Next, you can perform the following steps to create a Linux server VM using UTM: If you just want to host a server (no graphical desktop), I recommend Ubuntu Server as it will likely be the same one hosting your services and web apps in the cloud.ĭownload the DVD ISO image for the latest Fedora Workstation (aarch64) or download the DVD ISO image for the latest Ubuntu Server (ARM).įigure 1: ARM-based Linux distribution in UTM.If you need a graphical desktop, I recommend the latest version of Fedora Workstation (shown below in UTM).To get started, you should first download an ARM-based Linux distribution. How to Create a Linux Server VM Using UTM In short, UTM allows you to run ARM-based Linux VMs very fast on the M1 platform for free. However, if you run an ARM version of Linux in UTM, QEMU will run it directly on the M1 at near native speed.īetter yet, the VirtIO storage bus used by QEMU and the Linux kernel can access the underlying storage in the Mac at near native speed. If you run an Intel version of Linux in UTM, QEMU will translate the Intel instructions to run on the M1, and there will be a noticeable performance cost. UTM leverages the native hypervisor framework in macOS alongside the open source quick emulator (QEMU) framework that is used for virtualizing operating systems on Linux. Instead of buying an expensive Parallels or VMWare Fusion license to run a VM of Linux (slowly) on the M1, you can use the free Universal Turing Machine (UTM) app. Luckily, the most common VM that an IT systems administrator or developer will install is Linux, and ARM versions of Linux have been common for well over a decade now. And while it’s possible to run virtual machines of both Windows and Linux operating systems made for the Intel platform on the M1, the performance cost of translating Intel instructions to ARM is high (even with the optimizations Apple has within their M1 CPU). One of the biggest worries that IT pros have regarding Apple’s new ARM-based M1 platform is the ability to run virtual machines (VMs) of other operating systems using hypervisor software. Whether you're learning the Linux operating system, using Linux to manage your server fleet in the cloud, performing a cybersecurity penetration test using Linux tools or testing the web apps you’ve created on a Linux server, you can do it at near-native speed without costly software on an M1-based Mac system.

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