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Quick Create Virtual Machine

The Quick Create wizard lets you spin up a virtual machine with minimal configuration — ideal for testing or quick deployments.

📸 Screenshot: Quick Create

Fields

  • Name: Display name for the virtual machine. Click 🔄 to generate a unique name automatically.
  • OS: Choose macOS, Linux, or Windows when supported by the host. Windows is available only on Apple silicon (ARM64) Macs.

macOS Configuration

When macOS is selected, a restore image (IPSW) is required for installation.

  • Select Restore Image (IPSW): Choose a .ipsw file from disk, or drag and drop it into the provided area.
  • Image Catalog: Select a macOS version from the dropdown. If the file is already downloaded, the path is filled in automatically. If not, a Download button appears to fetch it from Apple's servers.

💡 The Image Catalog picker is for selecting and downloading catalog images. If you provide your own IPSW file, the picker shows no selection — that is expected.

Use DFU Restore

When installing a macOS guest the standard installer can stall or fail partway through. Enable Use DFU Restore to switch to an alternative installation path that uses Apple's DFU Restore — the same mechanism used to restore real Apple hardware. Only enable this option when the standard installation fails.

Linux Configuration

When Linux is selected, an ISO image is required for installation.

  • Select Boot ISO: Choose an ISO file from disk, or drag and drop it into the designated area.
  • Image Catalog: Select a Linux distribution from the dropdown. If the ISO is already downloaded, the path fills in automatically. If not, a Download button appears to fetch it.

💡 The Image Catalog picker is for selecting and downloading catalog images. If you provide your own ISO file, the picker shows no selection — that is expected.

Windows Configuration (Apple silicon only)

When Windows is selected, a Windows 11 ARM64 installer .iso is required. New Windows VMs get their drivers afterwards from Install Guest Tools (see Windows Virtual Machines).

💡 After Windows Setup, install the display driver to use all of your Mac monitor's resolutions, and the resize service so Windows follows the window size. See Windows Virtual Machines for the steps, networking options, and limitations.

Download Progress

When a download is in progress, a progress bar shows:

  • Percentage and bytes downloaded (e.g. 42% 1.2 GB / 2.9 GB)
  • Download speed in MB/s
  • Estimated time remaining
  • A Cancel button to abort the download at any time

Downloads are managed globally — a file started here is shared with the Image Catalog and vice versa.

Hardware Settings

  • Processors: Number of virtual CPU cores.
  • Memory (MB): RAM assigned to the VM in megabytes.
  • Disk Size (GB): Size of the virtual hard disk in gigabytes.

Headless

  • Headless: Run the VM without a display window. Useful for server or CI VMs where no GUI is needed. The VM can still be accessed via Open Display, Serial Console, or the web dashboard.

Open Advanced Config

  • Modify Configuration After Create: Opens the full VM configuration screen after the wizard finishes, letting you fine-tune hardware, devices, and networking before launching.

Actions

  • Cancel: Dismiss the wizard without saving.
  • Create: Finalizes the setup and creates the virtual machine. (Enabled once all required fields are valid.)