Development & Tools

Tart - macOS and Linux Virtualization

Use Tart - macOS and Linux Virtualization with Macfleet Cloud

Tart is a revolutionary virtualization toolset specifically designed for building, running, and managing macOS and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon. Built by CI engineers for automation needs, Tart leverages Apple's native Virtualization.Framework to deliver near-native performance while providing the flexibility of containerized VM management.

Key Features

• Native Performance: Uses Apple's Virtualization.Framework for seamless hardware integration
• OCI Registry Support: Push/pull VMs from any OCI-compatible container registry
• Swift-based: Written in Swift and optimized for Apple Silicon architecture
• CI/CD Integration: Seamlessly integrates with any continuous integration system
• Packer Plugin: Automate VM creation with the Tart Packer Plugin
• Cross-platform VMs: Support for both macOS and Linux virtual machines

System Requirements

• System: macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
• Architecture: Apple Silicon Mac required (M1, M2, M3, M4)
• RAM: 8 GB minimum (16 GB recommended for multiple VMs)
• Storage: Variable based on VM requirements
• Network: Internet connection for downloading VM images
• License: Fair Source License (free for personal use)

Perfect For

• iOS/macOS Developers: Native development environment without dual-boot
• DevOps Engineers: Scalable CI/CD infrastructure on Apple Silicon
• System Administrators: Manage multiple macOS environments efficiently
• Testing Teams: Isolated testing environments for different macOS versions
• Students & Educators: Learn macOS development and system administration

Using Tart on Windows

While Tart is exclusively designed for Apple Silicon Macs, Windows users can access Tart functionality through cloud solutions:

Option 1: Cloud Mac Services (Recommended)

• Use Macfleet for instant Apple Silicon access
• Advantages: No hardware investment, instant scaling, professional support
• Full Tart functionality through cloud-based Apple Silicon machines

Option 2: Alternative Virtualization

• VMware Fusion: Run macOS on Intel Macs (limited Apple Silicon support)
• Parallels Desktop: macOS virtualization on Intel Macs
• QEMU: Open-source virtualization (complex setup, limited performance)

How to Get Started with Tart on Windows via Macfleet

1. Choose Your Plan: Visit Macfleet pricing and select appropriate plan
2. Create Account: Register and receive your credentials
3. Connect: Use the Macfleet client to connect to your Apple Silicon Mac
4. Install Tart: Run installation commands on your cloud Mac
5. Start Virtualizing: Create and manage VMs using Tart

Latest Features

VM Management:

• Clone and Run: Simple commands to clone and run pre-built VMs
• Image Registry: Store and share VM images through OCI registries
• Snapshot Support: Create and restore VM snapshots
• Resource Control: Configure CPU, memory, and storage per VM
• Network Configuration: Advanced networking options for VMs

Apple Silicon Optimization:

• Virtualization.Framework: Native integration with Apple's virtualization
• Hardware Acceleration: Full hardware acceleration for guest VMs
• Memory Efficiency: Optimized memory usage and management
• Performance Monitoring: Built-in performance metrics and monitoring

Why Choose Tart for Apple Silicon Virtualization

Performance Advantages:

• Native Speed: Near-native performance through Virtualization.Framework
• Hardware Integration: Full utilization of Apple Silicon capabilities
• Memory Efficiency: Optimized memory allocation and sharing
• Storage Performance: Fast disk I/O with Apple Silicon optimization

Developer Experience:

• Simple Commands: Easy-to-use CLI interface
• Container-like: Familiar Docker-like workflow for VM management
• Swift Integration: Native Swift development environment
• Automation Ready: Perfect for CI/CD and automated workflows

Available VM Images

macOS Images:

• macOS 15 (Sequoia): ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sequoia-base:latest
• macOS 14 (Sonoma): ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest
• macOS 13 (Ventura): ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-ventura-base:latest
• macOS 12 (Monterey): ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-monterey-base:latest
• Xcode Variants: Pre-configured images with Xcode installed

Linux Images:

• Ubuntu: ghcr.io/cirruslabs/ubuntu:latest
• Debian: ghcr.io/cirruslabs/debian:latest
• Fedora: ghcr.io/cirruslabs/fedora:latest
• Custom Images: Build your own Linux VMs

Getting Started Guide

Installation:

# Install via Homebrew
brew install cirruslabs/cli/tart

# Clone a macOS VM
tart clone ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest sonoma

# Run the VM
tart run sonoma

Basic VM Management:

