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

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple’s hard limit of two macOS virtual machines per Mac—rooted in licensing and business rules rather than hardware constraints—draws criticism from developers who want to build CI farms or run multiple macOS instances on powerful Apple Silicon machines. Commenters contrast this with far more permissive Windows and Linux virtualization, debate Apple’s desire to protect hardware sales and avoid a Mac “server” market, and note that while Linux and Windows VMs are effectively unlimited, the cap on macOS guests makes the platform feel arbitrarily restricted for serious multi-VM workflows.

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.