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Run macOS on Proxmox

In this guide, I am sharing a step-by-step walkthrough to get macOS 15 Sequoia running inside a VM on Proxmox VE using OpenCore as the bootloader.

The idea is simple: download the Sequoia ISO and the OpenCore ISO, create a VM, adjust the hardware so macOS boots properly, and edit the VM configuration file.

The approach is practical: few steps, minimal theory, and everything I personally need to remember whenever I need to repeat the process.

Step by step

1. Prerequisites

  • Make sure your Proxmox node has a CPU with AVX2 support
    (required for macOS Sequoia).
  • Verify that you are running an updated version of Proxmox VE 8.x.
  • Prepare a macOS 15 Sequoia ISO (or download it from a trusted repository).
  • Download the ISO for KVM OpenCore from GitHub.
  • From the Proxmox web interface, upload both ISOs to the storage where you normally keep your images (for example, local or local-lvm).

2. Create the base VM in Proxmox

  1. Sign in to the Proxmox web interface.
  2. In the tree on the left, right-click the node and select Create VM.
  3. Give it an easy-to-identify name, for example macOS-Sequoia, and use an ID you will remember (in this example I use 109).
  4. In the OS tab:
  5. In Type, select Other.
  6. In ISO image, select the KVM OpenCore ISO
    (not the Sequoia ISO yet).
  7. Continue with Next.

3. Adjust the system (firmware, graphics, and EFI)

  • In the System tab:
  • Graphic card: VMware compatible
  • BIOS: OVMF (UEFI)
  • Uncheck Pre-Enroll Keys
  • Check Add EFI Disk and leave the default storage
  • Machine: q35
  • SCSI Controller: VirtIO SCSI

4. Disk, CPU, memory, and network

4.1. Disk

  • Bus/Device: VirtIO Block
    (or SCSI if you prefer, but I usually use VirtIO)
  • Disk size: minimum 64 GB, personally I use 128 GB if I have space
  • Cache: Write back (unsafe) for better performance
    (keep the power-loss risk in mind)

4.2. CPU

  • Assign at least 4 cores
    (more if you have the resources)
  • Type: host

4.3. Memory

  • Configure 8192 MB minimum
  • If possible, assign 12 GB or more

4.4. Network

  • Network Model: VMware vmxnet3
    (usually works better with macOS)
  • Review the summary and click Finish to create the VM

5. Add the macOS Sequoia ISO to the VM

  1. In the tree on the left, select the new VM
    (for example, 109 macOS-Sequoia)
  2. Go to Hardware
  3. Click Add → CD/DVD Drive
  4. Select the storage and the macOS Sequoia ISO, then confirm with Add

6. Select the boot drive

Next, click your macOS VM to select it. Then go to Options -> Boot Order.

We need to make sure that OpenCore.iso is configured as the first boot option.

7. Edit the VM configuration file on the node

Open a console on the Proxmox node (SSH or shell from the web interface) and edit the VM configuration file
(replace 109 with your actual VM ID):

nano /etc/pve/qemu-server/109.conf

args: -device isa-applesmc,osk="ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc" -smbios type=2 -device qemu-xhci -device usb-kbd -device usb-tablet -global nec-usb-xhci.msi=off -global ICH9-LPC.acpi-pci-hotplug-with-bridge-support=off -cpu host,vendor=GenuineIntel,+invtsc,+hypervisor,kvm=on,vmware-cpuid-freq=on

If your Proxmox node is running on an Intel CPU, add the following line at the end of the .conf file.

args: -device isa-applesmc,osk="ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc" -smbios type=2 -device qemu-xhci -device usb-kbd -device usb-tablet -global nec-usb-xhci.msi=off -global ICH9-LPC.acpi-pci-hotplug-with-bridge-support=off -cpu Haswell-noTSX,vendor=GenuineIntel,+invtsc,+hypervisor,kvm=on,vmware-cpuid-freq=on

If your Proxmox node is running on an AMD CPU, add the following line at the end of the .conf file.

  1. Find the lines for both CD/DVD drives
    (OpenCore and Sequoia)
  2. Use Ctrl+W and search for media=cdrom
  3. On each line where you see ,media=cdrom, replace it with ,media=disk and add ,cache=unsafe
  4. Save and exit with Ctrl+O, Enter, and then Ctrl+X

8. Start the VM and launch the macOS installer

  1. Go back to the Proxmox web interface
  2. Select the VM macOS-Sequoia, right-click it, and choose Start
  3. Open Console
  4. In the OpenCore menu, first try the macOS install option

If the Sequoia installer does not appear, enter the UEFI Shell and run:

fs0: System\Library\CoreServices\boot.efi

(The disk number fs0: may vary, try fs1: or fs2: if needed.)

