macOS soak harness: pass --option sandbox relaxed like vmix build does

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01XsESshRCoBoUVWV9qKURUF

cli.nix

@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "vmix" ''
     echo "  --to-remote-disk SSH:DEV  Stream to remote disk via SSH and expand partitions"
     echo "                              e.g. root@10.10.10.100:/dev/sda"
     echo "  --ahci                    Use AHCI storage for vmix run (for laptop images)"
-    echo "  --macos                   macOS image for vmix run (OpenCore/AppleSMC flags, AHCI)"
+    echo "  --macos                   macOS image for vmix run (OpenCore/VirtualSMC flags, AHCI)"
+    echo "  --applesmc                with --macos: add QEMU's isa-applesmc (images built before 2026-09-09)"
+    echo "  --share DIR               with --macos: virtio-fs share (first: /Volumes/My Shared Files); repeatable"
+    echo "  --home FILE               with --macos: persistent home volume (qcow2, created+formatted if missing)"
+    echo "  --qga PATH                with --macos: guest agent socket path (default /tmp/vmix-qga-<pid>.sock)"
     echo "  --vnc DISPLAY             VNC instead of SDL for vmix run, e.g. :10 (port 5910) or 0.0.0.0:10"
     echo "  --mac ADDR                NIC MAC for vmix run (macOS: read from the image's ESP by default)"
     echo "  -y, --yes                 Skip disk write confirmation"
@@ -94,12 +98,21 @@ pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "vmix" ''
     RUN_MACOS=false
     RUN_VNC=""
     RUN_MAC=""
+    RUN_SHARES=()
+    RUN_HOME=""
+    RUN_HOME_IMAGE="macos.images.tahoe.upstream"
+    RUN_QGA=""
     while [[ ''${#} -gt 0 ]]; do
       case "$1" in
         --mem)   RUN_MEM="$2"; shift 2 ;;
         --smp)   RUN_SMP="$2"; shift 2 ;;
         --ahci)  RUN_AHCI=true; shift ;;
         --macos) RUN_MACOS=true; shift ;;
+        --applesmc) RUN_APPLESMC=true; shift ;;
+        --share) RUN_SHARES+=("$2"); shift 2 ;;
+        --home)  RUN_HOME="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+        --home-image) RUN_HOME_IMAGE="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+        --qga)   RUN_QGA="$2"; shift 2 ;;
         --vnc)   RUN_VNC="$2"; shift 2 ;;
         --mac)   RUN_MAC="$2"; shift 2 ;;
         *)       echo "Unknown option: $1"; exit 1 ;;
@@ -134,10 +147,44 @@ pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "vmix" ''
         [[ -z "$RUN_MAC" || "$RUN_MAC" == "null" ]] && { RUN_MAC="52:54:00:c9:18:27"; echo "Warning: could not read MAC from image ESP, using $RUN_MAC"; }
       fi
       echo "macOS:   yes (MAC $RUN_MAC)"
+      # Apple's built-in QEMU guest agent: guest-exec as root over this socket
+      [[ -z "$RUN_QGA" ]] && RUN_QGA="/tmp/vmix-qga-$$.sock"
+      rm -f "$RUN_QGA"
+      echo "Agent:   $RUN_QGA (guest-exec as root)"
+      # virtio-fs shares: the first one auto-mounts at /Volumes/My Shared Files, the
+      # others are mounted with: mount -t virtiofs <tag> /Volumes/<tag>
+      MACOS_SHARE_ARGS=""
+      MACOS_MEM_ARGS=""
+      i=0
+      for SHARE in "''${RUN_SHARES[@]}"; do
+        i=$((i + 1)); SOCK="/tmp/vmix-vfs-$$-$i.sock"; rm -f "$SOCK"
+        TAG=$([[ $i -eq 1 ]] && echo "${macosQemu.automountTag}" || echo "share$i")
+        ${pkgs.virtiofsd}/bin/virtiofsd --socket-path="$SOCK" --shared-dir "$SHARE" --cache auto --sandbox none >/dev/null 2>&1 &
+        for t in $(seq 1 50); do [[ -S "$SOCK" ]] && break; sleep 0.2; done
+        MACOS_SHARE_ARGS="$MACOS_SHARE_ARGS -chardev socket,id=vfs$i,path=$SOCK -device vhost-user-fs-pci,chardev=vfs$i,tag=$TAG"
+        MACOS_MEM_ARGS="-object memory-backend-memfd,id=vmix-mem,size=''${RUN_MEM}M,share=on -numa node,memdev=vmix-mem"
+        echo "Share:   $SHARE -> $([[ $i -eq 1 ]] && echo '/Volumes/My Shared Files' || echo "mount -t virtiofs $TAG ...")"
+      done
+      # persistent home volume (virtio-blk); created + formatted APFS by the PE if missing
+      MACOS_HOME_ARGS=""
+      if [[ -n "$RUN_HOME" ]]; then
+        if [[ ! -e "$RUN_HOME" ]]; then
+          echo "Home:    creating $RUN_HOME (64G qcow2) and formatting it as APFS 'vmix-home' via the PE of $RUN_HOME_IMAGE ..."
+          ${pkgs.qemu}/bin/qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 "$RUN_HOME" 64G
+          FMT=$(${pkgs.nix}/bin/nix build --no-link --print-out-paths --impure --expr "let l = (builtins.getFlake \"${self}\").lib.${system}; in l.macos.formatVolume { image = l.$RUN_HOME_IMAGE; }") || { echo "Error: could not build the formatter"; exit 1; }
+          "$FMT" "$RUN_HOME" qcow2 || exit 1
+        fi
+        HOME_FMT=$(${pkgs.qemu}/bin/qemu-img info --output=json "$RUN_HOME" | ${pkgs.jq}/bin/jq -r .format)
+        MACOS_HOME_ARGS="-drive id=home,if=none,format=$HOME_FMT,file=$RUN_HOME -device virtio-blk-pci,drive=home"
+        echo "Home:    $RUN_HOME (mounted at /Users by images generalized with persistHome)"
+      fi
       echo ""
       exec ${pkgs.qemu}/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 \
+        $MACOS_MEM_ARGS $MACOS_SHARE_ARGS $MACOS_HOME_ARGS \
+        -device virtio-serial-pci,id=vmix-vser -chardev socket,path="$RUN_QGA",server=on,wait=off,id=vmix-qga -device virtserialport,chardev=vmix-qga,name=org.qemu.guest_agent.0 \
         $VMIX_DISPLAY \
         ${macosQemu.deviceArgs} ${macosQemu.vgaArgs} \
+        $([[ "$RUN_APPLESMC" == true ]] && echo '-device isa-applesmc,osk="${macosQemu.osk}"') \
         -accel kvm \
         -machine type=q35 \
         -cpu ${macosQemu.defaultCpu} \

lib/images/macos/README.md

@@ -1,138 +1,177 @@
-# vmix macOS images
+# macOS images (Tahoe 26)
 
-Unattended macOS (Tahoe / 26) VM images, built the same way as the Windows
-images: `makeImage` installs the OS once, templates customize it by booting it,
-`.generalize` creates the user and seals the image.
+Pre-installed, Apple-ID-capable macOS VM images built the same way as the
+Windows ones: `makeImage` (unattended install) → templates → `.generalize`
+(user, hostname, fresh SMBIOS identity). Runs on QEMU/KVM with OpenCore.
 
 ```
-vmix build --image macos.images.tahoe.basic \
-     --generalize username=sagar,password=secret,hostname=MAC,timezone=Europe/Zurich
-vmix run ./result --macos --vnc :10 --mem 8192      # VNC on port 5910
+vmix build --image macos.images.tahoe.basic --generalize username=sagar,password=secret,hostname=MAC
+vmix run ./result --macos --vnc :10 --mem 8192
 ```
 
-## How it works
+Nix: `macos.images.tahoe.{pe,upstream,basic,remote}` and
+`<image>.generalize { username; password; hostname; timezone; locale; seed; … }`.
 
-| step | what happens |
-|---|---|
-| `fetchRecovery` | BaseSystem.dmg from Apple's recovery servers (fixed-output, pinned by sha256) |
-| `installerPayload` | takes the App Store `InstallAssistant.pkg` (18 GB, pinned) apart on Linux: the app skeleton (pbzx/cpio) and the byte offset of `SharedSupport.dmg` |
-| `makeOpenCore` | OSX-KVM's OpenCore ESP with a config.plist rewritten for this image: SMBIOS model, serial + MLB (`macserial`), UUID and ROM = NIC MAC (derived from a seed), NIC marked built-in |
-| `makeImage` | one QEMU session: Recovery boots via OpenCore → `vm-driver.py` opens Terminal with keystrokes (Ctrl-F2 menu navigation, screen-settle detection + OCR of the menu bar) and types `sh /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh` → `vmix-install.sh` erases the disk, rebuilds `Install macOS Tahoe.app` (skeleton + `SharedSupport.dmg` copied from a raw disk mapped straight out of the pkg), runs `startosinstall --installpackage vmix-agent.pkg` → installer reboots through its phases → first boot runs the **vmix agent** which powers off. OpenCore is then copied into the image's EFI partition, so it boots standalone with OVMF |
-| `customizeImage` | boots the image with a FAT volume `VMIX`; the agent (LaunchDaemon `ch.vmix.agent`) runs `vmix-run.sh` as root, writes `vmix-run.status`/`.log` back and shuts down |
-| `templates.generalize` | user (admin) + auto-login (`/etc/kcpassword`), Setup Assistant suppressed, hostname, timezone, no sleep, APFS grown to the disk, then the agent removes itself; a fresh SMBIOS identity is written to the ESP |
+## How it works: the vmix "PE"
 
-The vmix agent replaces Windows' Audit Mode RunOnce; `.AppleSetupDone` replaces
-the OOBE unattend. Everything on the host side runs inside `__noChroot`
-derivations (KVM + `/tmp`), exactly like the Windows builders.
+Apple's Recovery (`BaseSystem.dmg`, a plain journaled HFS+ volume) with **one
+LaunchDaemon added** (`makeRecoveryPE`): at boot it mounts a `VMIX` volume and
+runs `run.sh` from it as root, records the exit status and powers off. That is
+the whole automation surface — the equivalent of Windows PE + Autounattend:
 
-## Generalize options
+* **no GUI is driven**: no OCR, no keystrokes, no screen layouts to learn per
+  macOS version; the hook is a launchd plist, stable across releases (same idea
+  as AutoNBI/Imagr NetBoot images).
+* **observable**: the guest prints `VMIX-*` markers to `/dev/console`, which the
+  build reads from QEMU's serial log (`boot-args serial=3 -v`). Kernel panics and
+  reboots show up there too. Screenshots are still taken for debugging.
+* **offline**: no NIC during the install, and the guest blackholes Apple's
+  install/verify endpoints so `startosinstall` never waits on the network. The
+  only inputs are the pinned `InstallAssistant.pkg` and `BaseSystem.dmg`.
+* **everything else happens offline from the PE too**: templates and generalize
+  mount the image's Data volume (rw) and System volume (ro) and edit them
+  (`dscl -f` for users, `plutil` for preferences) — the installed macOS is
+  never booted for customization, so nothing depends on launchd/BTM approval,
+  first-boot agents or auto-login inside the guest. One PE boot ≈ 30 s.
 
-`username password fullName autoLogon hostname locale timezone delayOobeRun`
-as for Windows (`bgColor` is accepted but ignored), plus the SMBIOS identity:
-`model serial mlb uuid mac seed`. Anything unset is generated: serial/MLB by
-macserial (random per build), MAC and UUID deterministically from `seed`
-(default `hostname-username`). `vmix macserial --model MacPro7,1` prints a
-ready-to-paste set.
+### Pipeline
 
-`delay-oobe-run=true` creates no user and re-arms Setup Assistant for the first
-real boot.
-
-## Apple ID / iMessage
-
-The image satisfies what Dortania lists for iServices: unique serial + MLB for a
-Tahoe-supported model (`MacPro7,1` by default; `iMac20,1/2`,
-`MacBookPro16,x` also work), SystemUUID, ROM equal to en0's MAC, and en0 marked
-built-in (the NIC is pinned to `PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x12,0x0)`). The NixOS module
-and `vmix run --macos` use the MAC recorded in the image (`EFI/vmix/vmix.json`).
-Give each deployed VM its own generalized image (different `seed`, or explicit
-`serial=`/`mlb=`) — two VMs with the same identity will be blocked.
-
-## Runtime
-
-* `vmix run <qcow2> --macos [--vnc :N] [--mac ..]`
-* NixOS module: `disks.os.file = vmixLib.macos.images.tahoe.basic.generalize {...}`
-  is auto-detected (`_vmixOsType = "macos"`): Skylake-Client CPU spoof, AppleSMC,
-  USB keyboard/tablet, AHCI system disk, VMware SVGA, pinned NIC with the image's MAC.
-  `macos.cpu`, `macos.mac`, `macos.enable` override the defaults.
-* `vmix copy` writes the image to a disk but cannot grow APFS from Linux
-  (`diskutil apfs resizeContainer disk0s2 0` in macOS afterwards).
-
-## Debugging a build
-
-Screenshots (`NNN-<state>.png`), `driver.log` and the QMP socket of every VM
-session are in `/tmp/vmix-macos/<image name>/` on the build host. The guest logs
-(`install.log`, `vmix-run.log`, `vmix-agent.log`) are printed at the end of the
-build. Pass `vncDisplay = ":10"` to `makeImage`/`customizeImage` (or
-`--generalize vncDisplay=:10`) to watch live; with a `DISPLAY` an SDL window
-is used as for Windows.
-
-## Updating pins (`upstream.json`)
-
-* installer: URL + SRI hash of a newer `InstallAssistant.pkg`
-  (`nix store prefetch-file --name InstallAssistant.pkg <url>`; Mr. Macintosh's
-  database lists Apple's URLs)
-* recovery: Apple serves the current build for the board id, so the sha256
-  changes with each point release — copy the "got:" hash from the failed build
-* opencore: OSX-KVM `OpenCore.qcow2` at a commit; OpenCorePkg release zip (macserial/ocvalidate)
-
-## Known limits
-
-* The Recovery bootstrap depends on keyboard navigation of the Recovery UI
-  (Ctrl-F2 → Utilities → Terminal). It self-corrects with screenshots + OCR and
-  falls back to a blind sequence, but a Recovery UI change would need
-  `vm-driver.py` adjusted.
-* Hosts must run KVM with an AVX2-capable CPU (Intel or AMD; the guest sees a
-  Skylake). `sandbox = relaxed` and the `kvm` system feature, as for Windows.
-* Software updates inside the VM are disabled by the `noUpdates` template
-  (OTA updates in a VM need the RestrictEvents kext).
-
-## Current status (2026-09-09): working offline install
-
-`macos.images.tahoe.upstream` builds a bootable, installed macOS Tahoe 26.6.2
-qcow2 **fully offline** on the KVM host — no dependency on Apple's servers at build
-time, just the pinned local `InstallAssistant.pkg` and `BaseSystem.dmg`. The
-finished image boots standalone (OpenCore from its own ESP) to the macOS
-loginwindow. Serial/MLB/UUID/ROM are per-image for Apple ID / iMessage.
-
-How the install is driven (`vm-driver.py`, all by screenshot + OCR over QMP):
-
-* The whole `InstallAssistant.pkg` is mapped as a raw disk (it is a "pkgdmg":
-  xar + koly footer) and `dd`'d byte-exact into the app as `SharedSupport.dmg` —
-  extracting the bare xar member fails startosinstall with "pkgdmg missing a footer".
-* No NIC during install + `/etc/hosts` blackhole of Apple's install/verify
-  endpoints, so `startosinstall`'s network calls fail fast instead of hanging —
-  offline prepare, no external dependency. `SecureBootModel=Disabled` lets the
-  sealed volume install without online personalization.
-* The recovery display is kept awake with a tiny mouse jiggle (a lone keypress
-  does not reset display sleep, and the sleeping display swallows the menu-nav
-  keystrokes); the settle detector uses a coarse fingerprint so the jiggling
-  cursor is not seen as a screen change.
-* startosinstall prepare is intermittently slow/stalls; a guest watchdog kills and
-  re-erases/retries an attempt that stalls or runs > 9 min.
-* First boot in QEMU intermittently hangs at the Apple logo; a disk-aware watchdog
-  (`--progress-file`) issues a QMP `system_reset` only when the screen is dark AND
-  the disk is idle, so a slow-but-working boot is never interrupted.
-* The install reaching the (bright) loginwindow is detected by brightness (the
-  faint gray "password" text does not OCR) and the driver powers the VM down —
-  the image is installed. macOS `shutdown -h now` halts to black without an ACPI
-  power-off, so a black+disk-idle screen is also treated as a completed halt.
-* OpenCore is then copied into the image's own ESP so it boots standalone with OVMF.
+1. `makeRecoveryPE` — BaseSystem.dmg → raw HFS+ image + `ch.vmix.pe` daemon.
+2. `makeImage` — QEMU with: OpenCore boot disk (build variant with serial
+   console), the PE, the empty target disk, the VMIX volume (`vmix-install.sh`,
+   installer app skeleton) and the whole `InstallAssistant.pkg` mapped as a raw
+   disk. The guest script erases the target as APFS, unpacks the app and `dd`s
+   the pkg into it as `SharedSupport.dmg` (it is a "pkgdmg": xar + koly footer;
+   the bare xar member fails with "pkgdmg is missing a footer"), then runs
+   `startosinstall`, which reboots itself through the install phases. The
+   installed system's first boot ends at the loginwindow: the driver detects the
+   bright screen and powers the VM down. OpenCore is then copied into the image's
+   own ESP so it boots with plain OVMF.
+3. `customizeImage` — boots the PE with the image attached (OpenCore
+   `ScanPolicy` restricted to HFS+ on SATA, so only the PE can boot) and runs the
+   template script with `$SYS`/`$DATA` mounted. `pe-lib.sh` has the helpers.
+4. `templates/generalize.nix` — user (dscl, admin, home from the user template),
+   auto-login (`kcpassword`), Setup Assistant suppression, hostname, locale,
+   timezone, keyboard type, container resize, fresh SMBIOS via a new OpenCore
+   ESP (`serial`/`mlb` from macserial, MAC + UUID from `seed`).
 
