Installing macOS/OSX Xcode on Windows : VirtualBox
- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 17 Feb, 2010
Hi,
after declaring that "you are not allowed to install OSX/macOS on a non-Mac..." etc...
From a simple "is it possible?" , or "...just to know!" viewpoint :
Anyone experienced the installation of OSX and Xcode on VirtualBox (for Windows / Linux / etc...) for pro-audio, VST VST3 AU plugins compiling purposes?
After installing OSX + Xcode + the SDKs for Xcode, etc... is it possible to compile without issues and produce a stable binary ?
Not for development or testing or else, just for compiling..... ?
PS : Virtual Machine OS is a great thing, it simplifies our lifes and having not this opportunuty for OSX/macOS is really bad...
after declaring that "you are not allowed to install OSX/macOS on a non-Mac..." etc...
From a simple "is it possible?" , or "...just to know!" viewpoint :
Anyone experienced the installation of OSX and Xcode on VirtualBox (for Windows / Linux / etc...) for pro-audio, VST VST3 AU plugins compiling purposes?
After installing OSX + Xcode + the SDKs for Xcode, etc... is it possible to compile without issues and produce a stable binary ?
Not for development or testing or else, just for compiling..... ?
PS : Virtual Machine OS is a great thing, it simplifies our lifes and having not this opportunuty for OSX/macOS is really bad...
- KVRian
- 1325 posts since 15 Nov, 2005 from Italy
I highly suggest you to look at VMware Fusion instead of VirtualBox. I replace my VirtualBox VMs with Fusion and this last is way faster and more stable. Furthermore, they update their engine to support latest OSX and EFI versions.
- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 17 Feb, 2010
Hi Audiority,
unfortunately I was looking for (specifically) a virtualization of macOS or OSX (guest OS), running on a main Windows Host.
And VMware Fusion works having macOS as a host. The exact inverse
Once we have a proper overview of the system "in topic" (Windows must be the host - macOS is the guest), let me say performance isn't a focus here. It would be used only for compiling with Xcode. No developments, testings, etc... just compiling plugins binaries. Anyone had such experience / tried to setup such system for compiling ?
unfortunately I was looking for (specifically) a virtualization of macOS or OSX (guest OS), running on a main Windows Host.
And VMware Fusion works having macOS as a host. The exact inverse
Once we have a proper overview of the system "in topic" (Windows must be the host - macOS is the guest), let me say performance isn't a focus here. It would be used only for compiling with Xcode. No developments, testings, etc... just compiling plugins binaries. Anyone had such experience / tried to setup such system for compiling ?
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 14 Oct, 2011
I was in a similar situation when I started with iOS app development and my computers were running only windows and linux at that time ... I was not able to run virtualized OSX in the Virtualbox but on the other hand I found out that Snow Leopard (incl. the whole Xcode environment) ran perfectly in VMware workstation ... The next step of my migration was converting one of the more powerful PC into a Hackintosh - and running the few applications that still required windows - in virtualized windows in virtualbox under OSX ... And after a couple of months I got my first real Mac Mini ...
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 14 Oct, 2011
I see that Virtualbox matured quite a lot over the last years - https://www.howtogeek.com/289594/how-to ... indows-10/
- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 17 Feb, 2010
Indeed, I'm asking here because installing and running OSX as a guest on hypervisors seems to be a tedious and long procedure. So maybe someone with such experience could say if it's viable, at least...
It's not a question on how to accede macOS without having a Mac. It's all about a simple way to speed developments further.
I can't spend 3 days on setting up everything just to discover that it simply doesn't work
It's not a question on how to accede macOS without having a Mac. It's all about a simple way to speed developments further.
I can't spend 3 days on setting up everything just to discover that it simply doesn't work
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 14 Oct, 2011
I understand your sentiments ... there is a simple answer - you can google and download a ready-mady osx vmdk image ... that you just plug into a hypervisor ... and have a running virtual Mac in a couple of minutes ...
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- KVRAF
- 2388 posts since 16 Jan, 2013
If you just want a quick "is this going to work" solution, you could try this.
I'd do a clean install after it was set up in the unlikely event there was anything malicious in the image. But it's a quick way to see if it's a viable option.
I'd do a clean install after it was set up in the unlikely event there was anything malicious in the image. But it's a quick way to see if it's a viable option.
- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 17 Feb, 2010
Thanks freimann and sprnva,
this seems to be the only way... I was asking if anyone has experience with the plugins compiling procedure (installing Xcode, all the SDKs for OSX and AU) through hypervisors like this. Also other aspects have to be checked the compiled plugins stability, authoring, etc...
@sprnva I don't think an image (guest os) opened in a virtual machine could contain malicious code (for the Host). Obviously having no shared folders or networks. Am I missing something?
this seems to be the only way... I was asking if anyone has experience with the plugins compiling procedure (installing Xcode, all the SDKs for OSX and AU) through hypervisors like this. Also other aspects have to be checked the compiled plugins stability, authoring, etc...
@sprnva I don't think an image (guest os) opened in a virtual machine could contain malicious code (for the Host). Obviously having no shared folders or networks. Am I missing something?
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 14 Oct, 2011
@sprnva - thank you for the link with really helpful instructions !! even though I use real Mac's now - but I have a lot of friends who want to try the OSX before they decide to make a switch - I am sure this link contains a very detailed instructions that any windows user can follow ...
regarding the malicious code - @sprnva is right - even though it would not affect the host system - it still can get access to your credentials you will use in the guest osx - such as developer certificates etc ... that you may not be happy to give away
regarding the malicious code - @sprnva is right - even though it would not affect the host system - it still can get access to your credentials you will use in the guest osx - such as developer certificates etc ... that you may not be happy to give away
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- KVRAF
- 2388 posts since 16 Jan, 2013
- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 17 Feb, 2010
- KVRAF
- 5775 posts since 29 Sep, 2010 from Maui
I would guess its not really worth it, too much potential for problems (and consequential bugs) on top of painfully poor performance. Just get yourself a used mac mini or something. Just because it's technically possible, doesn't mean it's worth your time and effort to get a questionably adequate (and legal) workaround in place. IME VMs always disappoint in the end. My 2 cents...
*btw, I have run osx in vbox before, but never got as far as development. I deleted it
way before that...
*btw, I have run osx in vbox before, but never got as far as development. I deleted it
way before that...
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- KVRist
- 135 posts since 9 Apr, 2017
I'll say give it a try. It's better than to support a company like Apple by buying their expensive hardware. Either used or not, you'll run into problems (also when it comes to install new os that might not be supported by your hardware or to downgrade to older versions).
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- KVRAF
- 2256 posts since 29 May, 2012
This isn't really practical unless all that you want is a virtual machine for automated builds. It's very slow because virtualbox lacks the necessary macos drivers on windows hosts. Vmware is a different story, but but the only thing that enables it for this task is hacked binaries that you cannot trust.
~stratum~