.

FAQ 💬

How do I use it?

Very simple! These are the steps:

• Start the container and connect to port 8006 using your web browser.

• Choose Disk Utility and then select the largest Apple Inc. VirtIO Block Media disk.

• Click the Erase button to format the disk to APFS, and give it any name you like.

• Close the current window and proceed the installation by clicking Reinstall macOS.

• When prompted where you want to install it, select the disk you created previously.

• After all files are copied, select your region, language, and keyboard settings.

• When the Migration Assistant wants to transfer data, select Not now (bottom left).

• On the Apple ID screen, select Set Up Later (bottom left) and then proceed using Skip.

• On the Create a Computer Account screen, fill in a username and password and Continue.

Enjoy your brand new machine, and don't forget to star this repo!

How do I select the version of macOS?

By default, macOS 15 (Sequoia) will be installed, but you can add the VERSION environment variable in order to specify an alternative:

  environment:
    VERSION: "13"

Select from the values below:

[!NOTE] You can also select macOS 26 (Tahoe), but that is not recommended yet, as it runs very slow for some unknown reason.

How do I change the storage location?

To change the storage location, include the following bind mount in your compose file:

  volumes:
    - ./macos:/storage

Replace the example path ./macos with the desired storage folder or named volume.

How do I change the size of the disk?

To expand the default size of 64 GB, add the DISK_SIZE setting to your compose file and set it to your preferred capacity:

  environment:
    DISK_SIZE: "256G"

[!TIP] This can also be used to resize an existing disk to a larger capacity without any data loss.

However, afterwards you will need to run the following two commands from the terminal in macOS:

diskutil repairDisk disk2

diskutil apfs resizeContainer disk3 0

to allocate this additional space.

How do I change the amount of CPU or RAM?

By default, macOS will be allowed to use a single CPU core and 4 GB of RAM.

If you want to adjust this, you can specify the desired amount using the following environment variables:

  environment:
    RAM_SIZE: "8G"
    CPU_CORES: "4"

[!IMPORTANT]
On AMD systems do NOT enable multiple cores (or at least not until the installation has finished completely and you experienced it running normally for some hours). Because it may actually decrease performance instead or cause other issues like random crashes, all depending on your AMD CPU model.

If you have an Intel processor you can adjust the amount of cores immediately from the start, it is much more compatible with macOS.

How do I assign an individual IP address to the container?

By default, the container uses bridge networking, which shares the IP address with the host.

If you want to assign an individual IP address to the container, you can create a macvlan network as follows:

  docker network create -d macvlan \
      --subnet=192.168.0.0/24 \
      --gateway=192.168.0.1 \
      --ip-range=192.168.0.100/28 \
      -o parent=eth0 vlan

Be sure to modify these values to match your local subnet.

Once you have created the network, change your compose file to look as follows:

  services:
    macos:
      container_name: macos
      ..<snip>..
      networks:
        vlan:
          ipv4_address: 192.168.0.100

  networks:
    vlan:
      external: true

An added benefit of this approach is that you won't have to perform any port mapping anymore, since all ports will be exposed by default.

[!IMPORTANT]
This IP address won't be accessible from the Docker host due to the design of macvlan, which doesn't permit communication between the two. If this is a concern, you need to create a second macvlan as a workaround.

How can macOS acquire an IP address from my router?

After configuring the container for macvlan, it is possible for macOS to become part of your home network by requesting an IP from your router, just like your other devices.

To enable this mode, in which the container and macOS will have separate IP addresses, add the following lines to your compose file:

  environment:
    DHCP: "Y"
  devices:
    - /dev/vhost-net
  device_cgroup_rules:
    - 'c *:* rwm'

How do I pass through a disk?

You can pass through disk devices or partitions directly by adding them to your compose file in this way:

  devices:
    - /dev/sdb:/disk1
    - /dev/sdc1:/disk2

Use /disk1 if you want it to become your main drive, and use /disk2 and higher to add them as secondary drives.

How do I pass through a USB device?

To pass through a USB device, first look up its vendor and product IDs via the lsusb command, then add them to your compose file like this:

  environment:
    ARGUMENTS: "-device usb-host,vendorid=0x1234,productid=0x1234"
  devices:
    - /dev/bus/usb

How do I share files with the host?

To share files with the host, add the following volume to your compose file:

  volumes:
    - ./example:/shared

Then start macOS and execute the following command:

  sudo -S mount_9p shared

In Finder’s menu bar, click on “Go – Computer” to access this shared folder, it will show the contents of ./example.

How do I verify if my system supports KVM?

First check if your software is compatible using this chart:

After that you can run the following commands in Linux to check your system:

  sudo apt install cpu-checker
  sudo kvm-ok

If you receive an error from kvm-ok indicating that KVM cannot be used, please check whether:

• the virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD SVM) are enabled in your BIOS.

• you enabled "nested virtualization" if you are running the container inside a virtual machine.

• you are not using a cloud provider, as most of them do not allow nested virtualization for their VPSs.

If you did not receive any error from kvm-ok but the container still complains about a missing KVM device, it could help to add privileged: true to your compose file (or sudo to your docker command) to rule out any permission issue.

How do I run Windows in a container?

You can use dockur/windows for that. It shares many of the same features, and even has completely automatic installation.

How do I run a Linux desktop in a container?

You can use qemus/qemu in that case.

Is this project legal?

Yes, this project contains only open-source code and does not distribute macOS itself. Neither does it try to circumvent any copyright protection measures.

However, by installing Apple's macOS, you must accept their end-user license agreement, which does not permit installation on non-official hardware. So only run this container on hardware sold by Apple, as any other use will be a violation of their terms and conditions.

Acknowledgements 🙏

Special thanks to seitenca, this project would not exist without her invaluable work.

Stars 🌟

Disclaimer ⚖️

Only run this container on Apple hardware, any other use is not permitted by their EULA. The product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks referred to within this project are the property of their respective trademark holders. This project is not affiliated, sponsored, or endorsed by Apple Inc.