 ### Recovery source
 
-`recovery.file` in `upstream.json` points at a content-addressed store path for the
-verified Tahoe `BaseSystem.dmg` (Apple's CDN load-balances Sequoia/Tahoe during the
-rollout, so a plain fetch is non-deterministic). Reproduce it on any host with
-`nix store add-path --name macos-tahoe-BaseSystem.dmg BaseSystem.dmg` (same path
-from the same bytes). Set `recovery.sha256` and remove `recovery.file` to fetch it
-from Apple instead (subject to the CDN rollout).
+`recovery.file` in `upstream.json` points at a content-addressed store path for
+the verified Tahoe `BaseSystem.dmg` (Apple's CDN load-balances Sequoia/Tahoe
+during the rollout, so a plain fetch is non-deterministic). Reproduce it on any
+host with `nix store add-path --name macos-tahoe-BaseSystem.dmg BaseSystem.dmg`.
+Drop `recovery.file` to fetch from Apple instead (`fetchRecovery` retries until
+the pinned hash matches).
 
-### Not yet done: generalize / user creation
+## Reliability
 
-The base image installs and boots to loginwindow. `.generalize` (user creation,
-auto-login, hostname) relies on the vmix agent LaunchDaemon running on first boot,
-but macOS Ventura+ Background Task Management does not auto-run a headless
-third-party daemon, and neither the pkg `launchctl bootstrap` (installer domain
-only) nor a cron `@reboot` reliably triggered it. The robust next step is to inject
-the user record + settings offline from the agent pkg's postinstall (which runs as
-root on the target during install), instead of a first-boot daemon.
+Things QEMU does intermittently, and what handles each (all in `vm-driver.py`
+and `vmix-install.sh`; every event is logged with a reason):
+
+* `startosinstall` prepare stalls or crawls — the guest kills and retries it on a
+  freshly erased target (free-space watchdog + time cap).
+* the installer comes back to the PE instead of the install phase — the PE
+  counts boots and simply re-runs the install (max 3).
+* the installed system hangs at the Apple logo on first boot — a `system_reset`
+  is issued only when the screen is dark and frozen **and** disk and serial
+  console are idle, so a slow-but-working boot is never interrupted.
+* macOS `shutdown -h` halts to a black screen without an ACPI power-off — an
+  idle black screen counts as a completed halt.
+* a kernel panic (seen on the serial console) resets the VM.
+* a wedged run fails at the 4 h timeout instead of hanging.
+
+`tools/soak.sh <flake> macos.images.tahoe.upstream 3` rebuilds an image N
+times and tabulates outcome, duration, boots, resets, panics and retries.
+Measured 2026-09-09 on the build host (Ryzen 7 7840HS, ZFS), Tahoe 26.6.2,
+VirtualSMC-only, PE install — 3 of 3 builds completed:
+
+| run | minutes | kernel boots | prepare tries | panics (self-recovered) | reboot deaths |
+|-----|---------|--------------|---------------|-------------------------|---------------|
+| 1   | 30      | 8            | 1             | 2                       | 0             |
+| 2   | 26      | 7            | 1             | 1                       | 0             |
+| 3   | 26      | 7            | 1             | 1                       | 0             |
+
+What still happens: at roughly one in ten guest-initiated reboots the guest
+either panics (GPF in launchd/kernel_task context shortly after `MACH Reboot`
+or within the first 15 s of the next boot — tmpfs/APFS/zone corruption
+signatures, i.e. memory or register state, not one driver) or never comes back
+(dead after `IOPlatformHaltRestartAction`). XNU reboots itself after a panic;
+the driver resets a dead guest after 60 s, so builds complete. A device bisect
+(`tools`-style 10–30 PE reboots per variant: VMware SVGA vs std VGA, no HDA,
+EHCI input, 1 vCPU) showed the rate is independent of the emulated devices and
+of SMP; Haswell-noTSX does not boot Tahoe. Host: AMD Zen 4, kvm_amd, Intel
+Skylake-Client vCPU model — the FPU-context-switch panic points at XSAVE state
+handling on that combination. Not fixed; a `vmix run` VM that hangs on Restart
+must be reset from the host.
+
+## Debugging
+
+`/tmp/vmix-macos/<name>/` on the build host: `driver.log`, `serial.log`
+(kernel + `VMIX-*` markers), periodic PNG screenshots, `qmp.sock`.
+`vmix-run.log` / `system-install.log` from the VMIX volume are printed at the
+end of the build. Add `vncDisplay = ":10"` to watch.
+
+## QEMU profile
+
+`helpers/qemu.nix`: q35, `Skylake-Client` CPU spoof (works on AMD),
+AppleSMC with the OSK, XHCI keyboard/tablet, AHCI disks, VMware SVGA,
+virtio-net pinned to `PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x12,0x0)` so OpenCore marks it built-in
+(en0, required for Apple ID / iMessage). SMBIOS `MacPro7,1` with four DIMMs
+described (avoids the "Memory Modules Misconfigured" warning).
+
+OpenCore comes from OSX-KVM's proven ESP, with Lilu / VirtualSMC /
+WhateverGreen replaced by current releases (`upstream.json` → `opencore.kexts`):
+the versions OSX-KVM ships disable themselves on macOS 26, and without
+VirtualSMC the guest's restart path panics on QEMU's SMC stub
+(`SMCWDT smcWriteKey kSMCBadCommand`, nested panic after `MACH Reboot`).
+For the same reason QEMU's `isa-applesmc` is not used any more: its presence
+makes VirtualSMC step aside ("multiple devices present"); VirtualSMC carries
+the OSK itself. Images built before this change still need the stub:
+`vmix run --macos --applesmc`. RestrictEvents (`revpatch=memtab`) silences
+MacPro7,1's "Memory Modules Misconfigured" at login.
+
+## Guest agent, shares, persistent home, online templates
+
+macOS 13+ ships **Apple's own QEMU guest agent** (`/usr/libexec/AppleQEMUGuestAgent`,
+started by launchd when a virtio console port named `org.qemu.guest_agent.0`
+appears). It is Apple-signed, needs no approval, and offers `guest-exec` as
+root plus `guest-file-*`. vmix uses it everywhere an in-guest agent is needed:
+
+* `vmix run --macos` and the NixOS module attach it by default
+  (`/tmp/vmix-qga-<pid>.sock`, `/run/vmix/qga-<name>.sock`); talk to it with any
+  QGA client, e.g. `printf '{"execute":"guest-exec","arguments":{"path":"/usr/bin/id","capture-output":true}}\n' | socat - UNIX-CONNECT:<sock>`.
+* **online templates** (`bootScript`): `customizeImage` boots the image with the
+  agent, runs the script as root (network available, `as_user <cmd>` runs inside
+  the logged-in user's session), then shuts down through the agent.
+  `templates.software.script { name; script; }`,
+  `templates.software.homebrew { formulae; casks; }`,
+  `templates.profile.settings { hideWidgets; wallpaper; dockApps; dockAutohide;
+  darkMode; showHiddenFiles; }` (wallpaper via the pinned `desktoppr`; Apple
+  Events / `osascript` do not work headless — TCC automation consent).
+* **offline software templates** run in the PE: `templates.software.pkg { name;
+  src; }` (`installer -target`), `templates.software.app { name; src; }`.
+
+`AppleVirtIO.kext` (x86 Tahoe) drives virtio-fs, 9p, block, console, input,
+net, sound, balloon, vsock — QEMU's modern virtio-pci devices work as-is:
+
+* **shared folders**: virtio-fs (`virtiofsd` + `vhost-user-fs-pci`, shared
+  memory backend). The tag `com.apple.virtio-fs.automount` is mounted by macOS
+  itself at `/Volumes/My Shared Files`; further tags are mounted with
+  `mount -t virtiofs <tag> <dir>` — the module does that through the guest agent
+  for every `shares.<name>` beyond the first. `vmix run --macos --share DIR`.
+  (9p does not automount on macOS; the Linux `-virtfs` path is not used.)
+* **ephemeral OS disk + persistent home**: `generalize { persistHome = true; }`
+  gives the account its home directory on an APFS volume labelled `vmix-home`
+  (`NFSHomeDirectory = /Volumes/vmix-home/<user>`; macOS refuses mounts over
+  `/Users`, which is a firmlink). The host provides a virtio-blk disk
+  (`macos.homeDisk` in the module, `--home FILE` in the CLI: qcow2/raw file or
+  zvol) that `formatVolume` formats as APFS `vmix-home` by booting the PE for
+  ~35 s on first use; diskarbitrationd mounts it before login and loginwindow
+  creates the home directory there on first login. The OS disk can then run
+  with `snapshot=on` (`disks.os.persist = false`).
+* **SPICE**: `-vga vmware` (or `std`) is kept as the display device — macOS has
+  no QXL/virtio-gpu driver; USB redirection channels work as for other guests
+  (`spice.usbRedir`); there is no vdagent for macOS (no clipboard sharing).
+  virtio keyboard/tablet (`AppleVirtIOInput`) are available as
+  `qemu.virtioInputArgs` but the USB HID pair is the default.

lib/images/macos/default.nix

@@ -9,18 +9,20 @@ let
     fetchRecovery = import ./helpers/fetchRecovery.nix { inherit pkgs upstream; };
     installerPayload = import ./helpers/installerPayload.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
     makeOpenCore = import ./helpers/makeOpenCore.nix { inherit pkgs lib upstream macserial qemu; };
+    makeBootDisk = import ./helpers/makeBootDisk.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
+    makeRecoveryPE = import ./helpers/makeRecoveryPE.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
     makeVmixVolume = import ./helpers/makeVmixVolume.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
-    makeAgentPkg = import ./helpers/makeAgentPkg.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
     installBootloader = import ./helpers/installBootloader.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
     vmixReadback = import ./helpers/vmix-readback.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
     vmDriver = ./helpers/vm-driver.py;
     makeImage = import ./helpers/makeImage.nix {
-      inherit pkgs lib qemu ident installerPayload makeOpenCore makeVmixVolume makeAgentPkg installBootloader vmixReadback vmDriver;
+      inherit pkgs lib qemu ident installerPayload makeOpenCore makeBootDisk makeVmixVolume installBootloader vmixReadback vmDriver;
     };
     customizeImage = import ./helpers/customizeImage.nix {
-      inherit pkgs lib qemu ident makeVmixVolume makeOpenCore installBootloader vmixReadback vmDriver;
+      inherit pkgs lib qemu ident makeVmixVolume makeOpenCore makeBootDisk installBootloader vmixReadback vmDriver;
     };
     customizeImageFold = builtins.foldl' customizeImage;
+    formatVolume = import ./helpers/formatVolume.nix { inherit pkgs lib qemu makeVmixVolume makeBootDisk vmDriver; };
     templates = import ./templates { inherit pkgs lib; };
   };
 

lib/images/macos/guest/agent.sh

@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-# vmix agent: LaunchDaemon that runs at every boot as root (installed by the vmix
-# agent pkg via startosinstall --installpackage). If a volume named VMIX carrying
-# vmix-run.sh is attached, run it, record the result on the volume and power off.
-# Without the volume it is a no-op (normal boot). Counterpart of the Windows Audit
-# Mode RunOnce script; the generalize step removes it once the image is sealed.
-LOG=/var/log/vmix-agent.log
-exec >>"$LOG" 2>&1
-echo "=== vmix agent: $(date) ==="
-# The agent pkg bootstraps this daemon during the OS install (to approve it past
-# Background Task Management, so launchd runs it at first boot). Don't do the job
-# in that installer environment — only on the installed system's first boot.
-if pgrep -x bootinstalld >/dev/null 2>&1 || pgrep -qx "Installer Progress" 2>/dev/null \
-   || [ -d /System/Volumes/Update/mnt1 ]; then
-  echo "vmix agent: OS installer is running, skipping"
-  exit 0
-fi
-# let DiskArbitration settle so the VMIX volume is mountable
-sleep 5
-V=/Volumes/VMIX
-i=0
-while [ ! -f "$V/vmix-run.sh" ] && [ $i -lt 30 ]; do
-  diskutil mount VMIX >/dev/null 2>&1
-  sleep 2
-  i=$((i + 1))
-done
-if [ ! -f "$V/vmix-run.sh" ]; then
-  echo "vmix agent: no VMIX volume, normal boot"
-  exit 0
-fi
-echo "vmix agent: running vmix-run.sh"
-cd "$V" || exit 1
-sh "$V/vmix-run.sh" >"$V/vmix-run.log" 2>&1
-rc=$?
-echo "vmix agent: vmix-run.sh exited $rc"
-echo "$rc" >"$V/vmix-run.status"
-cp "$LOG" "$V/vmix-agent.log" 2>/dev/null
-cp /var/log/vmix-agent-install.log "$V/vmix-agent-install.log" 2>/dev/null
-sync
-sleep 2
-diskutil unmount force "$V" >/dev/null 2>&1
-shutdown -h now

lib/images/macos/guest/ch.vmix.pe.plist

@@ -3,17 +3,17 @@
 <plist version="1.0">
 <dict>
 	<key>Label</key>
-	<string>ch.vmix.agent</string>
+	<string>ch.vmix.pe</string>
 	<key>ProgramArguments</key>
 	<array>
-		<string>/bin/sh</string>
-		<string>/Library/vmix/agent.sh</string>
+		<string>/bin/bash</string>
+		<string>/usr/libexec/vmix/pe.sh</string>
 	</array>
 	<key>RunAtLoad</key>
 	<true/>
 	<key>StandardOutPath</key>
-	<string>/var/log/vmix-agent.log</string>
+	<string>/dev/console</string>
 	<key>StandardErrorPath</key>
-	<string>/var/log/vmix-agent.log</string>
+	<string>/dev/console</string>
 </dict>
 </plist>

