macOS
Runs macOS in a Docker container on a Linux host, viewed through a web browser.
- Stars
- 21.7k
- Forks
- 1.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Shell
- Last update
- 29 days ago
- Type
- Dev tool
What it is
This project packages macOS so it can run inside a Docker container on a Linux machine with KVM support. It downloads macOS automatically and installs it with little manual setup, and you connect to it through a web browser on port 8006. People use it to try or test macOS without owning a Mac.
- Start macOS in a browser window using a single docker run or Docker Compose command
- Choose a macOS version (from 11 to 15, with 26 noted as slow) by setting the VERSION variable
- Enlarge the virtual disk with the DISK_SIZE setting
- Share files with the host through a mounted /shared folder
- Give the macOS instance its own IP address on your home network using macvlan or DHCP
Great for
- Developers who need to test software on macOS from a Linux machine
- People who want to try macOS without buying Apple hardware
- Users comfortable with Docker Compose and Linux virtualization settings
- Anyone wanting a disposable macOS environment that can be started and stopped with Docker
Not ideal for
- Users without a Linux host or Windows 11 with nested virtualization, since Docker Desktop on Linux, macOS, and Windows 10 is stated as unsupported because it lacks KVM access
- Users on hardware below the stated AVX2 requirement, such as older Intel or AMD processors
- Anyone needing a production or licensed macOS build service, since the README only describes running it as a container
- Users with less than 4 GB RAM or 32 GB free disk, which are stated minimums
How to get it
- 1
Run with Docker
You'll need: Docker or Podman on a Linux host with KVM support · AVX2-capable processor · At least 4 GB available RAM and 32 GB free disk space
Run with 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 - 2
Run it
- Start the container with the command above and open http://127.0.0.1:8006 in your browser
- Wait for the recovery image and remaining macOS files to download
- In the recovery menu, open Disk Utility, select the largest Apple Inc. VirtIO Block Media disk, and erase it to APFS
- Click Reinstall macOS and select the disk you created, then follow the setup screens
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Enable audio by setting AUDIO to Y and turning on Audio under Settings → Advanced in the web viewer
- Use GPU: Y with /dev/dri for Intel or AMD GPUs, or the NVIDIA Container Toolkit for NVIDIA
- Set RAM_SIZE and CPU_CORES to match your hardware, noting the README's caution about more than 8 GB RAM on AMD during installation
- Mount a host folder at /shared and run sudo -S mount_9p shared inside macOS to share files
Downloads
Strengths
- Automated download and installation reduces manual setup
- Works with a standard Docker workflow, including Compose and Kubernetes examples in the README
- MIT licensed and actively maintained, with a recent push date
Trade-offs
- Requires specific hardware and KVM support, so it will not run on many machines
- The README warns that macOS 26 runs very slowly and is not recommended yet
- Some features such as GPU acceleration and macvlan networking need extra configuration and have caveats, like macvlan hosts not reaching the Docker host
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| macos (this) | 21.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 29 days ago | Developers who need to test software on macOS from a Linux machine |
| quickemu | 16.6k | Dev tool | beginner | 8 days ago | People who want to try a Linux distribution without manual QEMU configuration |
| windows | 54k | Dev tool | intermediate | 29 days ago | People who need a Windows environment on a Linux server or PC without installing Windows directly |
| colima | 31.5k | Dev tool | beginner | 23 days ago | Mac developers who want Docker containers without Docker Desktop |
| laradock | 12.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 7 days ago | PHP developers who want a consistent local environment across Linux, macOS and Windows |
| cua | 31.6k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building agents that operate desktop apps or browsers |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.