Quick Start

Get your first macOS VM running in minutes.

1. Add a macOS image (IPSW)

CiderStack uses official macOS IPSW restore images provided by Apple.

1. Open CiderStack
2. Navigate to Images → All Images
3. From here you can:
   • Download an IPSW directly from Apple, or
   • Upload an existing IPSW file

Once the IPSW has finished downloading or uploading, it will appear in your image list and be ready to use.

Note: IPSW files can be large (10–15 GB). Downloads may take several minutes depending on your connection.

2. Create your first virtual machine

After your IPSW is available:

1. Click Create VM
2. Enter a name for your virtual machine

Resource presets

CiderStack includes three presets to make setup easy:

• Light — minimal resources for quick testing
• Standard — recommended for most users
• Performance — maximum resources for heavy workloads

You can also fine-tune CPU, memory, and disk size using the sliders.

When ready, click Create VM.

CiderStack will automatically provision the virtual machine and prepare the disk image.

3. Start the VM

Once creation completes:

1. Click Done
2. Return to All Machines
3. Click Start on your new VM

The virtual machine will boot into macOS just like a physical Mac.

That’s it 🎉

Your macOS VM is now ready to use.

From here you can:

• Install development tools like Xcode
• Create snapshots and instant clones
• Test macOS beta releases safely
• Run CI runners or automation workflows
• Scale across multiple Macs using Fleet Manager

Happy virtualizing.