lib/images/macos/guest/pe-lib.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# vmix PE helpers, sourced by run.sh scripts running in the recovery.
+# Expects V=/Volumes/VMIX (set by pe.sh) and VOLUME_NAME from vmix.conf.
+V=${V:-/Volumes/VMIX}
+[ -f "$V/vmix.conf" ] && . "$V/vmix.conf"
+VOLUME_NAME=${VOLUME_NAME:-Macintosh HD}
+
+pe_log() { echo "VMIX: $*"; }
+pe_fail() { echo "VMIX-FAIL: $*"; exit 1; }
+
+# Mount the installed system's APFS volume group (System read-only, Data rw) and
+# export SYS / DATA mount points plus SYS_ID / DATA_ID device identifiers.
+pe_mount_target() {
+  local list; list=$(diskutil list)
+  DATA_ID=$(echo "$list" | awk -v n="APFS Volume $VOLUME_NAME - Data" 'index($0, n) {print $NF; exit}')
+  SYS_ID=$(echo "$list" | awk -v n="APFS Volume $VOLUME_NAME " '!/ - Data/ && index($0, n) {print $NF; exit}')
+  [ -n "$DATA_ID" ] && [ -n "$SYS_ID" ] || { pe_log "target volumes not found"; echo "$list"; return 1; }
+  diskutil mount "$SYS_ID" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  diskutil mount "$DATA_ID" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  SYS=$(diskutil info "$SYS_ID" | sed -n 's/^ *Mount Point: *//p')
+  DATA=$(diskutil info "$DATA_ID" | sed -n 's/^ *Mount Point: *//p')
+  [ -d "$DATA/private/var/db" ] || { pe_log "Data volume not mounted (SYS=[$SYS] DATA=[$DATA])"; return 1; }
+  pe_log "target mounted: SYS=[$SYS] DATA=[$DATA]"
+  export SYS DATA SYS_ID DATA_ID
+}
+
+pe_unmount_target() {
+  sync
+  diskutil unmount "$DATA_ID" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  diskutil unmount "$SYS_ID" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+}
+
+# plist helpers on files of the (offline) target: create the file if missing.
+pe_plist_set() {   # FILE KEYPATH TYPE VALUE   (TYPE: string|bool|integer|float)
+  local f=$1 k=$2 t=$3 v=$4
+  [ -f "$f" ] || plutil -create xml1 "$f"
+  plutil -replace "$k" "-$t" "$v" "$f"
+}
+pe_plist_dict() {  # FILE KEYPATH — make sure a dictionary exists at KEYPATH
+  local f=$1 k=$2
+  [ -f "$f" ] || plutil -create xml1 "$f"
+  plutil -extract "$k" xml1 -o /dev/null "$f" >/dev/null 2>&1 || plutil -insert "$k" -dictionary "$f"
+}
+# launchd service override on the target (disabled.plist): pe_service LABEL true|false
+pe_service_disabled() {
+  local f="$DATA/private/var/db/com.apple.xpc.launchd/disabled.plist"
+  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$f")"
+  pe_plist_set "$f" "$1" bool "$2"
+}
+# version of the installed system
+pe_target_version() { plutil -extract ProductVersion raw -o - "$SYS/System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist" 2>/dev/null; }
+pe_target_build()   { plutil -extract ProductBuildVersion raw -o - "$SYS/System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist" 2>/dev/null; }

lib/images/macos/guest/pe.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# vmix PE hook. Runs as root from launchd when the patched Recovery boots
+# (injected by makeRecoveryPE). If a VMIX volume is attached it runs
+# /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh, records the exit status on the volume and powers off;
+# without one it does nothing and the recovery behaves normally.
+# Everything printed here goes to /dev/console, i.e. the host's serial log.
+exec >/dev/console 2>&1
+echo "VMIX-PE: hook started $(date) uid=$(id -u)"
+V=/Volumes/VMIX
+i=0
+while [ ! -f "$V/run.sh" ] && [ $i -lt 90 ]; do
+  diskutil mount VMIX >/dev/null 2>&1
+  sleep 2; i=$((i + 1))
+done
+if [ ! -f "$V/run.sh" ]; then
+  echo "VMIX-PE: no VMIX volume, leaving the recovery alone"
+  exit 0
+fi
+echo "VMIX-PE: VMIX mounted after $i retries"
+caffeinate -dimsu -t 86400 >/dev/null 2>&1 &
+[ -f "$V/vmix.conf" ] && . "$V/vmix.conf"
+# certificate checks need a sane clock; a fresh VM RTC can be off
+[ -n "${BUILD_DATE:-}" ] && date -u "$BUILD_DATE" >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "VMIX-PE: clock set to $(date -u)"
+export V
+cd "$V"
+echo "VMIX-PE: running run.sh"
+/bin/bash "$V/run.sh" 2>&1 | tee "$V/vmix-run.log"
+rc=${PIPESTATUS[0]}
+echo "$rc" > "$V/vmix-run.status"
+echo "VMIX-PE: run.sh exited $rc"
+if [ -f "$V/vmix-reboot" ]; then
+  rm -f "$V/vmix-reboot"; sync
+  echo "VMIX-PE: rebooting as requested"
+  reboot
+  exit 0
+fi
+sync; sleep 1
+diskutil unmount force "$V" >/dev/null 2>&1
+echo "VMIX-PE-DONE rc=$rc"
+shutdown -h now

lib/images/macos/guest/vmix-install.sh

@@ -1,88 +1,65 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-# vmix: automated macOS install. Runs inside macOS Recovery's Terminal, started
-# by vm-driver.py which types "sh /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh" for us.
-#
-#  1. erase the target disk (found by size) as APFS "Macintosh HD"
-#  2. rebuild "Install macOS <name>.app": app skeleton from installer-app.tar
-#     (host-extracted Payload) + SharedSupport.dmg = the WHOLE InstallAssistant.pkg
-#     dd'd byte-exact from a raw disk (Apple's own postinstall hardlinks the pkg
-#     there: it is a "pkgdmg" whose koly footer points at the dmg inside; the bare
-#     xar member fails startosinstall with "pkgdmg is missing a footer")
-#  3. startosinstall unattended, with the vmix agent pkg as --installpackage
-#  4. startosinstall reboots itself into the install phase; the vmix agent pkg
-#     installs during that phase and runs on the installed system's first boot
-#
-# On first boot of the installed system the agent runs /Volumes/VMIX/vmix-run.sh
-# and powers off, which ends the QEMU session on the host.
-
-# macOS Recovery invokes us as `sh` (bash in POSIX mode, no process substitution);
-# re-exec once under bash so `>(tee ...)` and other bashisms work.
-if [ -z "${VMIX_REEXEC:-}" ]; then VMIX_REEXEC=1 exec bash "$0" "$@"; fi
-
-V="/Volumes/VMIX"
-# tee to the Terminal (visible in host screenshots) and to a log on the volume
-exec > >(tee "$V/install.log") 2>&1
+#!/bin/bash
+# vmix unattended macOS install, run by the PE hook (pe.sh) as root in the
+# Recovery with /Volumes/VMIX mounted (V). Needs vmix.conf: TARGET_BYTES,
+# PKG_BYTES, PKG_DISK_BYTES, APP_NAME, VOLUME_NAME.
+#  1. find the target disk and the SharedSupport (InstallAssistant.pkg) disk by size
+#  2. erase the target as APFS, unpack the installer app, dd the whole pkg into it
+#     as SharedSupport.dmg (a "pkgdmg", startosinstall checks its koly footer)
+#  3. startosinstall prepares, then reboots itself into the install phase; the
+#     installed system's first boot ends at the loginwindow (the host powers off)
+# Never returns on success; a return means failure (the PE records the status).
 set -x
-. "$V/vmix.conf"
-# keep the recovery display awake so the host driver can watch the screen
-caffeinate -dimsu -t 86400 >/dev/null 2>&1 &
-pmset -a displaysleep 0 sleep 0 >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
-
+. "$V/pe-lib.sh"
 fail() {
-  echo "vmix-install: FAIL: $*"
-  cp /var/log/install.log "$V/system-install.log" 2>/dev/null || true
-  echo 1 >"$V/install.status"
+  echo "VMIX-FAIL: $*"
+  cp /var/log/install.log "$V/system-install.log" 2>/dev/null
   sync
-  sleep 2
-  shutdown -h now 2>/dev/null || halt 2>/dev/null || true
   exit 1
 }
+# each boot into the PE with the install still pending is one attempt
+ATTEMPT=$(( $(cat "$V/install.attempt" 2>/dev/null || echo 0) + 1 ))
+echo "$ATTEMPT" > "$V/install.attempt"; sync
+echo "VMIX-INSTALL: attempt $ATTEMPT (boot into the PE)"
+[ "$ATTEMPT" -le 3 ] || fail "the installer keeps coming back to the PE ($ATTEMPT boots)"
 
-# whole-disk identifier (diskN) whose size in bytes is exactly $1
+# --- 1. disks by exact size
 disk_by_size() {
-  for d in $(diskutil list | grep -oE '^/dev/disk[0-9]+'); do
-    s=$(diskutil info "$d" | sed -n 's/.*Disk Size:.*(\([0-9][0-9]*\) Bytes).*/\1/p')
-    [ "$s" = "$1" ] && { echo "${d#/dev/}"; return 0; }
+  for d in $(diskutil list | grep -oE '^/dev/disk[0-9]+' | sort -u); do
+    if [ "$(diskutil info "$d" | sed -n 's/.*Disk Size:.*(\([0-9]*\) Bytes).*/\1/p')" = "$1" ]; then
+      echo "${d#/dev/}"; return 0
+    fi
   done
   return 1
 }
+TARGET=$(disk_by_size "$TARGET_BYTES") || fail "target disk of $TARGET_BYTES bytes not found"
+SSDISK=$(disk_by_size "$PKG_DISK_BYTES") || fail "SharedSupport disk of $PKG_DISK_BYTES bytes not found"
+echo "VMIX-INSTALL: target=$TARGET sharedsupport=$SSDISK"
 
-echo "vmix-install: $(date) app=$APP_NAME volume=$VOLUME_NAME"
-TARGET=$(disk_by_size "$TARGET_BYTES") || fail "target disk ($TARGET_BYTES bytes) not found"
-SSDISK=$(disk_by_size "$PKG_DISK_BYTES") || fail "installer pkg disk ($PKG_DISK_BYTES bytes) not found"
-echo "vmix-install: target=$TARGET sharedsupport=$SSDISK"
-
-# --- 1. erase the target disk as an APFS volume
-diskutil eraseDisk APFS "$VOLUME_NAME" GPT "$TARGET" || fail "eraseDisk $TARGET"
+# --- 2. target volume + installer app (the pkg payload skeleton + SharedSupport.dmg)
 VOL="/Volumes/$VOLUME_NAME"
-[ -d "$VOL" ] || fail "$VOL not mounted"
-
-# --- 2. rebuild the installer app on the target volume
-tar -xf "$V/installer-app.tar" -C "$VOL" || fail "untar installer-app.tar"
 APP="$VOL/$APP_NAME"
-SOI="$APP/Contents/Resources/startosinstall"
-[ -x "$SOI" ] || fail "startosinstall missing in $APP"
 SS="$APP/Contents/SharedSupport/SharedSupport.dmg"
+prepare_target() {
+  diskutil eraseDisk APFS "$VOLUME_NAME" GPT "$TARGET" || fail "eraseDisk"
+  [ -d "$VOL" ] || fail "$VOL not mounted after erase"
+  tar -xf "$V/installer-app.tar" -C "$VOL" || fail "untar installer app"
+  [ -x "$APP/Contents/Resources/startosinstall" ] || fail "startosinstall missing from $APP"
   mkdir -p "$APP/Contents/SharedSupport"
-FULL=$((PKG_BYTES / 1048576))
-REM=$((PKG_BYTES % 1048576))
-dd if="/dev/r$SSDISK" of="$SS" bs=1048576 count=$FULL || fail "dd SharedSupport.dmg"
-if [ "$REM" -gt 0 ]; then
-  dd if="/dev/r$SSDISK" bs=1048576 skip=$FULL count=1 2>/dev/null | dd bs=1 count=$REM >>"$SS" || fail "dd SharedSupport.dmg tail"
-fi
-[ "$(stat -f %z "$SS")" = "$PKG_BYTES" ] || fail "SharedSupport.dmg size mismatch: $(stat -f %z "$SS") != $PKG_BYTES"
-tail -c 512 "$SS" | grep -qa koly || fail "SharedSupport.dmg has no UDIF koly footer"
+  FULL=$(( PKG_BYTES / 1048576 )); REM=$(( PKG_BYTES % 1048576 ))
+  echo "VMIX-INSTALL: copying SharedSupport.dmg ($PKG_BYTES bytes) from /dev/r$SSDISK"
+  dd if="/dev/r$SSDISK" of="$SS" bs=1048576 count=$FULL || fail "dd SharedSupport"
+  [ "$REM" -gt 0 ] && { dd if="/dev/r$SSDISK" bs=1048576 skip=$FULL count=1 | dd bs=1 count=$REM >> "$SS"; } || true
+  [ "$(stat -f %z "$SS")" = "$PKG_BYTES" ] || fail "SharedSupport.dmg size $(stat -f %z "$SS") != $PKG_BYTES"
+  tail -c 512 "$SS" | grep -qa koly || fail "SharedSupport.dmg has no koly footer"
   chflags -h norestricted "$SS" 2>/dev/null || true
-echo "vmix-install: app=$APP SharedSupport.dmg=$(stat -f %z "$SS") bytes"
+  sync
+}
+prepare_target
+SOI="$APP/Contents/Resources/startosinstall"
+echo "VMIX-INSTALL: app ready, clock $(date -u)"
 
-# macOS certificate validation needs a sane clock; a fresh VM RTC can be wrong.
-echo "vmix-install: guest clock is $(date) (UTC $(date -u))"
-if [ -n "${BUILD_DATE:-}" ]; then
-  date -u "$BUILD_DATE" && echo "vmix-install: set clock to $(date)"
-fi
-
-# Blackhole Apple's install/verify endpoints so osinstallersetupd's network calls
-# fail immediately instead of timing out (prepare otherwise crawls). Fully offline.
+# Offline install: no NIC is attached. Blackhole Apple's install/verify endpoints
+# too, so osinstallersetupd's requests fail immediately instead of timing out.
 for d in swscan.apple.com swcdn.apple.com swdist.apple.com swquery.apple.com \
          gs.apple.com gsa.apple.com gdmf.apple.com mesu.apple.com xp.apple.com \
          albert.apple.com captive.apple.com deviceservices-external.apple.com \
@@ -90,50 +67,34 @@ for d in swscan.apple.com swcdn.apple.com swdist.apple.com swquery.apple.com \
          ocsp2.apple.com valid.apple.com; do
   echo "127.0.0.1 $d" >> /etc/hosts
 done
-echo "vmix-install: blackholed Apple install endpoints for a fast offline prepare"
 
