Apple tries to contain itself with lightweight Linux VMs for macOS

Apple on Monday unveiled an open source containerization framework for creating and running Linux container images on the Mac. Software containers combine applications and their dependencies into a single unit that runs in an isolated environment on a host machine. Because they're based on OCI-compliant images, users can run …

[Tim99]

So far, my lightweight Linux with my iMac has been a Lite Raspberry Pi on the same network on my desk. For travelling, a cellular iPad Pro with keyboard and power supply, and a Lite Pi Zero 2W powered and tethered with the iPad. The Zero uses so little power that even with no mains supply, I can get hours of use. Termius or RaspController both work well for me on the iPad.

I'm retired and no longer have access to multiple machines, so I'll wait for MacOS 26 to come out of beta before I try the official VM...

[Mac2Net]

Lima

You can get what I think is a similar experience using Lima which can be installed with Brew. Lima runs the same framework already. /System/Library/Frameworks/Virtualization.framework/Versions/A/XPCServices/com.apple.Virtualization.VirtualMachine.xpc/Contents/MacOS/com.apple.Virtualization.VirtualMachine

[Anonymous Coward]

UTM

A few years ago I needed RHEL8 or more precisely an application that ran under it, to run on a then newish Apple silicon Mac but Virtual Box just beshat itself.

UTM worked beautifully. About as fast as a five year old DELL laptop. I think I used CentOS 8 arm64 but I think UTM could also do full amd64 emulation (qemu.)

[Jay 2]

Re: UTM

Yes, I've used UTM to run up a CentOS 7 x86_64 VM on an Apple silicon Mac before. It ran... but like a dog.

[Probie]

Re: UTM

I would point out some dogs can run fast - greyhound, whippit, wolfhound, ridgeback etc… so be a bit more descriptive please - ran like a 16 year old Yorkshire Terrier with a zimmer frame.

[MacGuffin]

Re: UTM

Like Kristi Gnome’s puppy.

[Richard Crossley]

Re: UTM

I'm running ARM Debian 12 and Intel x64 Ubuntu for MSSQL Server on a 2020 MacBook Pro without issue. Yes the Ubuntu VM is slower than the Debian VM, but not to the point of being unusable.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: UTM

Yup, using UTM as well. It's the only way I can run work software without polluting my machine - it runs Win11 ARM in a VM with all the MS applications. Main difference is that it boots *way* quicker than the Dell I had before, and no risk of pollution the core OS..

[werdsmith]

Somebody ambitious might one day streamline contained software so that universal apps or even AppImage apps are available beyond linux. On Mac and on Windows.

[Doctor Syntax]

Wouldn't they work with WSL?

Also, have you looked at PortableApps?

[Jason Hindle]

So, just call Linux the one true development platform that can create containers that run anywhere. That said, I'm still surprised that Windows didn't end up becoming something else underneath (and WSL becomes LSW). Microsoft clearly loves Linux, but is still addicted to a bloated desktop.

[Anonymous Coward]

They love their shareholders, not their customers.

"Microsoft clearly loves Linux"

No it fekking does not. MS embraced Linux to capture some of the lesser knowledgeable people from fully converting from Windows. You have to pay them for Windows to run Linux. THAT'S what they want.

[GNU Enjoyer]

Re: They love their shareholders, not their customers.

The only thing microsoft embraced was; calling GNU, "Linux".

"WSL1" didn't have Linux in it, but it had GNU; https://mikegerwitz.com/2016/04/gnu-kwindows

The idea is that people are prevented from escaping from windows to GNU/Linux, as on windows they can have a "Linux shell" (GNU bash) and run all the "Linux software" (GNU software) to get all functionality missing from windows, with the bonus of not much chance of them realizing GNU exists as it's; "all Linux".

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: They love their shareholders, not their customers.

WSL and WSU had one purpose and that was winning government contracts where POSIX was a requirement because the person writing the requirements didn’t know what else to write. Often someone at IBM or SUN would coach said government noob on what to ask for so MS couldn’t win, but they underestimated the ability of MS to take on a challenge.

[DS999]

Why does it matter?

VMs are so ubiquitous it is easier to just run them in Linux on whatever platform. The effort is better spent making those containerized VMs work so seamlessly that they are no different than native apps from the perspective of the end user. It seems like that's what Apple is attempting. If you can click on an app icon and not care whether it is native or running in a VM, or whether it is using ARM or x86 code, that's a better goal than trying to limit what "universal containers" can do down to the lowest common denominator of Linux, Mac and Windows.

[Jason Hindle]

This has me curious about Docker on Mac as is...

I have Docker installed on macOS proper, but I only use it for contexts. If I run containers on the Mac, it's from inside an Ubuntu VM (which seems to perform absolutely fine).

[timaua]

Not affiliated in any way other than as a satisfied user.

Orbstack has been excellent for Mac-based development of web stacks on top of Linux images. It’s blisteringly fast to spin containers up and down, and very reliable.

Free for personal use and good value at $10/mth or $96/yr for business use.

[theOtherJT]

Platform that already supports docker re-implements docker...

...claims to have invented it.

[Charlie Clark]

Re: Platform that already supports docker re-implements docker...

Actually, I'm wondering why they're not adopting FreeBSD's approach for improved support for Docker. Furll virtualisation is hard and, while Swift has its fans in the IOS community, it's nothing like as road-tested for systems work as other languages. But maybe they're just using it to manage the GUI?

[Richard 12]

How about macOS containers?

Build farms for macOS and iOS targets are really difficult to set up because xcode and macOS are so tightly bound to each other.

It'd be really useful for development of macOS software if Apple would provide a proper way to do it.

[Anonymous Coward]

MS and Apple will never get any cash out of me. Both have bold faced lied to me too many times for me to even consider taking their marketing drivel at face value. I converted to Linux many years ago and if it does not run on Codewevers Crossover / Wine, I just don't run it.

They care for me as much as Putin cares for dissidents. And the feeling is mutual.

[GNU Enjoyer]

Well there is is

"GNU" --> "Linux".

"Linux" --> "Linux kernel".