UTM

UTM is a free, open-source application designed for creating and managing virtual machines on macOS.

UTM offers two distinct operating modes:

  • Virtualization runs a guest operating system on the same processor architecture as your host computer.

  • Emulation simulates a different processor architecture, allowing you to run operating systems designed for hardware different from your own.

UTM utilizes QEMU technology and is compatible with both Intel and Apple Silicon-based Macs.

Attention

These instructions and the provided ARM64 virtual machine image are specifically designed for Mac computers with Apple Silicon (M-series) processors.

How to install UTM

Download UTM from the official website or retrieve the latest stable release from GitHub.

To install, open the downloaded .dmg file, drag UTM.app into your Applications folder, and launch the program.

Starting with UTM version 4.7, you can import existing images directly through the setup wizard.

How to Create a Machine from a QCOW2 Image

For Apple Silicon, ensure you are using a Linux image specifically built for the ARM64 / aarch64 architecture.

  1. Click File → New... or press the + button to begin creating a virtual machine.

  2. Select Virtualize → Linux.

  3. Configure parameters on the Hardware page:

    • RAM. We recommend allocating at least 4 GB. If your system has sufficient memory, 8 GB or more is preferred.

    • CPU cores. We recommend allocating at least 2 cores. If your system permits, select 4 cores or more.

    • Graphics. Check Enable hardware OpenGL acceleration to improve graphical performance within the simulator.

    Gazebo

  4. Adjust the following settings on the Linux page:

    • Ensure the Use Apple Virtualization is turned off.

    • In the Boot Image Type section, select Import existing drive.

    • Click Browse… and select your .qcow2 image file.

  5. Click Continue. You may skip the shared folder configuration for this step.

  6. On the Summary summary page, enter a name for your virtual machine and click Save. Wait for the disk import process to finish.

  7. Select your new machine from the list and click the ▶ button to launch it. Once Linux boots, log in using the credentials provided in the image description.

If the UEFI Shell opens instead of Linux, or if you see an error stating no boot device was found, stop the virtual machine and verify these settings:

  • Go to Edit → Drives and confirm that your .qcow2 image is correctly connected as a disk.

  • Ensure the image is intended for the ARM64 and supports UEFI booting.

  • Verify that UEFI boot is enabled In the QEMU section.

Once you have successfully logged into Linux, refer to the Simulator Launch.