-# --- 3. unattended install. startosinstall prepares then reboots the machine
-# itself into the install phase. Prepare intermittently stalls (~46% — an online
-# verify/personalization step through the VM's NAT), so a watchdog kills and
-# retries startosinstall if the target volume makes no write progress for a while.
-# The vmix agent pkg installs during the install phase and runs on first boot.
-# quote args properly — $VOL contains a space ("Macintosh HD")
+# --- 3. startosinstall prepares (~5 min) then reboots the machine itself into the
+# install phase; it never returns on success. Prepare is intermittently slow in
+# QEMU, so an attempt that stalls or runs too long is killed and retried on a
+# freshly erased target.
 run_soi() { "$SOI" --volume "$VOL" --agreetolicense --nointeraction --rebootdelay 5 "$@"; }
 free_kb() { df -k "$VOL" 2>/dev/null | awk 'NR==2 {print $4}'; }
-
-attempt=0
-while [ "$attempt" -lt 10 ]; do
-  attempt=$((attempt + 1))
-  echo "vmix-install: startosinstall attempt $attempt"
-  if [ "$attempt" -eq 1 ]; then
-    run_soi --installpackage "$V/vmix-agent.pkg" 2>&1 &
-  else
-    # a stalled attempt leaves the volume dirty; re-erase and rebuild for a clean retry
-    diskutil eraseDisk APFS "$VOLUME_NAME" GPT "$TARGET" || fail "eraseDisk on retry"
-    tar -xf "$V/installer-app.tar" -C "$VOL" || fail "untar on retry"
-    mkdir -p "$APP/Contents/SharedSupport"
-    dd if="/dev/r$SSDISK" of="$SS" bs=1048576 count=$FULL 2>/dev/null
-    [ "$REM" -gt 0 ] && dd if="/dev/r$SSDISK" bs=1048576 skip=$FULL count=1 2>/dev/null | dd bs=1 count=$REM >>"$SS" 2>/dev/null
-    chflags -h norestricted "$SS" 2>/dev/null || true
-    run_soi --installpackage "$V/vmix-agent.pkg" 2>&1 &
-  fi
+try=0
+while [ "$try" -lt 6 ]; do
+  try=$((try + 1))
+  [ "$try" -gt 1 ] && prepare_target
+  echo "VMIX-INSTALL: startosinstall try $try"
+  run_soi 2>&1 &
   SOI_PID=$!
-  # watchdog: kill startosinstall if free space stalls for ~4 min OR the attempt
-  # simply takes too long (prepare is intermittently slow; healthy = a few minutes)
   last=$(free_kb); stalled=0; elapsed=0
   while kill -0 "$SOI_PID" 2>/dev/null; do
     sleep 30; elapsed=$((elapsed + 30))
     now=$(free_kb)
     if [ "$now" = "$last" ]; then stalled=$((stalled + 30)); else stalled=0; last=$now; fi
-    if [ "$stalled" -ge 240 ] || [ "$elapsed" -ge 540 ]; then
-      echo "vmix-install: prepare too slow (stalled=${stalled}s elapsed=${elapsed}s), killing to retry"
+    [ $((elapsed % 120)) -eq 0 ] && echo "VMIX-INSTALL: prepare running ${elapsed}s (stalled ${stalled}s)"
+    if [ "$stalled" -ge 240 ] || [ "$elapsed" -ge 600 ]; then
+      echo "VMIX-INSTALL: prepare too slow (stalled=${stalled}s elapsed=${elapsed}s), killing to retry"
       kill -9 "$SOI_PID" 2>/dev/null; pkill -9 -f startosinstall 2>/dev/null
       break
     fi
   done
   wait "$SOI_PID" 2>/dev/null
-  # on success startosinstall reboots the machine and we never get here
-  echo "vmix-install: startosinstall attempt $attempt ended without rebooting"
+  echo "VMIX-INSTALL: startosinstall try $try ended without rebooting"
   sleep 3
 done
-fail "startosinstall did not complete after $attempt attempts"
+fail "startosinstall did not complete after $try tries"

lib/images/macos/helpers/customizeImage.nix

@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
-# Customize a macOS image by booting it with a VMIX volume: the vmix agent
-# (LaunchDaemon installed by makeImage) runs `script` as root, records the exit
-# status on the volume and powers off. Optionally re-installs OpenCore with a new
-# SMBIOS identity (`smbios`). Counterpart of the Windows auditScript flow.
+# Customize a macOS image offline from the vmix PE: the recovery boots with the
+# image and a VMIX volume attached, its hook runs `script` as root with the
+# image's System (read-only) and Data (rw) volumes mounted at $SYS / $DATA, then
+# powers off. The installed macOS itself is never booted, so nothing depends on
+# launchd/BTM approval inside the guest. Counterpart of the Windows
+# registry/audit flow. Optionally re-installs OpenCore with a new SMBIOS
+# identity (`smbios`).
 #
 # Templates provide:
-#   script  — sh script run as root on the booted system
+#   script      — sh script run as root in the PE (pe-lib.sh helpers available)
+#   bootScript  — sh script run as root on the BOOTED image through Apple's QEMU
+#                 guest agent (network, user session available; run after `script`)
 #   files       — [{ source; name; }] extra files placed next to it on /Volumes/VMIX
 #   smbios      — { model? serial? mlb? uuid? mac? seed? } → fresh OpenCore config in the ESP
-{ pkgs, lib, qemu, ident, makeVmixVolume, makeOpenCore, installBootloader, vmixReadback, vmDriver, ... }:
+#   network     — attach a user-mode NIC for bootScript (default true)
+{ pkgs, lib, qemu, ident, makeVmixVolume, makeOpenCore, makeBootDisk, installBootloader, vmixReadback, vmDriver, ... }:
 originalImage: {
   name ? "",
   script ? "",
+  bootScript ? "",
+  network ? true,
   files ? [],
   smbios ? null,
   diskSize ? "",
@@ -19,14 +27,18 @@ originalImage: {
   smp ? 4,
   memSize ? 4096,
   cpu ? qemu.defaultCpu,
-  timeout ? 3600,
+  timeout ? 1800,
+  machineArgs ? null,   # override qemu.machineArgs (device experiments)
 }:
 let
   originalImageName = lib.strings.removeSuffix "-vmix" (lib.strings.removeSuffix ".qcow2" originalImage.name);
   customImageName = (if name != "" then name else "custom") + "-${originalImageName}-vmix.qcow2";
   resultImg = "./disk.qcow2";
   hasScript = script != "";
+  hasBootScript = bootScript != "";
   hasSmbios = smbios != null;
+  pe = originalImage.pe or (throw "vmix: image ${originalImage.name} carries no PE (built by an older makeImage?)");
+  volumeName = originalImage.volumeName or "Macintosh HD";
 
   model = originalImage.model or "MacPro7,1";
   seed = if hasSmbios && (smbios.seed or null) != null then smbios.seed else null;
@@ -45,61 +57,120 @@ let
         inherit mac uuid;
       } // builtins.removeAttrs smbios [ "seed" "mac" "uuid" "model" ])
     else originalImage.opencore;
+  # PE boot disk: serial console, and an OpenCore ScanPolicy that only allows
+  # HFS+ volumes on SATA (= the PE), so the image's own macOS is never booted.
+  # 0x10203 = FILE_SYSTEM_LOCK | DEVICE_LOCK | ALLOW_FS_HFS | ALLOW_DEVICE_SATA
+  bootDisk = makeBootDisk {
+    name = "${name}-${originalImageName}-pe";
+    esp = originalImage.opencore;
+    bootArgs = "keepsyms=1 serial=3 -v";
+    scanPolicy = 66051;
+  };
 
-  runScript = pkgs.writeText "${name}-vmix-run.sh" ''
-    #!/bin/sh
+  runScript = pkgs.writeText "${name}-run.sh" ''
+    #!/bin/bash
+    . /Volumes/VMIX/pe-lib.sh
     echo "=== vmix: ${name} ==="
+    pe_mount_target || pe_fail "could not mount the target volumes"
     ${script}
+    pe_unmount_target
   '';
   vmixVol = makeVmixVolume {
     name = "${name}-${originalImageName}";
-    files = [ { source = runScript; name = "vmix-run.sh"; } ] ++ files;
+    files = [
+      { source = runScript; name = "run.sh"; }
+      { source = ../guest/pe-lib.sh; name = "pe-lib.sh"; }
+    ] ++ files;
+  };
+  bootRunScript = pkgs.writeText "${name}-boot.sh" ''
+    #!/bin/bash
+    # runs as root on the booted system (guest-exec); VMIX is mounted at $V
+    V=/Volumes/VMIX
+    echo "=== vmix (online): ${name} ==="
+    CONSOLE_USER=$(stat -f %Su /dev/console 2>/dev/null)
+    CONSOLE_UID=$(id -u "$CONSOLE_USER" 2>/dev/null)
+    export V CONSOLE_USER CONSOLE_UID
+    # run something inside the logged-in user's GUI session
+    as_user() { launchctl asuser "$CONSOLE_UID" sudo -u "$CONSOLE_USER" "$@"; }
+    ${bootScript}
+  '';
+  bootVol = makeVmixVolume {
+    name = "${name}-${originalImageName}-boot";
+    files = [ { source = bootRunScript; name = "run.sh"; } ] ++ files;
   };
   driverPython = pkgs.python3.withPackages (p: [ p.pillow ]);
 
   bootCommands = lib.optionalString hasScript ''
     cp ${vmixVol} vmix.img
     chmod +w vmix.img
+    cat > vmix.conf <<CONF
+    VOLUME_NAME="${volumeName}"
+    BUILD_DATE="$(date -u +%m%d%H%M%Y.%S)"
+    CONF
+    guestfish -a vmix.img -m /dev/sda1 upload vmix.conf /vmix.conf
+    qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${pe} pe.qcow2
+    qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${bootDisk}/boot.img ocboot.qcow2
     cp ${pkgs.OVMF.fd}/FV/OVMF_VARS.fd vars.fd
     chmod +w vars.fd
-
     VMIX_DISPLAY="-display none"
     ${lib.optionalString (vncDisplay != null) ''VMIX_DISPLAY="-display none -vnc ${vncDisplay}"''}
-    ${lib.optionalString (vncDisplay == null) ''
-      VMIX_DF=$(ls -t /tmp/.vmix-display-* 2>/dev/null | head -1)
-      if [ -n "$VMIX_DF" ] && [ "$(stat -c %s "$VMIX_DF")" -lt 256 ] && ! grep -q -P '[^\x20-\x7e\n]' "$VMIX_DF"; then
-        export DISPLAY=$(tr -d '\n' < "$VMIX_DF")
-        export HOME=$(mktemp -d)
-        export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=$HOME
-        export SDL_VIDEODRIVER=x11
-        VMIX_DISPLAY="-display sdl"
-      fi
-    ''}
 
-    echo "=== vmix: booting ${originalImageName} for ${name} ==="
-    python3 ${vmDriver} --mode boot --name "${name}-${originalImageName}" --timeout ${toString timeout} --progress-file ${resultImg} -- \
+    echo "=== vmix: running ${name} in the PE against ${originalImageName} ==="
+    python3 ${vmDriver} --mode pe --name "${name}-${originalImageName}" --timeout ${toString timeout} \
+      --serial-log serial.log --progress-file ${resultImg} -- \
       qemu-system-x86_64 $VMIX_DISPLAY \
-      ${qemu.machineArgs { inherit cpu smp memSize; }} \
+      ${if machineArgs != null then machineArgs else qemu.machineArgs { inherit cpu smp memSize; }} \
       ${qemu.firmwareArgs "vars.fd"} \
-      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "system"; port = 0; file = resultImg; }} \
-      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "vmix"; port = 1; file = "vmix.img"; format = "raw"; }} \
-      ${qemu.netArgs { mac = originalImage.macAddress; }} \
-      || { echo "vmix: VM failed during ${name} (see /tmp/vmix-macos/${name}-${originalImageName})"; exit 1; }
+      ${qemu.serialArgs "serial.log"} \
+      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "opencore"; port = 0; file = "ocboot.qcow2"; }} \
+      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "pe"; port = 1; file = "pe.qcow2"; }} \
+      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "system"; port = 2; file = resultImg; }} \
+      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "vmix"; port = 3; file = "vmix.img"; format = "raw"; }} \
+      || { echo "vmix: PE failed during ${name} (see /tmp/vmix-macos/${name}-${originalImageName})"; exit 1; }
 
     ${vmixReadback "vmix.img"}
     [ "$STATUS" = "0" ] || { echo "vmix: ${name} script failed (status '$STATUS')"; exit 1; }
     echo "=== vmix: ${name} complete ==="
   '';
 
+  onlineCommands = lib.optionalString hasBootScript ''
+    cp ${bootVol} vmix-boot.img
+    chmod +w vmix-boot.img
+    cp ${pkgs.OVMF.fd}/FV/OVMF_VARS.fd vars-boot.fd
+    chmod +w vars-boot.fd
+    VMIX_DISPLAY="-display none"
+    ${lib.optionalString (vncDisplay != null) ''VMIX_DISPLAY="-display none -vnc ${vncDisplay}"''}
+    QGA_SOCK=$(mktemp -u /tmp/vmix-qga-XXXXXX.sock)
+
+    echo "=== vmix: booting ${originalImageName} for ${name} (guest agent) ==="
+    python3 ${vmDriver} --mode qga --name "${name}-${originalImageName}-online" --timeout ${toString timeout} \
+      --serial-log serial-boot.log --qga-sock "$QGA_SOCK" \
+      --qga-command 'for i in $(seq 1 30); do diskutil mount VMIX >/dev/null 2>&1; [ -f /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh ] && break; sleep 2; done; [ -f /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh ] || { echo "no VMIX volume"; exit 9; }; bash /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh > /Volumes/VMIX/vmix-run.log 2>&1; rc=$?; echo $rc > /Volumes/VMIX/vmix-run.status; sync; cat /Volumes/VMIX/vmix-run.log; diskutil unmount force /Volumes/VMIX >/dev/null 2>&1; exit $rc' -- \
+      qemu-system-x86_64 $VMIX_DISPLAY \
+      ${if machineArgs != null then machineArgs else qemu.machineArgs { inherit cpu smp memSize; }} \
+      ${qemu.firmwareArgs "vars-boot.fd"} \
+      ${qemu.serialArgs "serial-boot.log"} \
+      ${qemu.guestAgentArgs "$QGA_SOCK"} \
+      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "system"; port = 0; file = resultImg; }} \
+      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "vmix"; port = 1; file = "vmix-boot.img"; format = "raw"; }} \
+      ${lib.optionalString network (qemu.netArgs { mac = originalImage.macAddress; })} \
+      || { echo "vmix: online step failed during ${name} (see /tmp/vmix-macos/${name}-${originalImageName}-online)"; exit 1; }
+    rm -f "$QGA_SOCK"
+    ${vmixReadback "vmix-boot.img"}
+    [ "$STATUS" = "0" ] || { echo "vmix: ${name} bootScript failed (status '$STATUS')"; exit 1; }
+    echo "=== vmix: ${name} (online) complete ==="
+  '';
+
   builtImage = pkgs.runCommand customImageName ({
-    nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ pkgs.qemu mtools driverPython libguestfs-with-appliance ];
+    nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ pkgs.qemu driverPython libguestfs-with-appliance ];
     requiredSystemFeatures = [ "kvm" ];
   } // lib.optionalAttrs impure { __noChroot = true; }) ''
     qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -b ${originalImage} -F qcow2 ${resultImg}
     [ -n "${diskSize}" ] && qemu-img resize ${resultImg} ${diskSize}
     ${bootCommands}
+    ${onlineCommands}
     ${lib.optionalString hasSmbios (installBootloader { inherit esp; image = resultImg; })}
     mv ${resultImg} $out
   '';
 in
-  builtImage // { _vmixOsType = "macos"; macAddress = mac; opencore = esp; model = esp.model or model; }
+  builtImage // { _vmixOsType = "macos"; macAddress = mac; opencore = esp; model = esp.model or model; inherit pe volumeName; }

lib/images/macos/helpers/formatVolume.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Host-side script that formats a blank disk image as an APFS volume with a
+# given label by booting the image's PE headless for ~30 s (Linux cannot write
+# APFS). Used for the persistent home volume (`generalize { persistHome = true; }`
+# mounts LABEL=<label> at /Users) by the NixOS module and `vmix run --home`.
+#   ${formatVolume { inherit image; label = "vmix-home"; }} <disk-file> <raw|qcow2>
+# The disk is found inside the PE as the only one without a partition table.
+{ pkgs, lib, qemu, makeVmixVolume, makeBootDisk, vmDriver, ... }:
+{ image, label ? "vmix-home", memSize ? 4096 }:
+let
+  pe = image.pe or (throw "vmix: image ${image.name} carries no PE");
+  bootDisk = makeBootDisk { name = "${label}-format"; esp = image.opencore; bootArgs = "keepsyms=1 serial=3"; scanPolicy = 66051; };
+  runScript = pkgs.writeText "format-${label}.sh" ''
+    . /Volumes/VMIX/pe-lib.sh
+    LIST=$(diskutil list)
+    # idempotent: a run.sh re-run (e.g. after a guest reboot) finds the volume done
+    if echo "$LIST" | grep -q "APFS Volume ${label} "; then echo "vmix: volume '${label}' already exists"; exit 0; fi
+    # blank disk: a whole-disk line followed by no partition entries
+    TARGET=$(echo "$LIST" | awk '/^\/dev\/disk[0-9]+ / {d=$1; n=0; next} /^ +[0-9]+:/ {n++} /^$/ {if (d != "" && n <= 1) print d; d=""} END {if (d != "" && n <= 1) print d}' | grep -vE "synthesized" | head -1)
+    [ -n "$TARGET" ] || { echo "$LIST"; pe_fail "no blank disk found"; }
+    echo "vmix: formatting $TARGET as APFS '${label}'"
+    diskutil eraseDisk APFS "${label}" GPT "$TARGET" || pe_fail "eraseDisk $TARGET"
+    diskutil unmount "/Volumes/${label}" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  '';
+  vmixVol = makeVmixVolume {
+    name = "format-${label}";
+    files = [ { source = runScript; name = "run.sh"; } { source = ../guest/pe-lib.sh; name = "pe-lib.sh"; } ];
+  };
+  driverPython = pkgs.python3.withPackages (p: [ p.pillow ]);
+in
+pkgs.writeShellScript "vmix-format-${label}" ''
+  set -eu
+  DISK="$1"; FMT="''${2:-qcow2}"
+  T=$(mktemp -d /tmp/vmix-format-XXXXXX)
+  cleanup() { if [ "''${OK:-0}" = 1 ]; then rm -rf "$T"; else echo "vmix: logs kept in $T"; fi; }
+  trap cleanup EXIT
+  cp ${vmixVol} "$T/vmix.img"; chmod +w "$T/vmix.img"
+  ${pkgs.qemu}/bin/qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${pe} "$T/pe.qcow2"
+  ${pkgs.qemu}/bin/qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${bootDisk}/boot.img "$T/ocboot.qcow2"
+  cp ${pkgs.OVMF.fd}/FV/OVMF_VARS.fd "$T/vars.fd"; chmod +w "$T/vars.fd"
+  echo "vmix: formatting $DISK as APFS '${label}' (PE boot)"
+  ${driverPython}/bin/python3 ${vmDriver} --mode pe --name "format-${label}" --debug-dir "$T/debug" --timeout 600 \
+    --serial-log "$T/serial.log" -- \
+    ${pkgs.qemu}/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 -display none \
+    ${qemu.machineArgs { smp = 2; inherit memSize; }} \
+    ${qemu.firmwareArgs "$T/vars.fd"} \
+    ${qemu.serialArgs "$T/serial.log"} \
+    ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "opencore"; port = 0; file = "$T/ocboot.qcow2"; }} \
+    ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "pe"; port = 1; file = "$T/pe.qcow2"; }} \
+    ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "vmix"; port = 2; file = "$T/vmix.img"; format = "raw"; }} \
+    ${qemu.virtioBlkArgs { id = "target"; file = "$DISK"; format = "$FMT"; }} \
+    >/dev/null
+  STATUS=$(${pkgs.libguestfs-with-appliance}/bin/guestfish --ro -a "$T/vmix.img" -m /dev/sda1 cat /vmix-run.status 2>/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)
+  [ "$STATUS" = "0" ] || { echo "vmix: formatting failed (status '$STATUS')"; ${pkgs.libguestfs-with-appliance}/bin/guestfish --ro -a "$T/vmix.img" -m /dev/sda1 cat /vmix-run.log 2>/dev/null | tail -20; exit 1; }
+  OK=1
+  echo "vmix: $DISK formatted"
+''

