Your first VM

Once osx-reims setup has prepared the computer (see Installation), creating a VM takes just a few questions. If you already have macOS installed in another VM, see Importing a VM.

Create the VM#

Open the console and choose Create new VM. OSX-REIMS shows the existing VMs and asks for:

1. VM number, from 10 to 99. The default is the first free number.
2. macOS installer:
   • 1 Recovery: downloaded from Apple's servers; installing macOS uses the internet;
   • 2 Full: a full installer image you already have, with no macOS download.
3. macOS version: Ventura (13), Sonoma (14), Sequoia (15) or Tahoe (26). Ventura is the default, and versions whose recovery was already downloaded are marked. With a full image, the version comes from the image itself.
4. macOS disk size, such as 256G or 1T. The default is 256G; the disk only uses space as it fills up.

After the summary, confirm Create the VM?. OSX-REIMS then:

• downloads the recovery from Apple, which can take a few minutes, or reuses one already downloaded;
• generates the VM's identity and its OpenCore boot disk;
• creates the VM, with the macOS disk and a copy of the installer.

At the end, the console offers to start the VM right away: press S.

Full installer image#

The image must be a disk created with createinstallmedia, with an "Install macOS" volume named after the version, usually a .iso, .img or .cdr file. The installer app, CD/DVD images (ISO 9660), compressed DMGs and qcow2 or vmdk images do not work.

Put images in /opt/osx-reims/full/ so the menu offers them; you can also type the path of another file. When the file system allows it, the VM gets a clone of the image that takes no space; otherwise, a copy.

Install macOS#

Start the VM from the console, right after creating it or in Manage VMs, or with osx-reims start <number>. OSX-REIMS asks for:

• Memory, such as 8G or 16G (default: 8G);
• Processors, from 1 to 32 (default: 4).

The summary shows the macOS installation mode. Confirm Start the VM?. On the first start, the installer is attached to the VM automatically, and the VM opens in its own window.

1. In the OpenCore menu, choose the installer. With a full image, the entry is Install macOS followed by the version name.
2. In the installer, open Disk Utility and erase the REIMS macOS disk as APFS.
3. Go back and install macOS on that disk. The VM may restart a few times during the installation.

Everyday use#

After its first start, the VM shows as Installed. When you start it, besides memory and processors, OSX-REIMS asks which OpenCore to use:

Keep VM boot disk unless you installed OpenCore into the macOS disk's EFI yourself. More in Advanced configuration.

While the VM is open:

• shut it down from the Apple menu › Shut Down, inside macOS;
• keep the terminal open while you use the VM; closing it does not shut the VM down;
• in the terminal, the S, R, F and T keys, pressed twice, shut down, restart, force off or terminate the VM (see Console).

The start summary also shows the VM's SSH port, localhost:22 followed by the VM number (for example, localhost:2210 for VM 10). To use it, turn on Remote Login in macOS.

VM states#

From the terminal#

The same steps, without the menu:

osx-reims create -i 11 -m sonoma -s 256G -y
osx-reims start 11 -r 16G -c 6

Every option is in Commands.