Install MacOS as Proxmox Virtual Machine

I have yet to install MacOS on Proxmox from the scratch… I converted the existing Unraid VM to Proxmox. The below steps outline that process and I hope to update this page with instructions for a fresh install. If not, do it on Unraid and then follow the below :D. If you are attempting to install a fresh copy… try this: https://www.nicksherlock.com/2022/10/installing-macos-13-ventura-on-proxmox/

• OS
  • Do not use any media (we will move over out existing vdisk
  • Type: Other
• System
  • Graphic card: VMware compatible (we will add GPU passthrough later)
  • Machine: q35
  • BIOS: OVMF (UEFI)
  • EFI Storage: local-lvm
  • Pre-Enroll keys: UNCHECK
  • SCSI Controller: VirtIO SCSI single
  • Qemu Agent: CHECKED
  • Add TPM: UNCHECKED
• Disks
  • Just create a small blank disk, we are going to erase and replace with already built disk
• CPU
  • Sockets: 1
  • Cores: 8
  • Type: Haswell
• Memory
  • 8192
  • Ballooning Device: UNCHECKED
• Network
  • Bridge: vmbr0
  • Model: VirtIO (paravirtualized)
• Confirm
  • Don't start vm after creation
  • Finish

• Wait to do the GPU until the end (or try it now, I dunno. I did the GPU after successful boot but I think I did the USB stuff first to have keyboard and mouse access)
• Datacenter → Node name → VM
• Click Hardware
  • Click Add
  • PCI Device
  • Raw Device
  • Device: Select the Device you want to add based on its address
  • All Functions: CHECKED
  • Click OK
• I did this for USB and Wifi (though I turned Wifi off because I'm tracking down a webpage loading issue… not sure if it's PiHole or Wifi/Eth conflicts.

• Erase old disk
  • Go to Datacenter → node name → osx vm
  • Click on Hardware
  • Select hard disk to remove
  • click Detach
  • click Remove
• Import new disk
  • move the new disk to a location that proxmox can see it (see adding share in the install proxmox section)
  • ssh into proxmox or open a shell (Datacenter → node name, then click >_ Shell
  • go to the folder of that new disk (cd /mnt/pve/unraid/ for example)
  • rename the image to a .raw file
  • type the import command:

    qm importdisk 201 macos_disk.raw local-lvm --format raw

    • where 201 is the vm id and local-lvm is the location.
  • after complete go to the vm → hardware and double click on the unused disk and click Add
  • go to Options → Boot Order and set the bood order to the top.
• link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlPMNgCg-ck

• ssh into proxmox or open a shell (Datacenter → node name, then click >_ Shell
• edit the file /etc/pve/qemu-server/YOUR-VM-ID-HERE.conf
  • update the args: line to look like this:

  • args: -device isa-applesmc,osk=ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc -smbios type=2 -device usb-kbd,bus=ehci.0 -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

  • some sites say to put your OSK instead of that phrase… i've always used phrase
• final .conf file for me looks like:

  • agent: 1
    args: -device isa-applesmc,osk=ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc -smbios type=2 -device usb-kbd,bus=ehci.0 -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
    balloon: 0
    bios: ovmf
    boot: order=ide0
    cores: 8
    cpu: Haswell
    efidisk0: local-lvm:vm-201-disk-0,efitype=4m,size=4M
    hostpci0: 0000:05:00
    hostpci1: 0000:11:00,x-vga=1
    hostpci2: 0000:06:00,pcie=1
    ide0: local-lvm:vm-201-disk-1,size=300G
    ide2: none,media=cdrom
    machine: q35
    memory: 8192
    meta: creation-qemu=9.0.0,ctime=1720659249
    name: sonoma
    net0: virtio=BC:24:11:87:A6:24,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
    numa: 0
    onboot: 1
    ostype: other
    scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
    smbios1: uuid=7d279eae-4fb5-43c0-a88e-dbed318fc746
    sockets: 1
    vmgenid: 8317cc90-c5a3-4296-9389-3905ccd0c139

• link: https://www.nicksherlock.com/2022/10/installing-macos-13-ventura-on-proxmox/

• Datacenter → Node name → VM
• Click Hardware
  • Click Add
  • PCI Device
  • Raw Device
  • Device: Select the Device you want to add based on its address
  • All Functions: CHECKED
  • Primary GPU: CHECKED
  • Click OK