lib/images/macos/helpers/makeAgentPkg.nix

@@ -1,105 +0,0 @@
-# Distribution-style flat package (xar + bom + cpio, built on Linux) for
-# `startosinstall --installpackage`. macOS installs it during the first boot of the
-# installed system (bootinstalld, "Installer Progress"): it places the vmix agent
-# LaunchDaemon, marks Setup Assistant as done, starts the agent, and schedules a
-# reboot as a fallback so the daemon runs even if bootstrapping failed.
-#
-# The files are shipped inside Scripts and copied by postinstall: installd unpacks
-# our Scripts archive fine, but "shoves 0 items" from a Linux-made Payload.
-{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
-{ version ? "1.0" }:
-let
-  id = "ch.vmix.agent";
-  # nixpkgs' bomutils aborts under _FORTIFY_SOURCE
-  bomutils = pkgs.bomutils.overrideAttrs (_: { hardeningDisable = [ "fortify" ]; });
-  postinstall = pkgs.writeText "postinstall" ''
-    #!/bin/sh
-    # Runs during the OS install (bootinstalld) with $3 = the target system root.
-    # Only place files; the ch.vmix.agent LaunchDaemon then runs on the installed
-    # system's first boot via RunAtLoad (confirmed loading on Tahoe).
-    T="''${3%/}"
-    HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
-    LOG="$T/private/var/log/vmix-agent-install.log"
-    mkdir -p "$T/private/var/log"
-    exec >>"$LOG" 2>&1
-    echo "=== vmix agent pkg postinstall $(date) target=[$3] ==="
-    mkdir -p "$T/Library/LaunchDaemons" "$T/Library/vmix" "$T/private/var/db"
-    cp "$HERE/agent.sh" "$T/Library/vmix/agent.sh"
-    cp "$HERE/${id}.plist" "$T/Library/LaunchDaemons/${id}.plist"
-    chmod 755 "$T/Library/vmix/agent.sh"
-    chmod 644 "$T/Library/LaunchDaemons/${id}.plist"
-    chown -R root:wheel "$T/Library/vmix" "$T/Library/LaunchDaemons/${id}.plist"
-    touch "$T/private/var/db/.AppleSetupDone"
-    chown root:wheel "$T/private/var/db/.AppleSetupDone"
-    ls -la "$T/Library/vmix/agent.sh" "$T/Library/LaunchDaemons/${id}.plist"
-    # A pkg LaunchDaemon is registered with Background Task Management but stays
-    # pending approval, so it will not auto-run headless. Two BTM-exempt triggers:
-    #  - bootstrap it now (starts it in the installer env; the agent no-ops there)
-    #  - a root cron @reboot job (Apple's cron daemon is trusted, runs it at boot)
-    launchctl bootstrap system "$T/Library/LaunchDaemons/${id}.plist" 2>&1 && echo "bootstrapped" || echo "bootstrap returned $?"
-    mkdir -p "$T/usr/lib/cron/tabs"
-    printf '@reboot /bin/sh /Library/vmix/agent.sh\n' > "$T/usr/lib/cron/tabs/root"
-    chmod 600 "$T/usr/lib/cron/tabs/root"
-    chown root:wheel "$T/usr/lib/cron/tabs/root"
-    echo "cron @reboot installed"
-    exit 0
-  '';
-in
-pkgs.runCommand "vmix-agent-${version}.pkg" {
-  nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.xar bomutils pkgs.cpio pkgs.libarchive pkgs.gzip ];
-} ''
-  mkdir -p root/Library/LaunchDaemons root/Library/vmix scripts flat/vmix-agent.pkg
-  cp ${../guest/agent.sh} root/Library/vmix/agent.sh
-  cp ${../guest/ch.vmix.agent.plist} root/Library/LaunchDaemons/${id}.plist
-  chmod 755 root/Library/vmix/agent.sh
-  chmod 644 root/Library/LaunchDaemons/${id}.plist
-  # the same files ride along in Scripts, which is what postinstall installs from
-  cp ${postinstall} scripts/postinstall
-  cp ${../guest/agent.sh} scripts/agent.sh
-  cp ${../guest/ch.vmix.agent.plist} scripts/${id}.plist
-  chmod 755 scripts/postinstall scripts/agent.sh
-
-  NFILES=$(find root | wc -l)
-  KBYTES=$(du -sk root | cut -f1)
-  # bsdcpio keeps the "./" prefix the Bom uses (GNU cpio strips it and installd then extracts nothing)
-  (cd root && find . | bsdcpio -o --format odc --quiet | gzip -c > ../flat/vmix-agent.pkg/Payload)
-  (cd scripts && find . | cpio -o --format odc --owner 0:0 --quiet | gzip -c > ../flat/vmix-agent.pkg/Scripts)
-  mkbom -u 0 -g 80 root flat/vmix-agent.pkg/Bom
-
-  cat > flat/vmix-agent.pkg/PackageInfo <<XML
-  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-  <pkg-info overwrite-permissions="true" relocatable="false" identifier="${id}" postinstall-action="none" version="${version}" format-version="2" generated-by="vmix" auth="root" install-location="/">
-    <payload installKBytes="$KBYTES" numberOfFiles="$NFILES"/>
-    <bundle-version/>
-    <upgrade-bundle/>
-    <update-bundle/>
-    <atomic-update-bundle/>
-    <strict-identifier/>
-    <relocate/>
-    <scripts>
-      <postinstall file="./postinstall"/>
-    </scripts>
-  </pkg-info>
-  XML
-  cat > flat/Distribution <<XML
-  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-  <installer-gui-script minSpecVersion="1">
-    <title>vmix agent</title>
-    <options customize="never" require-scripts="false" hostArchitectures="x86_64,arm64" rootVolumeOnly="true"/>
-    <product id="${id}" version="${version}"/>
-    <choices-outline>
-      <line choice="default">
-        <line choice="${id}"/>
-      </line>
-    </choices-outline>
-    <choice id="default"/>
-    <choice id="${id}" visible="false">
-      <pkg-ref id="${id}"/>
-    </choice>
-    <pkg-ref id="${id}" version="${version}" onConclusion="none" installKBytes="$KBYTES">#vmix-agent.pkg</pkg-ref>
-  </installer-gui-script>
-  XML
-  sed -i 's/^  //' flat/vmix-agent.pkg/PackageInfo flat/Distribution
-  (cd flat && xar --compression none -cf $out Distribution vmix-agent.pkg)
-  xar -t -f $out
-''

lib/images/macos/helpers/makeBootDisk.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# OpenCore boot disk for build-time boots, derived from an image's ESP
+# (makeOpenCore output) with build-only settings: extra boot-args (serial
+# console, verbose) and optionally an OpenCore ScanPolicy so that only the PE
+# (an HFS+ volume on SATA) is bootable — the build never lands on the wrong OS.
+{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
+{ esp, bootArgs ? null, scanPolicy ? null, name ? "boot" }:
+pkgs.runCommand "${name}-bootdisk" {
+  nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ python3 mtools dosfstools gptfdisk ];
+} ''
+  cp -r ${esp}/EFI EFI
+  chmod -R u+w EFI
+  python3 - <<'PY'
+  import plistlib
+  p = 'EFI/OC/config.plist'
+  cfg = plistlib.load(open(p, 'rb'))
+  nv = cfg['NVRAM']['Add']['7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82']
+  ${lib.optionalString (bootArgs != null) ''nv['boot-args'] = ${builtins.toJSON bootArgs}''}
+  ${lib.optionalString (scanPolicy != null) ''cfg['Misc']['Security']['ScanPolicy'] = ${toString scanPolicy}''}
+  plistlib.dump(cfg, open(p, 'wb'))
+  print('boot-args:', nv['boot-args'], 'ScanPolicy:', cfg['Misc']['Security']['ScanPolicy'])
+  PY
+  mkdir -p $out
+  truncate -s 64M $out/boot.img
+  sgdisk -n 1:2048:0 -t 1:EF00 -c 1:EFI $out/boot.img >/dev/null
+  SECTORS=$(( 64*1024*1024/512 - 2048 - 34 ))
+  mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n OPENCORE --offset 2048 $out/boot.img $(( SECTORS / 2 )) >/dev/null
+  mcopy -i $out/boot.img@@1M -s EFI ::
+  mdir -i $out/boot.img@@1M ::EFI/OC >/dev/null
+''

lib/images/macos/helpers/makeImage.nix

@@ -1,77 +1,59 @@
-# Build a pre-installed macOS qcow2 with an unattended QEMU install.
-#
-# One QEMU session, driven by vm-driver.py:
-#   Recovery (BaseSystem) boots via OpenCore → driver opens Terminal with
-#   keystrokes and types "sh /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh" → vmix-install.sh erases the
-#   disk, rebuilds the installer app from installer-app.tar + the SharedSupport.dmg
-#   raw disk, runs startosinstall (--installpackage vmix-agent.pkg) → the installer
-#   reboots through its phases → first boot of macOS runs the vmix agent, which
-#   executes vmix-run.sh and powers off → QEMU exits.
-# Afterwards OpenCore is copied into the image's EFI partition so the result
-# boots standalone with plain OVMF. Apply templates with customizeImageFold,
-# then .generalize to create the user and set a fresh SMBIOS identity.
-{ pkgs, lib, qemu, ident, installerPayload, makeOpenCore, makeVmixVolume, makeAgentPkg, installBootloader, vmixReadback, vmDriver, ... }:
+# Build a pre-installed macOS qcow2 with an unattended install driven from the
+# vmix PE (Apple's Recovery + one LaunchDaemon, see makeRecoveryPE):
+#   OpenCore boots the PE → its hook runs /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh (vmix-install.sh)
+#   → erase the disk, rebuild the installer app from installer-app.tar + the
+#   SharedSupport raw disk, startosinstall → the installer reboots through its
+#   phases → the installed system's first boot reaches the loginwindow → the
+#   driver powers it off. No GUI is driven; progress is read from the serial
+#   console and screenshots (brightness). Fully offline: no NIC is attached.
+# Then OpenCore is copied into the image's own ESP so it boots with plain OVMF.
+# Apply templates with customizeImageFold, then .generalize.
+{ pkgs, lib, qemu, ident, installerPayload, makeOpenCore, makeBootDisk, makeVmixVolume, installBootloader, vmixReadback, vmDriver, ... }:
 {
   name ? "macos",
-  installer,                  # InstallAssistant.pkg (fetchurl)
-  recovery,                   # BaseSystem.dmg (fetchRecovery)
+  installer,                  # InstallAssistant.pkg
+  pe,                         # makeRecoveryPE output for the same macOS version
   diskSize ? "128G",
   volumeName ? "Macintosh HD",
   smp ? 4,
   memSize ? 8192,
   cpu ? qemu.defaultCpu,
-  model ? "MacPro7,1",        # SMBIOS model; must be Tahoe-supported (MacPro7,1, iMac20,1/2, MacBookPro16,x)
+  model ? "MacPro7,1",        # SMBIOS model; must be supported by the installed macOS
   seed ? name,                # MAC address + SystemUUID are derived from this
-  bootArgs ? "keepsyms=1",
+  bootArgs ? "keepsyms=1 revpatch=memtab",
   vncDisplay ? null,          # e.g. ":10" to watch the install on port 5910
   timeout ? 4 * 3600,         # seconds for the whole install
   extraOpenCoreConfig ? {},   # merged into config.plist
-  installNetwork ? false,     # attach a NIC during install (default: offline — startosinstall
-                              # otherwise hangs on Apple personalization through a flaky NAT)
+  installNetwork ? false,     # attach a NIC during the install (default: offline)
 }:
 let
   mac = ident.macFromSeed seed;
   uuid = ident.uuidFromSeed seed;
-  esp = makeOpenCore { name = "${name}-opencore"; inherit model mac uuid bootArgs; extraConfig = extraOpenCoreConfig; };
+  esp = makeOpenCore { name = "${name}-opencore"; inherit model mac uuid bootArgs memSize; extraConfig = extraOpenCoreConfig; };
+  # build-time boot disk: same identity, plus serial console + verbose boot
+  bootDisk = makeBootDisk { name = "${name}-install"; inherit esp; bootArgs = "${bootArgs} serial=3 -v"; };
   payload = installerPayload { inherit name; pkg = installer; };
-  recoveryImg = pkgs.runCommand "${name}-BaseSystem.img" { nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.dmg2img ]; } ''
-    dmg2img -s ${recovery} $out
-  '';
-  agentPkg = makeAgentPkg { };
-  agentDir = pkgs.runCommand "vmix-agent-files" { } ''
-    mkdir -p $out
-    cp ${../guest/agent.sh} $out/agent.sh
-    cp ${../guest/ch.vmix.agent.plist} $out/ch.vmix.agent.plist
-  '';
-  firstBoot = pkgs.writeText "vmix-run.sh" ''
-    echo "vmix: first boot of the installed system"
-    sw_vers
-    exit 0
-  '';
   vmixVol = makeVmixVolume {
     inherit name;
     size = "512M";
     files = [
       { source = ../guest/vmix-install.sh; name = "run.sh"; }
+      { source = ../guest/pe-lib.sh; name = "pe-lib.sh"; }
       { source = "${payload}/installer-app.tar"; name = "installer-app.tar"; }
-      { source = agentPkg; name = "vmix-agent.pkg"; }
-      { source = agentDir; name = "agent"; }
-      { source = firstBoot; name = "vmix-run.sh"; }
     ];
   };
-  driverPython = pkgs.python3.withPackages (p: [ p.pillow p.pytesseract ]);
-  tesseract = pkgs.tesseract.override { enableLanguages = [ "eng" ]; };
+  driverPython = pkgs.python3.withPackages (p: [ p.pillow ]);
 
   drv = pkgs.runCommand "${name}-vmix.qcow2" {
     __noChroot = true;
     requiredSystemFeatures = [ "kvm" ];
-    nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ pkgs.qemu mtools jq driverPython tesseract libguestfs-with-appliance ];
+    nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ pkgs.qemu jq driverPython libguestfs-with-appliance ];
   } ''
     echo "=== vmix: creating ${diskSize} disk ==="
     qemu-img create -f qcow2 disk.qcow2 ${diskSize}
     # store files are read-only and AHCI needs writable nodes: qcow2 overlays
-    qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${recoveryImg} recovery.qcow2
-    qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${esp}/boot.img ocboot.qcow2
+    qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${pe} pe.qcow2
+    qemu-img create -q -f qcow2 -F raw -b ${bootDisk}/boot.img ocboot.qcow2
 
