CLI Reference

# List all VMs
cider vm list
cider vm list --json
 
# Create a VM
cider vm create myvm
cider vm create myvm --cpu 4 --memory 8 --disk-size 64
cider vm create myvm --intent ci --ttl 2h
cider vm create myvm --template "CI Runner Base"
cider vm create myvm --image sonoma-arm64
 
# Start / stop / suspend
cider vm start myvm
cider vm start myvm --headless
cider vm stop myvm
cider vm suspend myvm
 
# Info and status
cider vm info myvm
cider vm info myvm --json
cider vm status myvm
 
# Clone, rename, delete
cider vm clone source-vm new-vm
cider vm rename old-name new-name
cider vm destroy myvm
cider vm destroy myvm -f
 
# Recovery mode
cider vm start-recovery myvm
 
# Intent and TTL (for disposable/CI VMs)
cider vm set-intent myvm ci
cider vm ttl myvm 30m
cider vm ttl myvm off
 
# Clean up retired VMs (TTL expired)
cider vm cleanup
cider vm cleanup --force

# Get VM IP
cider vm ip myvm
cider vm ip myvm --wait 60
cider vm ip --all
 
# SSH into a VM (auto-detects IP)
cider ssh myvm
 
# Run a command on the VM
cider ssh myvm -- whoami
cider ssh myvm -- "ls -la /tmp"
cider ssh myvm -- bash -c "echo hello > /tmp/test.txt"
 
# Options: IP, user, port, identity, timeout
cider ssh myvm --ip 192.168.64.2
cider ssh myvm --user admin --port 22
cider ssh myvm --identity ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -- whoami
cider ssh myvm --timeout 30 -- whoami
 
# Target by IP (no VM name)
cider ssh 192.168.64.2 --user admin -- whoami

# Add a shared folder
cider vm share add myvm ~/scripts --name scripts
cider vm share add myvm /path/to/code --name code
cider vm share add myvm /path --name data --read-only
cider vm share add myvm /path --name data --mount-tag MyTag
 
# List / remove / enable / disable
cider vm share list myvm
cider vm share remove myvm scripts
cider vm share enable myvm scripts
cider vm share disable myvm scripts

# List snapshots
cider snapshot list myvm
cider snapshot list myvm --json
 
# Create a snapshot
cider snapshot create myvm "clean-state"
cider snapshot create myvm "before-test" -d "Pre-MDM enrollment"
 
# Restore a snapshot
cider snapshot restore myvm <snapshot-id>
cider snapshot restore myvm <snapshot-id> -f
 
# Delete a snapshot
cider snapshot delete myvm <snapshot-id>
cider snapshot delete myvm <snapshot-id> -f

# List templates
cider template list
cider template list --built-in
cider template list --custom
 
# Create a template from a VM
cider template create "My Template" --vm myvm
cider template create "My Template" --vm myvm -d "Base image for CI"
 
# Template details
cider template info "My Template"
cider template info <template-id>
 
# Delete
cider template delete "My Template"
cider template delete "My Template" -f

# List local images
cider image list
 
# Pull from OCI registry
cider pull ghcr.io/myorg/macos-base:latest
cider pull ghcr.io/myorg/image:tag --username user --password token
cider pull ghcr.io/myorg/image:tag --insecure
 
# Import an IPSW as an OCI image
cider image import /path/to/restore.ipsw
 
# Remove a local image
cider image rm <digest-or-ref>

# Push VM as OCI image
cider vm push myvm ghcr.io/myorg/image:tag
cider vm push myvm ghcr.io/myorg/image:tag --username user --password token

# List local IPSW files
cider ipsw list
cider ipsw list --scan /path/to/dir
 
# Show IPSW info
cider ipsw info /path/to/restore.ipsw
 
# Download from Apple
cider ipsw download --latest
cider ipsw download --version 15.2
cider ipsw download --latest --output ~/Downloads

# Install macOS on a VM
cider install myvm --latest
cider install myvm --ipsw /path/to/restore.ipsw

# Start 14-day trial
cider trial start
 
# Trial status
cider trial status
 
# License
cider license status
cider license activate CIDER-XXXX-XXXX-...
cider license deactivate

cider vm list --json
cider vm info myvm --json
cider vm ip myvm --json
cider vm ip --all --json
cider snapshot list myvm --json
cider template list --json

[
  {
    "id": "abc-123",
    "name": "myvm",
    "state": "stopped",
    "cpuCount": 4,
    "memoryGB": 8,
    "diskSizeGB": 64
  }
]

#!/bin/bash
set -e
VM_NAME="ci-runner"
 
cider vm create "$VM_NAME" --intent ci --cpu 4 --memory 8
cider install "$VM_NAME" --latest
 
# Wait for installation to finish (can take 20–40 minutes)
while ! cider vm info "$VM_NAME" --json | jq -e '.state == "stopped"' >/dev/null 2>&1; do
  sleep 60
done
 
cider vm start "$VM_NAME" --headless
sleep 30
IP=$(cider vm ip "$VM_NAME" --wait 120)
echo "VM IP: $IP"
 
cider ssh "$VM_NAME" -- "sudo systemsetup -setremotelogin on"
cider ssh "$VM_NAME" -- "mkdir -p ~/actions-runner"

#!/bin/bash
set -e
VM_NAME="test-vm"
SNAPSHOT_NAME="clean-state"
 
SNAPSHOT_ID=$(cider snapshot list "$VM_NAME" --json | jq -r '.[] | select(.name=="'$SNAPSHOT_NAME'") | .id')
cider snapshot restore "$VM_NAME" "$SNAPSHOT_ID" -f
 
cider vm start "$VM_NAME" --headless
sleep 30
cider ssh "$VM_NAME" -- "./run-tests.sh"
TEST_EXIT=$?
cider vm stop "$VM_NAME"
exit $TEST_EXIT

#!/bin/bash
VM_NAME="$1"
TIMEOUT=300
 
STATE=$(cider vm info "$VM_NAME" --json | jq -r '.state // "notfound"')
if [ "$STATE" != "running" ]; then
  cider vm start "$VM_NAME" --headless
fi
 
IP=$(cider vm ip "$VM_NAME" --wait "$TIMEOUT")
if [ -z "$IP" ]; then
  echo "Failed to get IP after ${TIMEOUT}s"
  exit 1
fi
 
ELAPSED=0
while ! cider ssh "$VM_NAME" -- "echo ready" 2>/dev/null; do
  sleep 5
  ELAPSED=$((ELAPSED + 5))
  [ $ELAPSED -ge $TIMEOUT ] && { echo "SSH not ready"; exit 1; }
done
echo "VM $VM_NAME ready at $IP"

CIDER_QUIET=1 cider vm list
CIDER_DEBUG=1 cider vm start myvm
NO_COLOR=1 cider vm list

cider --help
cider <command> --help
cider examples