Apple Silicon and Virtual Machines: Beating the 2 VM Limit (2023)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple’s 2‑macOS‑VM Limit

  • Limit applies specifically to macOS guests on macOS hosts; Linux/Windows VMs are effectively unrestricted.
  • Several commenters call it “silly” or “arbitrary,” especially on high‑RAM machines that could handle many macOS VMs.
  • Others note it aligns with the macOS EULA, which explicitly allows only two additional virtual copies per Apple‑branded computer.

Business and Licensing Motives

  • Common view: the cap protects hardware sales and prevents Mac “desktop farms” or low‑cost Mac VPS providers.
  • Some argue Apple intentionally avoids the server/VM provider market to prevent poor, oversubscribed cloud experiences that Apple could be blamed for.
  • Others see it as rent‑seeking and anti‑owner behavior, though Apple does not offer a way to pay for more macOS VM licenses.

Impact on Developers and CI/Cloud

  • CI/CD users describe needing racks of Mac minis with just 2 macOS VMs each, calling it wasteful and operationally painful.
  • Lack of flexible macOS virtualization complicates image‑based workflows; teams resort to tools like Ansible to manage large physical fleets.
  • Some would gladly pay for higher VM limits or larger Mac hosts but are blocked by licensing.

Technical Workarounds and Scope

  • The linked article demonstrates a kernel‑level workaround; comments note this breaks streamlined OS updates.
  • Suggestions include disabling SIP or using custom boot arguments; specifics are not fully detailed.
  • Nested virtualization on M3+ is mentioned as a possible way to multiply macOS VMs, mostly jokingly.
  • Debate over whether macOS guests on ESXi conform to the EULA; some argue it’s clearly non‑compliant, others point to ESXi’s enterprise positioning.

Is macOS a “Serious” Dev Platform?

  • Strong split: some claim macOS has been a premier dev platform for decades, especially in web/startup contexts, with many engineers choosing it when given options.
  • Others, especially from gaming, CAD, and some enterprise sectors, report near‑universal Windows usage and find macOS too restrictive (Gatekeeper, SIP, notarization).

Apple vs Linux/Windows

  • Pro‑macOS voices cite better QA, hardware integration, battery life, and “it just works” compared to Linux laptops and Windows.
  • Critics counter that macOS quality is declining, Linux is improving, and Apple’s closed ecosystem and anti‑owner choices (like the VM cap) are unacceptable.
  • Thread-wide, there’s a recurring theme of mixed feelings: admiration for Apple’s hardware and engineering, frustration with its control and policy decisions.