     # Apple's postinstall hardlinks the WHOLE InstallAssistant.pkg as
     # Contents/SharedSupport/SharedSupport.dmg: the pkg is a "pkgdmg" (xar + koly
@@ -99,42 +81,33 @@ let
 
     cp ${pkgs.OVMF.fd}/FV/OVMF_VARS.fd vars.fd
     chmod +w vars.fd
-
     VMIX_DISPLAY="-display none"
     ${lib.optionalString (vncDisplay != null) ''VMIX_DISPLAY="-display none -vnc ${vncDisplay}"''}
-    ${lib.optionalString (vncDisplay == null) ''
-      VMIX_DF=$(ls -t /tmp/.vmix-display-* 2>/dev/null | head -1)
-      if [ -n "$VMIX_DF" ] && [ "$(stat -c %s "$VMIX_DF")" -lt 256 ] && ! grep -q -P '[^\x20-\x7e\n]' "$VMIX_DF"; then
-        export DISPLAY=$(tr -d '\n' < "$VMIX_DF")
-        export HOME=$(mktemp -d)
-        export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=$HOME
-        export SDL_VIDEODRIVER=x11
-        VMIX_DISPLAY="-display sdl"
-      fi
-    ''}
 
-    echo "=== vmix: installing ${name} (unattended, 1-2 h; screenshots in /tmp/vmix-macos/${name}) ==="
-    python3 ${vmDriver} --mode install --name ${name} --timeout ${toString timeout} --progress-file disk.qcow2 -- \
+    echo "=== vmix: installing ${name} (unattended, ~1 h; logs and screenshots in /tmp/vmix-macos/${name}) ==="
+    python3 ${vmDriver} --mode install --name ${name} --timeout ${toString timeout} \
+      --serial-log serial.log --progress-file disk.qcow2 -- \
       qemu-system-x86_64 $VMIX_DISPLAY \
       ${qemu.machineArgs { inherit cpu smp memSize; }} \
       ${qemu.firmwareArgs "vars.fd"} \
+      ${qemu.serialArgs "serial.log"} \
       ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "opencore"; port = 0; file = "ocboot.qcow2"; }} \
-      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "recovery"; port = 1; file = "recovery.qcow2"; }} \
+      ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "pe"; port = 1; file = "pe.qcow2"; }} \
       ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "system"; port = 2; file = "disk.qcow2"; }} \
       ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "vmix"; port = 3; file = "vmix.img"; format = "raw"; }} \
       ${qemu.sataDrive { id = "sharedsupport"; port = 4; file = "sharedsupport.qcow2"; }} \
       ${lib.optionalString installNetwork (qemu.netArgs { inherit mac; })} \
       || { echo "vmix: install VM failed (see /tmp/vmix-macos/${name})"; exit 1; }
 
-    # The driver exits non-zero (handled above) if the install did not reach a
-    # completed/powered-off state, so reaching here means the OS is installed.
-    # vmix-run.status is written only when the agent ran (cron/daemon); log it.
+    # The PE records a status only if run.sh returned, i.e. the install failed
+    # before the installer took over and rebooted.
     ${vmixReadback "vmix.img"}
-    [ "$STATUS" = "0" ] && echo "vmix: first-boot agent completed (status 0)" \
-      || echo "vmix: install reached loginwindow (agent status '$STATUS'); image is installed"
+    if [ -n "$STATUS" ] && [ "$STATUS" != "0" ]; then
+      echo "vmix: install script failed (status $STATUS), see /tmp/vmix-macos/${name}"; exit 1
+    fi
 
     ${installBootloader { inherit esp; image = "disk.qcow2"; }}
     echo "=== vmix: ${name} install complete (serial $(jq -r .serial ${esp}/vmix.json), mac ${mac}) ==="
     mv disk.qcow2 $out
   '';
-in drv // { _vmixOsType = "macos"; macAddress = mac; opencore = esp; inherit model; }
+in drv // { _vmixOsType = "macos"; macAddress = mac; opencore = esp; inherit model pe volumeName; }

lib/images/macos/helpers/makeOpenCore.nix

@@ -13,14 +13,21 @@
   uuid,
   serial ? null,
   mlb ? null,
-  bootArgs ? "keepsyms=1",
+  bootArgs ? "keepsyms=1 revpatch=memtab",
   resolution ? "1024x768",
   showPicker ? true,
   pickerTimeout ? 2,
   extraConfig ? {},
+  memSize ? 8192,             # RAM described in SMBIOS (MacPro7,1 wants 4 DIMMs)
 }:
 let
   ocImage = pkgs.fetchurl { inherit (upstream.opencore.image) url sha256; name = "OSX-KVM-OpenCore.qcow2"; };
+  # OSX-KVM's ESP ships Lilu 1.6.8 / VirtualSMC 1.3.3 / WhateverGreen 1.6.7, which
+  # disable themselves on macOS 26 ("unsupported operating system"); without
+  # VirtualSMC, macOS' restart path panics on QEMU's SMC stub. Overlay the
+  # current releases (upstream.opencore.kexts, pinned).
+  kextZips = lib.mapAttrsToList (n: k: { name = n; zip = pkgs.fetchurl { inherit (k) url hash; }; })
+    (upstream.opencore.kexts or {});
 in
 pkgs.runCommand "${name}-esp" {
   nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ _7zz python3 mtools dosfstools gptfdisk jq macserial ];
@@ -44,13 +51,23 @@ pkgs.runCommand "${name}-esp" {
   mkdir -p $out/EFI/vmix
   cp -r esp/EFI/BOOT esp/EFI/OC $out/EFI/
   chmod -R u+w $out/EFI
+  ${lib.concatMapStringsSep "\n" (k: ''
+    echo "=== vmix: updating ${k.name}.kext from ${k.zip.name} ==="
+    rm -rf kext-${k.name}; mkdir kext-${k.name}
+    ${pkgs.unzip}/bin/unzip -q -o ${k.zip} -d kext-${k.name}
+    K=$(find kext-${k.name} -type d -name "${k.name}.kext" | head -1)
+    [ -n "$K" ] || { echo "${k.name}.kext not found in ${k.zip.name}"; exit 1; }
+    rm -rf "$out/EFI/OC/Kexts/${k.name}.kext"
+    cp -r "$K" "$out/EFI/OC/Kexts/${k.name}.kext"
+    grep -A1 CFBundleVersion "$out/EFI/OC/Kexts/${k.name}.kext/Contents/Info.plist" | tail -1
+  '') kextZips}
   # hide OpenCore's own launcher from its picker (otherwise it is the default entry and loops)
   echo -n Disabled > $out/EFI/BOOT/.contentVisibility
   python3 ${./oc-config.py} --base esp/EFI/OC/config.plist --esp esp --out $out/EFI/OC/config.plist \
     --model "${model}" --serial "$SERIAL" --mlb "$MLB" --uuid "${uuid}" --mac "${mac}" \
     --nic-path "${qemu.nicDevicePath}" --boot-args "${bootArgs}" --resolution "${resolution}" \
     --show-picker "${lib.boolToString showPicker}" --timeout ${toString pickerTimeout} \
-    --extra-json ${lib.escapeShellArg (builtins.toJSON extraConfig)}
+    --extra-json ${lib.escapeShellArg (builtins.toJSON extraConfig)} --memory-mb ${toString memSize} --add-kexts ${lib.concatStringsSep "," (map (k: k.name) kextZips)}
   ocvalidate $out/EFI/OC/config.plist || echo "vmix: ocvalidate reported issues (OpenCore version may differ from validator), continuing"
 
   jq -n --arg model "${model}" --arg serial "$SERIAL" --arg mlb "$MLB" --arg uuid "${uuid}" --arg mac "${mac}" \

lib/images/macos/helpers/makeRecoveryPE.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# The vmix "PE": Apple's Recovery (BaseSystem.dmg) with one LaunchDaemon added
+# that runs /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh as root at boot and powers off afterwards.
+# BaseSystem is a plain (journaled) HFS+ volume that Linux can write with the
+# hfsplus driver's force option — the pristine image's journal is empty, so this
+# is safe. The kernel and boot.efi are untouched; launchd loads the extra plist
+# from /System/Library/LaunchDaemons alongside its signed cache (verified on
+# Tahoe 26.6.2). Same idea as AutoNBI/Imagr NetBoot images.
+# Output: raw disk image (HFS+ volume with a partition table) that OpenCore boots.
+{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
+{ name ? "macos", recovery }:
+pkgs.runCommand "${name}-pe.img" {
+  nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [ dmg2img libguestfs-with-appliance ];
+} ''
+  echo "=== vmix: building the recovery PE from BaseSystem.dmg ==="
+  dmg2img -s ${recovery} $out
+  chmod +w $out
+  guestfish -a $out <<GFS
+  run
+  mount-options force /dev/sda1 /
+  mkdir-p /usr/libexec/vmix
+  upload ${../guest/pe.sh} /usr/libexec/vmix/pe.sh
+  chmod 0755 /usr/libexec/vmix/pe.sh
+  upload ${../guest/ch.vmix.pe.plist} /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ch.vmix.pe.plist
+  chmod 0644 /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ch.vmix.pe.plist
+  ls /usr/libexec/vmix
+  umount /
+  GFS
+  guestfish --ro -a $out -m /dev/sda1 ls /System/Library/LaunchDaemons | grep -q '^ch.vmix.pe.plist$' \
+    || { echo "vmix: PE hook not installed"; exit 1; }
+''

lib/images/macos/helpers/oc-config.py

@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ def main():
     p.add_argument('--show-picker', default='true')
     p.add_argument('--timeout', type=int, default=2)
     p.add_argument('--extra-json', default='{}')
+    p.add_argument('--memory-mb', type=int, default=8192, help='VM RAM, described as 4 DIMMs')
+    p.add_argument('--add-kexts', default='', help='comma-separated kext names (without .kext) that need a Kernel.Add entry')
     a = p.parse_args()
 
     with open(a.base, 'rb') as f:
@@ -84,6 +86,33 @@ def main():
     cfg['Misc']['Boot']['Timeout'] = a.timeout
     cfg['Misc']['Boot']['HideAuxiliary'] = True
     cfg['Misc']['Security']['ScanPolicy'] = 0
+    # kexts overlaid into the ESP that the OSX-KVM config does not list yet
+    # (RestrictEvents: silences MacPro7,1's "Memory Modules Misconfigured", revpatch=memtab)
+    listed = {k['BundlePath'] for k in cfg['Kernel']['Add']}
+    for kext in [k + '.kext' for k in a.add_kexts.split(',') if k]:
+        if kext not in listed:
+            name = kext[:-5]
+            cfg['Kernel']['Add'].append({
+                'Arch': 'Any', 'BundlePath': kext, 'Comment': f'{name} (vmix)', 'Enabled': True,
+                'ExecutablePath': f'Contents/MacOS/{name}', 'MaxKernel': '', 'MinKernel': '',
+                'PlistPath': 'Contents/Info.plist'})
+            print('Kernel.Add +', kext)
+
+    # MacPro7,1 firmware expects DIMMs in pairs (>= 4); with QEMU's single SMBIOS
+    # module macOS shows "Memory Modules Misconfigured" at every login. Describe
+    # the VM's RAM as four DDR4 modules instead.
+    if a.model.startswith('MacPro7'):
+        size = max(1024, a.memory_mb // 4)
+        cfg['PlatformInfo']['CustomMemory'] = True
+        cfg['PlatformInfo']['Memory'] = {
+            'DataWidth': 64, 'ErrorCorrection': 3, 'FormFactor': 9, 'MaxCapacity': 1536 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024,
+            'TotalWidth': 64, 'Type': 26, 'TypeDetail': 128,
+            'Devices': [{
+                'AssetTag': '', 'BankLocator': f'BANK {i}', 'DeviceLocator': f'DIMM{i + 1}',
+                'Manufacturer': 'Apple', 'PartNumber': f'VMIX{size}', 'SerialNumber': f'VMIX{i:04d}',
+                'Size': size, 'Speed': 2666,
+            } for i in range(4)],
+        }
     cfg['Misc']['Security']['SecureBootModel'] = 'Disabled'
     cfg['Misc']['Security']['AllowSetDefault'] = True
     cfg['Misc']['Debug']['Target'] = 0

lib/images/macos/helpers/qemu.nix

@@ -17,19 +17,49 @@ rec {
   netArgs = { mac, netdev ? "user,id=net0", extra ? "" }:
     "-netdev ${netdev} -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0,mac=${mac},bus=pcie.0,addr=${nicAddr}${extra}";
 
-  # Devices macOS needs (no accel, disks, display adapter or display server here)
-  deviceArgs = ''-device isa-applesmc,osk="${osk}" -smbios type=2 -device qemu-xhci,id=xhci -device usb-kbd,bus=xhci.0 -device usb-tablet,bus=xhci.0 -device usb-ehci,id=ehci -device ich9-intel-hda -device hda-duplex -device ich9-ahci,id=sata -global ICH9-LPC.disable_s3=1'';
+  # Devices macOS needs (no accel, disks, display adapter or display server here).
+  # No isa-applesmc: QEMU's stub only answers the OSK keys, and its presence makes
+  # VirtualSMC (which carries the OSK itself) step aside, leaving Apple's SMC
+  # driver on the stub — whose missing watchdog keys panic the restart path on
+  # macOS 26. VirtualSMC alone is the standard Hackintosh setup.
+  deviceArgsFor = { appleSmc ? false }:
+    ''${lib.optionalString appleSmc ''-device isa-applesmc,osk="${osk}" ''}-smbios type=2 -device qemu-xhci,id=xhci -device usb-kbd,bus=xhci.0 -device usb-tablet,bus=xhci.0 -device usb-ehci,id=ehci -device ich9-intel-hda -device hda-duplex -device ich9-ahci,id=sata -global ICH9-LPC.disable_s3=1'';
+  deviceArgs = deviceArgsFor { };
 
   # macOS has no QXL/virtio-gpu driver; VMware SVGA gives a plain framebuffer
   vgaArgs = "-vga vmware";
 
-  machineArgs = { cpu ? defaultCpu, smp ? 4, memSize ? 4096 }:
-    "-accel kvm -machine type=q35 -cpu ${cpu} -smp ${toString smp},sockets=1,cores=${toString smp},threads=1 -m ${toString memSize} ${deviceArgs} ${vgaArgs}";
+  machineArgs = { cpu ? defaultCpu, smp ? 4, memSize ? 4096, appleSmc ? false }:
+    "-accel kvm -machine type=q35 -cpu ${cpu} -smp ${toString smp},sockets=1,cores=${toString smp},threads=1 -m ${toString memSize} ${deviceArgsFor { inherit appleSmc; }} ${vgaArgs}";
 
   # SATA disk on a given port. Store files are read-only: callers create qcow2 overlays.
   sataDrive = { id, port, file, format ? "qcow2", extra ? "" }:
     "-drive id=${id},if=none,format=${format},file=${file}${extra} -device ide-hd,bus=sata.${toString port},drive=${id}";
 
+  # XNU logs to COM1 with boot-args serial=3; the build drivers read this file
+  serialArgs = file: "-serial file:${file}";
+
+  # Apple's own QEMU guest agent (/usr/libexec/AppleQEMUGuestAgent, macOS 13+)
+  # attaches to a virtio console port named org.qemu.guest_agent.0 and offers
+  # guest-exec (as root), guest-file-* etc. over this unix socket.
+  guestAgentArgs = sock:
+    "-device virtio-serial-pci,id=vmix-vser -chardev socket,path=${sock},server=on,wait=off,id=vmix-qga -device virtserialport,chardev=vmix-qga,name=org.qemu.guest_agent.0";
+
+  # virtio-fs (vhost-user, virtiofsd on the host). macOS auto-mounts the tag
+  # "com.apple.virtio-fs.automount" at /Volumes/My Shared Files; other tags are
+  # mounted with `mount -t virtiofs <tag> <dir>`. Needs a shared memory backend.
+  automountTag = "com.apple.virtio-fs.automount";
+  memBackendArgs = memSize: "-object memory-backend-memfd,id=vmix-mem,size=${toString memSize}M,share=on -numa node,memdev=vmix-mem";
+  virtioFsArgs = { tag, sock, id ? tag }:
+    "-chardev socket,id=vmix-vfs-${id},path=${sock} -device vhost-user-fs-pci,chardev=vmix-vfs-${id},tag=${tag}";
+
+  # virtio-blk data disk (AppleVirtIOBlock), e.g. the persistent home volume
+  virtioBlkArgs = { id, file, format ? "qcow2", extra ? "" }:
+    "-drive id=${id},if=none,format=${format},file=${file}${extra} -device virtio-blk-pci,drive=${id}";
+
+  # virtio keyboard/tablet (AppleVirtIOInput), optional alternative to the USB HID pair
+  virtioInputArgs = "-device virtio-keyboard-pci -device virtio-tablet-pci";
+
   firmwareArgs = varsFile:
     "-drive if=pflash,format=raw,readonly=on,file=${pkgs.OVMF.fd}/FV/OVMF_CODE.fd -drive if=pflash,format=raw,file=${varsFile}";
 }

lib/images/macos/helpers/vm-driver.py

@@ -1,82 +1,98 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""vmix macOS VM driver.
+"""vmix macOS VM driver: runs QEMU and decides when a build boot is finished.
 