# List available VMs
tart list

# Get VM IP address
tart ip sonoma

# SSH into VM
ssh admin@$(tart ip sonoma)

# Stop VM
tart stop sonoma

Advanced Features

Directory Mounting:

# Mount host directory into VM
tart run --dir=project:~/myproject sonoma

VM Configuration:

# Configure VM resources
tart set sonoma --cpu 4 --memory 8192 --disk-size 100

Networking:

# Configure VM networking
tart run --net-bridged en0 sonoma

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions:

• Self-hosted Runners: Use Tart VMs as GitHub Actions runners
• Matrix Builds: Test across multiple macOS versions simultaneously
• Isolated Environments: Each job runs in a fresh VM
• Parallel Execution: Run multiple jobs concurrently

GitLab Runner:

• Custom Executor: GitLab Tart Executor for VM-based jobs
• Dynamic Provisioning: VMs created and destroyed per job
• Resource Efficiency: Optimal resource utilization

Enterprise Features

Scalability:

• Multiple VMs: Run multiple VMs simultaneously
• Resource Management: Intelligent resource allocation
• Cluster Support: Scale with Orchard orchestration
• Load Balancing: Distribute workloads across VMs

Security:

• VM Isolation: Strong isolation between VMs
• Network Security: Configurable network isolation
• Secure Images: Cryptographically signed VM images
• Audit Logging: Complete audit trail of VM operations

Performance Comparison

vs Docker Desktop:

• Memory Usage: Significantly lower memory footprint
• CPU Performance: Better performance on Apple Silicon
• Startup Time: Faster VM boot times
• Native Integration: Seamless macOS integration

vs VMware/Parallels:

• Cost: Free for personal use vs commercial licenses
• Performance: Native Virtualization.Framework performance
• Automation: Built for CI/CD and automation
• Container Workflow: Familiar container-like operations

Real-world Use Cases

Development Workflows:

• iOS Development: Test iOS apps on different macOS versions
• macOS Development: Develop and test macOS applications
• Cross-platform Development: Develop for multiple platforms
• Legacy Testing: Test on older macOS versions

Testing and QA:

• Automated Testing: Automated test execution on clean VMs
• Compatibility Testing: Test across different macOS versions
• Performance Testing: Isolated performance testing environments
• Security Testing: Secure testing environments

Cloud Integration

Cirrus Runners:

• GitHub Actions: 2-3x performance improvement over standard runners
• Cost Efficiency: Fraction of the cost of GitHub-hosted runners
• Apple Silicon: Native Apple Silicon performance
• Instant Scaling: Scale runners based on demand

Custom Solutions:

• Private Cloud: Deploy on private Apple Silicon infrastructure
• Hybrid Cloud: Combine cloud and on-premises Apple Silicon
• Multi-region: Deploy across multiple geographical regions

Troubleshooting and Support

Common Issues:

• macOS Licensing: Ensure compliance with Apple's virtualization terms
• Resource Limits: Monitor CPU and memory usage
• Network Configuration: Troubleshoot networking issues
• Image Corruption: Recover from corrupted VM images

Support Resources:

• Documentation: Comprehensive documentation at tart.run
• Community: GitHub discussions and community support
• Professional Support: Commercial support options available

Licensing and Compliance

Fair Source License:

• Personal Use: Free for personal computers and development
• Commercial Use: Licensing required for commercial server installations
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with Apple's virtualization terms
• Legal: Consult legal team for commercial deployments

Migration Guide

From Docker Desktop:

• Container to VM: Migrate containerized workflows to VMs
• Resource Optimization: Optimize resource allocation for VMs
• Network Migration: Adapt networking configurations
• CI/CD Updates: Update CI/CD pipelines for VM-based workflows

From VMware/Parallels:

• Image Migration: Convert existing VMs to Tart format
• Automation: Automate previously manual VM operations
• Performance Optimization: Optimize for Apple Silicon performance
• Cost Optimization: Reduce licensing costs

Future Roadmap

Upcoming Features:

• Enhanced Networking: Advanced networking capabilities
• GPU Support: GPU acceleration for VM workloads
• Windows Support: Potential Windows VM support
• Cloud Integration: Enhanced cloud provider integration

Community Contributions:

• Open Source: Contribute to the Tart project
• Feature Requests: Submit feature requests and improvements
• Documentation: Help improve documentation and tutorials
• Community Images: Share custom VM images with the community

Start your Apple Silicon virtualization journey with Tart - the virtualization toolset designed specifically for the future of Mac development and automation. Whether you're building iOS apps, managing CI/CD pipelines, or creating development environments, Tart provides the performance, flexibility, and reliability you need.