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Installing on Windows

Prerequisites:

  • Windows 10 or Higher
  • Virtualization capabilities
  • 8GB of RAM or more

Step 1 (Installing WSL2)

Install WSL2. If you have WSL2 already, you can skip this step. Open Powershell as an administrator and run this command

wsl --install

It will prompt a reboot, reboot and let it install Ubuntu. One that is done, make a username and password. It does not have to be the same as the system.

If you do not see the window for Ubuntu

Step 2 (Getting the files)

Open a new Ubuntu terminal window, and run this command, replacing the WINDOWS_USER_NAME with the your Windows username, not the Linux one.

cd /mnt/c/users/WINDOWS_USER_NAME/Documents

Then run

sudo apt install git-all -y

Now clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/notAperson535/OneClick-macOS-Simple-KVM.git

Now cd into the newly created folder

cd OneClick-macOS-Simple-KVM

Step 3 (installing qemu and virtualization capabilities)

Run the included windows installer

./windows-install.sh

Once you get to the menu (looks like this) image Go to Virtualization and make sure your system processor type is selected, mine is Intel image Then keep clicking exit, and save the configuration

Now run these commands to make sure virtualization works

kvm-ok
cat /sys/module/kvm_intel/parameters/nested

If the first command returns KVM acceleration can be used and the second command returns Y, then you are good to go. If the first command returns Y but the second command return something like no, then go to the bottom of the page for troubleshooting.

Now make sure you are still in the OneClick-macOS-Simple-KVM directory, the path should look something like this:

/mnt/c/users/WINDOWS_USER_NAME/Documents/OneClick-macOS-Simple-KVM

And run ./setup.sh to finish the setup and run the macOS VM!

(Note that the max OS you can run is Big Sur, because of some TSC restrictions. I am working on this issue and when it is resolved I will post a message in the Discord Server.) This now fixed and you can run Monterey and up on Windows

Once setup.sh finsishes and you see a QEMU window pop up, press ctrl+c and run sudo HEADLESS=1 ./basic.sh. Once this is done, download VNC Viewer, here, then type localhost:5900 into the top to connect to the vm using vnc.

Whenever you want to load up the machine again, run sudo HEADLESS=1 ./basic.sh, NOT ./setup.sh.

You're done!

Don't close the terminal when the QEMU window is open, as it will shut down the VM and may cause data loss.

Now head over to installing macOS for instructions on correctly installing macOS

Troubleshooting

cat /sys/module/kvm_intel/parameters/nested returns N, but KVM-OK Returns KVM acceleration can be used

Edit these commands in .wslconfig, which is located in your Windows user directory, replacing the WINDOWS_USER_NAME with the your Windows username, not the Linux one.

nestedVirtualization=true
kernel=C:\\Users\\WINDOWS_USER_NAME\\bzImage
debugConsole=true
pageReporting=true
kernelCommandLine=intel_iommu=on iommu=pt kvm.ignore_msrs=1 kvm-intel.nested=1 kvm-intel.ept=1 kvm-intel.emulate_invalid_guest_state=0 kvm-intel.enable_shadow_vmcs=1 kvm-intel.enable_apicv=1

Getting Your CPU does not support KVM extensions on AMD processors

For those with AMD EPYC/Ryzen processor or later, Nested Virtualization (required for KVM) is not supported on Windows 10. So you have to upgrade to Windows 11.