Running QEMU on macOS M1: A Guide

The quest for virtualization on Apple Silicon Macs has been a topic of interest among tech enthusiasts, and QEMU is one such solution that has gained attention. In this article, we'll explore how to run QEMU on your M1-based MacBook or iMac.

QEMU's Challenges with macOS M1

When attempting to run QEMU on an M1-based Mac, users may encounter issues due to the operating system's limitations. Specifically, QEMU tries to fall back to TCG (pure emulation), which fails because of a bug involving `mprotect()` in macOS. As a result, you may see the error message 'Could not allocate dynamic translator buffer.'

External Storage Options

One effective way to circumvent these issues is by using external storage solutions. For instance, an OWC Thunderbolt enclosure with a NVMe 1TB drive can provide read and write speeds of around 750MB/s, making it a viable option for virtualization.

QEMU's KVM Accelerator Issues

QEMU appears to attempt to utilize the KVM accelerator, which is not compatible with macOS hosts. Consequently, you'll encounter an 'invalid accelerator kvm' message. This limitation can be overcome by exploring alternative solutions.

Internal Storage Performance on M1

For those looking for internal storage options, the M1 chip provides impressive speeds of 2300 MB/s for writing and 2900 MB/s for reading.

Virtualization Alternatives

While QEMU faces limitations on macOS M1, there are other virtualization software available that offer more flexibility. UTM is a free app that enables you to run Windows 11 on an Apple Silicon Mac, while paid solutions like VMWare and Parallels also provide similar functionality.

Accessing the VirtualBox Developer Preview

For those interested in exploring VirtualBox, a developer preview beta ARM build is available for download through the official VirtualBox website. This software allows you to virtualize hardware, allocating RAM, storage capacity, and more. As usual, VirtualBox is completely free to download and use.

In summary, while QEMU faces some challenges on macOS M1, there are alternative solutions available that can still provide an excellent virtualization experience. Whether you opt for external storage or explore other software options, there's no shortage of choices when it comes to running multiple operating systems on your Apple Silicon Mac.

Qemu macos m1