-Launches QEMU with a QMP socket and either
+Modes
+  pe       the recovery PE runs /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh and powers off. Success is
+           QEMU exiting on its own; the caller checks vmix-run.status.
+  install  the PE starts the macOS installer, which reboots through its phases
+           into the installed system. Finished when that system reaches the
+           (bright) loginwindow / Setup Assistant — the driver powers it down —
+           or halts on its own.
+  boot     boot an installed image and wait for it to halt or reach the loginwindow.
+  qga      boot an installed image with Apple's QEMU guest agent attached
+           (--qga-sock), wait for it, run --qga-command as root through it
+           (guest-exec), then shut the guest down. Used for online templates.
 
-  --mode install  drives macOS Recovery to a Terminal with keystrokes (screen
-                  settle detection + OCR of the menu bar), types the bootstrap
-                  command and waits for the VM to power itself off
-  --mode boot     waits for the VM to power itself off (customize steps)
-
-Everything after `--` is the QEMU command line. Screenshots and a log are
-written to --debug-dir (default /tmp/vmix-macos/<name>) for troubleshooting.
+Observation is passive: the serial console (boot-args serial=3: the PE's
+"VMIX-*" markers, kernel boots, panics) and screenshots over QMP (mean
+brightness + a coarse change fingerprint). No OCR, no keystrokes. A boot hang
+(dark, frozen screen, disk and serial idle) is retried with a system_reset.
+Screenshots, the driver log and the serial log are kept in --debug-dir.
 """
 import argparse
 import hashlib
 import io
 import json
 import os
+import shutil
 import socket
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import tempfile
 import time
 
 try:
     from PIL import Image
-except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
+except ImportError:  # screenshots then only serve as debug files
     Image = None
-try:
-    import pytesseract
-except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
-    pytesseract = None
 
-
-# QEMU qcodes for characters that are not plain alphanumerics
-PLAIN = {' ': 'spc', '/': 'slash', '-': 'minus', '.': 'dot', ';': 'semicolon', ',': 'comma',
-         '=': 'equal', "'": 'apostrophe', '`': 'grave_accent', '[': 'bracket_left',
-         ']': 'bracket_right', '\\': 'backslash', '\n': 'ret', '\t': 'tab'}
-SHIFTED = {'!': '1', '@': '2', '#': '3', '$': '4', '%': '5', '^': '6', '&': '7', '*': '8',
-           '(': '9', ')': '0', '_': 'minus', '+': 'equal', '{': 'bracket_left',
-           '}': 'bracket_right', '|': 'backslash', ':': 'semicolon', '"': 'apostrophe',
-           '<': 'comma', '>': 'dot', '?': 'slash', '~': 'grave_accent'}
+PANIC_MARKS = ('panic(cpu', 'Kernel Extensions in backtrace', 'Debugger called: <panic>', 'Nested panic detected', 'panic string:')
+REBOOT_MARK = 'MACH Reboot'
 
 
 class Log:
     def __init__(self, path):
-        self.f = open(path, 'a')
+        self.f = open(path, 'a') if path else None
         self.t0 = time.time()
 
     def __call__(self, msg):
         line = f'[{time.time() - self.t0:7.1f}s] {msg}'
         print(f'vmix driver: {line}', flush=True)
+        if self.f:
             self.f.write(line + '\n')
             self.f.flush()
 
 
 class QMP:
     def __init__(self, path):
-        self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-        self.sock.connect(path)
-        self.f = self.sock.makefile('rwb', buffering=0)
-        self._read()
+        self.path = path
+        self.s = None
+        self.buf = b''
+
+    def connect(self, timeout=90):
+        t0 = time.time()
+        while True:
+            try:
+                s = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX)
+                s.settimeout(60)
+                s.connect(self.path)
+                self.s = s
+                self.buf = b''
+                self._read()            # greeting
                 self.cmd('qmp_capabilities')
+                return
+            except (OSError, ValueError):
+                if time.time() - t0 > timeout:
+                    raise
+                time.sleep(1)
 
     def _read(self):
-        while True:
-            line = self.f.readline()
-            if not line:
-                raise EOFError('QMP connection closed')
-            msg = json.loads(line)
-            if 'event' in msg:
-                continue
-            return msg
+        while b'\n' not in self.buf:
+            d = self.s.recv(65536)
+            if not d:
+                raise OSError('QMP socket closed')
+            self.buf += d
+        line, self.buf = self.buf.split(b'\n', 1)
+        return json.loads(line)
 
     def cmd(self, name, **args):
-        self.f.write((json.dumps({'execute': name, 'arguments': args}) + '\n').encode())
+        self.s.sendall(json.dumps({'execute': name, 'arguments': args}).encode() + b'\n')
+        while True:
             r = self._read()
+            if 'return' in r:
+                return r['return']
             if 'error' in r:
-            raise RuntimeError(f'QMP {name}: {r["error"]}')
-        return r.get('return')
+                raise RuntimeError(r['error'])
 
     def screendump(self, path):
         self.cmd('screendump', filename=path)
@@ -87,182 +103,163 @@ class QMP:
     def system_powerdown(self):
         self.cmd('system_powerdown')
 
-    _jig = 0
 
-    def jiggle(self):
-        # tiny absolute (usb-tablet) pointer move to keep the display awake: a real
-        # HID event, but < 2 screen px so it does not change the settle fingerprint
-        self._jig = 16060 if self._jig < 16030 else 16000
+class QGA:
+    """Minimal QEMU guest agent client over the unix socket QEMU serves."""
+
+    def __init__(self, path):
+        self.path = path
+
+    def cmd(self, name, timeout=30, **args):
+        s = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX)
+        s.settimeout(timeout)
         try:
-            self.cmd('input-send-event', events=[
-                {'type': 'abs', 'data': {'axis': 'x', 'value': self._jig}},
-                {'type': 'abs', 'data': {'axis': 'y', 'value': 16000}}])
+            s.connect(self.path)
+            s.sendall((json.dumps({'execute': name, 'arguments': args}) + '\n').encode())
+            buf = b''
+            while b'\n' not in buf:
+                d = s.recv(65536)
+                if not d:
+                    raise OSError('guest agent closed the connection')
+                buf += d
+        finally:
+            s.close()
+        r = json.loads(buf.split(b'\n', 1)[0])
+        if 'error' in r:
+            raise RuntimeError(r['error'])
+        return r.get('return')
+
+    def ping(self):
+        try:
+            return self.cmd('guest-ping', timeout=5) == {}
         except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
-            self.send_key('shift')
+            return False
 
-    def send_key(self, *keys, hold=80):
-        self.cmd('send-key', keys=[{'type': 'qcode', 'data': k} for k in keys], **{'hold-time': hold})
-        time.sleep(0.15)
+    def exec_start(self, command):
+        return self.cmd('guest-exec', path='/bin/bash', arg=['-c', command], **{'capture-output': True})['pid']
 
-    def type_text(self, text):
-        for ch in text:
-            if ch.isascii() and ch.isalnum():
-                if ch.isupper():
-                    self.send_key('shift', ch.lower())
-                else:
-                    self.send_key(ch)
-            elif ch in PLAIN:
-                self.send_key(PLAIN[ch])
-            elif ch in SHIFTED:
-                self.send_key('shift', SHIFTED[ch])
-            else:
-                raise ValueError(f'cannot type {ch!r}')
+    def exec_status(self, pid):
+        return self.cmd('guest-exec-status', pid=pid)
 
 
 class Screen:
-    """Screenshot helper: settle detection via hashing, OCR of regions."""
+    """Screenshots over QMP with a coarse change fingerprint (cursor-insensitive)."""
 
     def __init__(self, qmp, debug_dir, log):
         self.qmp = qmp
-        self.debug_dir = debug_dir
+        self.dir = debug_dir
         self.log = log
-        import tempfile
-        fd, self.tmp = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix='.shot-', suffix='.ppm', dir=debug_dir)
-        os.close(fd)
-        os.chmod(self.tmp, 0o666)
-        self.n = 0
-        self.last_hash = None
-        self.stable_since = time.time()
+        self.tmp = os.path.join(debug_dir, f'.grab-{os.getpid()}.ppm')
         self.img = None
+        self.last_fp = None
+        self.stable_since = time.time()
+        self.n = 0
 
     def grab(self):
         self.qmp.screendump(self.tmp)
         with open(self.tmp, 'rb') as f:
             data = f.read()
-        self.img = Image.open(io.BytesIO(data)) if Image else None
-        # fingerprint from a coarse, quantized grayscale thumbnail so the moving
-        # mouse cursor (keepalive jiggle) does not count as a screen change
-        if self.img is not None:
-            px = self.img.convert('L').resize((48, 36))
-            fp = bytes(b & 0xF0 for b in px.getdata())
-            h = hashlib.sha256(fp).hexdigest()
+        if Image is None:
+            fp = hashlib.sha256(data).hexdigest()
         else:
-            h = hashlib.sha256(data).hexdigest()
-        if h != self.last_hash:
-            self.last_hash = h
+            self.img = Image.open(io.BytesIO(data))
+            small = self.img.convert('L').resize((48, 36))
+            fp = hashlib.sha256(bytes(b & 0xF0 for b in small.tobytes())).hexdigest()
+        if fp != self.last_fp:
+            self.last_fp = fp
             self.stable_since = time.time()
         return self.img
 
     def stable_for(self):
         return time.time() - self.stable_since
 
+    def mean(self):
+        if self.img is None:
+            return 0
+        g = self.img.convert('L').resize((64, 48))
+        px = g.tobytes()
+        return sum(px) / len(px)
+
+    def is_blank(self):
+        return self.img is not None and self.mean() < 3
+
     def save(self, tag):
         self.n += 1
-        path = os.path.join(self.debug_dir, f'{self.n:03d}-{tag}.png')
+        path = os.path.join(self.dir, f'{self.n:03d}-{tag}.png')
         try:
             if self.img is not None:
                 self.img.save(path)
             else:
-                os.link(self.tmp, path.replace('.png', '.ppm'))
+                shutil.copy(self.tmp, path.replace('.png', '.ppm'))
         except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
             self.log(f'could not save screenshot: {e}')
         return path
 
-    def ocr(self, region=None, scale=3, psm=6):
-        if self.img is None or pytesseract is None:
-            return ''
-        img = self.img
-        if region:
-            img = img.crop(region)
-        img = img.convert('L').resize((img.width * scale, img.height * scale), Image.LANCZOS)
-        try:
-            return pytesseract.image_to_string(img, config=f'--psm {psm}').lower()
-        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
-            self.log(f'ocr failed: {e}')
-            return ''
 
-    def mean(self):
-        if self.img is None:
-            return 128
-        px = self.img.convert('L').resize((32, 24))
-        d = list(px.getdata())
-        return sum(d) / len(d)
+class Serial:
+    """Tail the serial console file QEMU writes (-serial file:...)."""
 
-    def is_blank(self):
-        # black/uniform screen (firmware, boot): nothing to act on
-        if self.img is None:
-            return False
-        lo, hi = self.img.convert('L').resize((64, 48)).getextrema()
-        return hi - lo < 24
+    def __init__(self, path):
+        self.path = path
+        self.pos = 0
+        self.last_activity = time.time()
+        self.boots = 0
+        self.reboot_at = None
 
-    def menubar_text(self):
-        w = self.img.width if self.img else 1024
-        return self.ocr((0, 0, w, 40), scale=4, psm=7)
+    def poll(self):
+        if not self.path or not os.path.exists(self.path):
+            return []
+        with open(self.path, 'rb') as f:
+            f.seek(self.pos)
+            data = f.read()
+            self.pos = f.tell()
+        if not data:
+            return []
+        self.last_activity = time.time()
+        lines = data.decode('utf-8', 'replace').replace('\r', '').split('\n')
+        for l in lines:
+            if l.startswith('Darwin Kernel Version'):
+                self.boots += 1
+                self.reboot_at = None
+            elif REBOOT_MARK in l:
+                self.reboot_at = time.time()
+        return lines
+
+    def idle_for(self):
+        return time.time() - self.last_activity
 
 
 def prepare_debug_dir(path):
-    # nix builds run as different nixbld users: keep the shared dirs world-writable
+    """Create the debug dir; builds run as different nixbld users, so the parent
+    is made world-writable and a temp dir is used if the path is not writable."""
+    parent = os.path.dirname(path)
     try:
-        for d in (os.path.dirname(path), path):
-            os.makedirs(d, exist_ok=True)
-            try:
-                os.chmod(d, 0o1777 if d != path else 0o777)
+        if not os.path.isdir(parent):
+            os.makedirs(parent, exist_ok=True)
+            os.chmod(parent, 0o777)
+        os.makedirs(path, exist_ok=True)
+        os.chmod(path, 0o777)
     except OSError:
-                pass
-        probe = os.path.join(path, '.probe')
-        open(probe, 'w').close()
-        os.unlink(probe)
-        # a rebuild reuses this dir but runs as a different nixbld user; drop stale
-        # files so screendumps/PNGs are not blocked by another owner's 0644 files
-        import glob
-        for f in glob.glob(os.path.join(path, '*')) + glob.glob(os.path.join(path, '.current*')):
+        path = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix=os.path.basename(path) + '-', dir='/tmp')
+        os.chmod(path, 0o777)
+    for f in os.listdir(path):
+        if f.endswith(('.png', '.ppm', '.log')) or f.startswith('.grab-') or f == 'qmp.sock':
             try:
-                os.unlink(f)
+                os.remove(os.path.join(path, f))
             except OSError:
                 pass
     return path
-    except OSError:
-        import tempfile
-        alt = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix='vmix-macos-')
-        print(f'vmix driver: {path} not writable, using {alt}', flush=True)
-        return alt
 
 
 def launch(qemu_args, qmp_sock, log):
     if os.path.exists(qmp_sock):
-        os.unlink(qmp_sock)
-    args = list(qemu_args) + ['-qmp', f'unix:{qmp_sock},server,nowait']
-    log('launching: ' + ' '.join(args))
-    proc = subprocess.Popen(args)
-    deadline = time.time() + 60
-    while not os.path.exists(qmp_sock):
-        if proc.poll() is not None:
-            return proc, None
-        if time.time() > deadline:
-            proc.kill()
-            raise RuntimeError('QEMU did not create the QMP socket')
-        time.sleep(0.2)
-    time.sleep(0.5)
-    return proc, QMP(qmp_sock)
-
-
-def open_terminal(qmp, log):
-    # Ctrl-F2 focuses the menu bar; typing jumps to the menu whose title starts
-    # with that letter (Utilities), Down opens it, "t" jumps to Terminal.
-    log('opening Terminal via menu bar (ctrl-f2, u, down, t, ret)')
-    qmp.send_key('ctrl', 'f2')
-    time.sleep(1.0)
-    qmp.send_key('u')
-    time.sleep(0.7)
-    qmp.send_key('down')
-    time.sleep(0.7)
-    qmp.send_key('t')
-    time.sleep(0.7)
-    qmp.send_key('ret')
+        os.remove(qmp_sock)
+    cmd = list(qemu_args) + ['-qmp', f'unix:{qmp_sock},server,nowait']
+    log('launching: ' + ' '.join(cmd))
+    return subprocess.Popen(cmd)
 
 
 def disk_idle(args):
-    """True if the system disk has had no writes recently (guest not doing I/O)."""
     if not args.progress_file:
         return True
     try:
@@ -271,289 +268,251 @@ def disk_idle(args):
         return True
 