9. Format the disk and install inside the VM

  1. Once the macOS wizard loads, select your language
  2. Open Disk Utility
  3. Select the VirtIO Block Media disk you created when configuring the VM
  4. Click Erase and configure:
  5. Name: macOS
  6. Format: APFS
  7. Confirm the erase, close Disk Utility
  8. Select Install macOS Sequoia and follow the wizard: accept the terms, select the macOS disk, and continue
  9. The VM will reboot several times, let it finish until the initial setup screen appears

10. Initial macOS setup

  1. Complete the basic wizard steps:
  2. Region, language, and keyboard
  3. Accessibility options
    (I usually choose “Later”)
  4. Skip migrations and Apple ID at first if you only want to test
  5. Accept the terms, create a local user, and set a password
  6. Adjust the time zone and disable analytics if you prefer
  7. At the end, you will see the macOS Sequoia desktop inside the VM

11. (Optional) Copy OpenCore to the disk EFI partition

This part allows the VM to boot without leaving the OpenCore ISO mounted.

  1. From macOS inside the VM:
  2. Download the EFI folder from KVM OpenCore
  3. Download MountEFI from GitHub
  4. Select the disk number where macOS is installed
  5. The EFI partition will be mounted in Finder
  6. If an EFI folder already exists, rename it to EFI.orig
  7. Copy the OpenCore EFI folder into the mounted partition
  8. Shut down the VM from macOS

Open Terminal in macOS and run:

cd ~/Downloads/MountEFI-update
chmod +x MountEFI.command
./MountEFI.command

12. Remove the ISOs and test direct boot

  1. With the VM powered off, go back to Hardware in Proxmox
  2. Select the OpenCore CD/DVD drive and click Detach
  3. Do the same for the Sequoia ISO
  4. Start the VM again and verify it still boots macOS without the ISOs mounted

Command block

# (on the Proxmox node)
# 1. Edit the VM configuration
nano /etc/pve/qemu-server/1500.conf

# 2. Add the correct args line for your CPU

# 3. Adjust ISO lines
# remove ,media=cdrom
# add ,cache=unsafe

# 4. Save changes and return to the GUI

# 5. Start the VM from the GUI

# (inside UEFI shell if installer does not boot)
fs0:
System\Library\CoreServices\boot.efi

# (inside macOS, optional)
cd ~/Downloads/MountEFI-update
chmod +x MountEFI.command
./MountEFI.command

Best practices

  • Only run macOS in environments where you clearly understand the legal and licensing implications
    I personally treat this as a lab environment for testing
  • Take VM snapshots in Proxmox before editing the 1500.conf file and before major changes
  • Use fast storage (SSD/NVMe) for the VM disk
    macOS feels much smoother
  • Avoid over-allocating memory
    ideally leave enough RAM for the host and other VMs
  • Keep Proxmox and hardware firmware updated to minimize compatibility issues with AVX2 and virtualization

FAQ

Does the VM stay on a black screen at boot?

This is usually an issue with the args line or firmware settings
(BIOS not OVMF or machine not q35).

Review the qemu-server/ID.conf file and compare it with a known working configuration.

The macOS installer does not see the disk

Make sure the disk is configured as VirtIO Block (or SCSI) and initialized as APFS in Disk Utility.

The installation keeps rebooting in a loop

This is often because the VM is booting again from the Sequoia or OpenCore ISO.

Verify boot order and, once installed, use the internal EFI and remove the ISOs.

Do I need the exact same CPU and args values from other tutorials?

Not necessarily.

The important thing is to respect the overall structure of the args line and use a CPU-compatible configuration for Intel or AMD.

Closing

I keep this guide as a quick reminder of what works for me when bringing up macOS 15 Sequoia inside Proxmox without losing hours testing different combinations.

If this helps you as well, the idea is that you can follow the steps above, adapt the details to your environment, and get the VM ready for testing, demos, or whatever you need without turning it into an endless weekend project.

Sources and references:

  • Max Kulik:
    https://klabsdev.com/definitive-guide-to-running-macos-in-proxmox/
  • i12bretro:
    https://i12bretro.github.io/tutorials/0944.html
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