 
-def run_install(args, proc, qmp, log):
-    """Drive the install VM to completion.
-
-    OpenCore shows a boot picker on every (re)boot and does not always auto-boot,
-    so on any settled picker we press Return to boot the highlighted macOS entry
-    (aux entries are hidden; during the install phases startosinstall blesses the
-    right default). That runs on EVERY iteration, because the install reboots
-    several times after we hand off to startosinstall. Before we have typed the
-    bootstrap command we also drive Recovery: language/welcome -> Return, the
-    Recovery window -> open Terminal, Terminal -> type the command.
-    """
-    RECOVERY_BODY = ('reinstall', 'disk utility', 'restore from', 'recovery assistant',
-                     'macos utilities')
-    PICKER_BODY = ('base system', 'macos installer', 'rel-1', 'rel-0')  # OpenCore picker
-    LANG_BODY = ('language', 'select your', 'main language', 'country or region',
-                 'welcome', 'get started', 'choose your')
-    screen = Screen(qmp, args.debug_dir, log)
+def run_qga(args, proc, qmp, screen, serial, log):
+    """Online template: wait for the guest agent, run the command, shut down."""
+    import base64
+    qga = QGA(args.qga_sock)
     start = time.time()
-    typed_at = None
-    terminal_attempts = 0
     last_periodic = 0
-    last_progress = start
-    blind_done = False
-    resets = 0
-    blank_since = None
-    login_since = None
-    recovery_start = None
-    last_term_action = 0
+    while not qga.ping():
+        rc = proc.poll()
+        if rc is not None:
+            log(f'QEMU exited with {rc} before the guest agent came up')
+            return rc or 3
+        now = time.time()
+        if now - start > args.start_timeout:
+            try:
+                screen.grab()
+                screen.save('no-agent')
+            except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+                pass
+            log(f'guest agent not reachable within {args.start_timeout:.0f}s')
+            proc.kill()
+            return 3
+        for line in serial.poll():
+            if any(m in line for m in PANIC_MARKS):
+                log('serial: ' + line.strip()[:200])
+        if now - last_periodic > args.periodic:
+            last_periodic = now
+            try:
+                screen.grab()
+                screen.save('periodic')
+            except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+                pass
+        time.sleep(3)
+    log(f'guest agent up after {time.time() - start:.0f}s: {qga.cmd("guest-info").get("version")}')
+    time.sleep(args.qga_settle)      # let the login session / volumes settle
+    try:
+        pid = qga.exec_start(args.qga_command)
+    except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
+        log(f'guest-exec failed: {e}')
+        proc.kill()
+        return 3
+    log(f'running command as root (pid {pid}): {args.qga_command[:160]}')
+    t0 = time.time()
     while True:
         rc = proc.poll()
         if rc is not None:
+            log(f'QEMU exited with {rc} while the command was running')
+            return rc or 3
+        if time.time() - start > args.timeout:
+            log('timeout reached, killing QEMU')
+            proc.kill()
+            return 124
+        try:
+            st = qga.exec_status(pid)
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
+            log(f'guest-exec-status failed: {e}')
+            time.sleep(5)
+            continue
+        if st.get('exited'):
+            break
+        now = time.time()
+        if now - last_periodic > args.periodic:
+            last_periodic = now
+            try:
+                screen.grab()
+                screen.save('periodic')
+            except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+                pass
+        time.sleep(3)
+    out = base64.b64decode(st.get('out-data', '')).decode('utf-8', 'replace')
+    err = base64.b64decode(st.get('err-data', '')).decode('utf-8', 'replace')
+    code = st.get('exitcode', st.get('signal'))
+    log(f'command finished in {time.time() - t0:.0f}s, exit {code}')
+    for line in (out + err).splitlines()[-200:]:
+        log('guest: ' + line[:220])
+    try:
+        screen.grab()
+        screen.save('after-command')
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+        pass
+    log('shutting the guest down')
+    try:
+        qga.exec_start('sync; /sbin/shutdown -h now')
+    except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
+        log(f'guest shutdown failed ({e}), ACPI powerdown')
+        try:
+            qmp.system_powerdown()
+        except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+            pass
+    for _ in range(180):
+        if proc.poll() is not None:
+            log('QEMU exited')
+            return 0 if code == 0 else 4
+        time.sleep(1)
+    log('guest did not power off, killing QEMU')
+    proc.kill()
+    return 0 if code == 0 else 4
+
+
+def drive(args, proc, qmp, screen, serial, log):
+    start = time.time()
+    last_periodic = 0
+    resets = 0
+    panics = 0
+    started = args.mode == 'boot'      # pe/install: wait for the PE marker first
+    blank_since = None
+    login_since = None
+    while True:
+        rc = proc.poll()
+        if rc is not None:
+            log(f'QEMU exited with {rc}')
             return rc
         now = time.time()
         if now - start > args.timeout:
             try:
-                screen.grab(); screen.save('timeout')
+                screen.grab()
+                screen.save('timeout')
             except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
                 pass
             log('timeout reached, killing QEMU')
             proc.kill()
             return 124
         time.sleep(args.interval)
+
+        panic = False
+        for line in serial.poll():
+            if 'VMIX' in line:
+                log('serial: ' + line.strip()[:220])
+                if 'VMIX-PE: running run.sh' in line and not started:
+                    started = True
+                    log('PE started run.sh')
+                if 'VMIX-PE: no VMIX volume' in line and args.mode != 'boot':
+                    log('PE did not find the VMIX volume')
+                    proc.kill()
+                    return 3
+            if line.startswith('Darwin Kernel Version'):
+                log(f'guest kernel boot #{serial.boots}')
+            if any(m in line for m in PANIC_MARKS):
+                panic = True
+                log('serial: ' + line.strip()[:220])
+        if panic:
+            panics += 1
             try:
                 screen.grab()
-        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
-            log(f'screendump failed ({e}), assuming QEMU is exiting')
-            time.sleep(2)
-            continue
-        if now - last_periodic > args.periodic:
-            last_periodic = now
-            screen.save('periodic')
-        # keep the recovery display awake until the command is typed (mouse jiggle)
-        if typed_at is None and now - last_term_action > 8:
-            qmp.jiggle()
-        if now - start < args.min_boot or screen.stable_for() < args.settle:
-            continue
-        if screen.is_blank():
-            last_progress = now
-            if blank_since is None:
-                blank_since = now
-            if typed_at is None:
-                # recovery display asleep — jiggle the mouse to wake it, wait for UI
-                qmp.jiggle()
-                continue
-            # macOS `shutdown -h now` halts the guest to a black screen without an
-            # ACPI power-off, so QEMU never exits. Once we have handed off (command
-            # typed), a long pure-black screen means the agent finished and halted.
-            elif typed_at is not None and now - blank_since > args.halt_timeout and disk_idle(args):
-                screen.save('halt')
-                log(f'guest halted (black {now - blank_since:.0f}s, disk idle); killing QEMU, readback will validate')
-                proc.kill()
-                try:
-                    proc.wait(timeout=10)
+                screen.save('panic')
             except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
                 pass
-                return 0
+            if panics > args.max_resets:
+                log(f'kernel panic #{panics}, giving up')
+                proc.kill()
+                return 3
+            # XNU reboots by itself after a panic; only reset if no kernel comes back.
+            # (In pe mode the PE then runs run.sh again — templates are idempotent.)
+            log(f'kernel panic #{panics}, waiting for the guest to reboot')
+            serial.reboot_at = now
             continue
-        blank_since = None
 
-        top = screen.menubar_text()
-        body = screen.ocr()
-        log(f'settled: menubar={top.strip()!r} body~={" ".join(body.split())[:80]!r}')
-
-        # Boot-hang watchdog: a dark screen (Apple logo / black) frozen for a long
-        # time with no menu bar is a stuck (re)boot — kick it with a system reset.
-        # Never fires on the bright, static Terminal of the prepare phase.
-        if 'terminal' not in top and 'utilities' not in top and screen.mean() < 40 \
-                and screen.stable_for() > args.stall_reset and disk_idle(args) and resets < args.max_resets:
+        # The guest asked for a reboot but no kernel came back: macOS' restart
+        # path panics in QEMU (AppleSMC watchdog keys, see README); reset now
+        # instead of waiting for the frozen-screen watchdog.
+        if serial.reboot_at and now - serial.reboot_at > args.reboot_timeout:
             resets += 1
-            screen.save('stall-reset')
-            log(f'boot hung ({screen.stable_for():.0f}s frozen, dark, disk idle), system_reset #{resets}')
             try:
-                qmp.system_reset()
-            except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
-                log(f'system_reset failed: {e}')
-            screen.stable_since = time.time()
-            last_progress = now
-            continue
-
-        # OpenCore boot picker — always handle it (the install reboots many times)
-        if 'terminal' not in top and 'utilities' not in top and any(k in body for k in PICKER_BODY):
-            screen.save('picker')
-            log('OpenCore boot picker, pressing Return to boot the default macOS entry')
-            qmp.send_key('ret')
-            last_progress = now
-            screen.stable_since = time.time()
-            continue
-
-        # After the install, the loginwindow/desktop is a BRIGHT gray screen, unlike
-        # the dark install/boot screens (Apple logo). The vmix agent powers the VM
-        # off if it runs (cron/daemon); if BTM blocks it, we power down here so the
-        # build still completes with a bootable, installed image. Brightness is a
-        # far more reliable signal than OCR of the faint "password" text.
-        bright = screen.mean() > 80
-        loginish = (typed_at is not None and bright and 'terminal' not in top
-                    and 'utilities' not in top and not any(k in body for k in PICKER_BODY))
-        if loginish:
-            if login_since is None:
-                login_since = now
-                log('bright post-install screen (loginwindow/desktop) — OS installed; grace before powerdown')
-            elif now - login_since > args.login_grace:
-                screen.save('loginwindow')
-                log(f'loginwindow persisted {now - login_since:.0f}s, powering down (install complete)')
-                try:
-                    qmp.system_powerdown()
-                except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
-                    log(f'powerdown failed: {e}')
-                for _ in range(90):
-                    if proc.poll() is not None:
-                        return 0
-                    time.sleep(1)
-                proc.kill()
-                return 0
-            continue
-        else:
-            login_since = None
-
-        # once the bootstrap command is typed, only the picker (above) and an
-        # unexpected return to Recovery matter (post-prepare reboot landed on the
-        # recovery instead of the installer — restart the install then).
-        if typed_at is not None:
-            if ('utilities' in top or 'recovery' in top):
-                if recovery_start is None:
-                    recovery_start = now
-                if now - typed_at > 120 and now - recovery_start > 45:
-                    log('unexpectedly back at Recovery after install started — restarting install')
-                    typed_at = None
-                    terminal_attempts = 0
-                    recovery_start = None
-                    # fall through to the recovery/terminal handling below
-                else:
-                    continue
-            else:
-                recovery_start = None
-                continue
-
-        if 'terminal' in top:
-            screen.save('terminal')
-            log(f'typing bootstrap command: {args.command!r}')
-            qmp.type_text(args.command + '\n')
-            typed_at = time.time()
-            continue
-
-        acted = False
-        if 'utilities' in top or 'recovery' in top or any(k in body for k in RECOVERY_BODY):
-            screen.save('recovery')
-            terminal_attempts += 1
-            log(f'recovery window (attempt {terminal_attempts}), opening Terminal')
-            last_term_action = now
-            open_terminal(qmp, log)
-            if terminal_attempts >= 3:
-                time.sleep(8)
-                log('typing bootstrap command (Terminal assumed open)')
-                qmp.type_text(args.command + '\n')
-                typed_at = time.time()
-                continue
-            acted = True
-        elif any(k in body for k in LANG_BODY):
-            screen.save('language')
-            log('language/welcome screen, pressing Return')
-            qmp.send_key('ret')
-            acted = True
-
-        if acted:
-            last_progress = now
-            screen.stable_since = time.time()
-        elif now - last_progress > args.settle * args.max_actions and not blind_done:
-            blind_done = True
-            screen.save('blind')
-            log('nothing recognised for a long time, blind sequence')
-            qmp.send_key('ret')
-            time.sleep(20)
-            open_terminal(qmp, log)
-            time.sleep(10)
-            qmp.type_text(args.command + '\n')
-            typed_at = time.time()
-
-
-def run_boot(args, proc, qmp, log):
-    """Wait for the VM to power itself off (customize/generalize/first-boot),
-    handling the OpenCore picker and kicking a hung boot with a system reset."""
-    PICKER_BODY = ('base system', 'macos installer', 'macintosh hd', 'rel-1', 'rel-0')
-    screen = Screen(qmp, args.debug_dir, log)
-    start = time.time()
-    last_periodic = 0
-    resets = 0
-    blank_since = None
-    login_since = None
-    while True:
-        rc = proc.poll()
-        if rc is not None:
-            return rc
-        if time.time() - start > args.timeout:
-            try:
-                screen.grab(); screen.save('timeout')
+                screen.grab()
+                screen.save('reboot-dead')
             except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
                 pass
-            log('timeout reached, killing QEMU')
+            log(f'guest requested a reboot {now - serial.reboot_at:.0f}s ago and died, system_reset #{resets}')
+            serial.reboot_at = None
+            if resets > args.max_resets:
                 proc.kill()
-            return 124
-        time.sleep(args.interval)
+                return 3
+            qmp.system_reset()
+            screen.stable_since = time.time()
+            continue
+
+        if not started and now - start > args.start_timeout:
+            try:
+                screen.grab()
+                screen.save('no-start')
+            except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+                pass
+            log(f'PE did not start run.sh within {args.start_timeout:.0f}s')
+            proc.kill()
+            return 3
+
         try:
             screen.grab()
         except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
             log(f'screendump failed ({e})')
             time.sleep(2)
             continue
-        now = time.time()
         if now - last_periodic > args.periodic:
             last_periodic = now
             screen.save('periodic')
-        if now - start < args.min_boot or screen.stable_for() < args.settle:
+
+        if args.mode == 'pe':
+            continue                    # the PE powers off by itself; nothing to decide
+        # install: the PE phase (kernel boot #1) is protected by the guest's own
+        # retries; the checks below apply once the installer has rebooted.
+        in_os = args.mode == 'boot' or serial.boots >= 2
+        if not in_os or screen.stable_for() < args.settle:
             continue
+        idle = disk_idle(args) and serial.idle_for() > args.disk_idle
+
         if screen.is_blank():
-            if blank_since is None:
-                blank_since = now
-            elif now - blank_since > args.halt_timeout and disk_idle(args):
+            blank_since = blank_since or now
+            # macOS `shutdown -h` halts to a black screen without an ACPI power-off
+            if now - blank_since > args.halt_timeout and idle:
                 screen.save('halt')
-                log(f'guest halted (black {now - blank_since:.0f}s, disk idle); killing QEMU')
+                log(f'guest halted (black {now - blank_since:.0f}s, idle); killing QEMU')
                 proc.kill()
-                try:
-                    proc.wait(timeout=10)
-                except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
-                    pass
                 return 0
             continue
         blank_since = None
-        top = screen.menubar_text()
-        body = screen.ocr()
-        if 'terminal' not in top and 'utilities' not in top and any(k in body for k in PICKER_BODY):
-            screen.save('picker')
-            log('OpenCore boot picker, pressing Return')
-            qmp.send_key('ret')
-            screen.stable_since = time.time()
-            login_since = None
-            continue
-        # bright post-boot screen (loginwindow/desktop) => booted; power down if the
-        # agent did not (so customize/generalize completes even if BTM blocks it)
-        if screen.mean() > 80 and 'terminal' not in top and 'utilities' not in top:
+
+        if screen.mean() > args.bright:
+            # loginwindow / Setup Assistant: the OS is installed and booted
             if login_since is None:
                 login_since = now
-                log('bright screen (loginwindow/desktop) after boot; grace before powerdown')
+                log(f'bright screen (mean {screen.mean():.0f}): loginwindow/desktop, grace {args.login_grace:.0f}s')
             elif now - login_since > args.login_grace:
                 screen.save('loginwindow')
-                log(f'loginwindow persisted {now - login_since:.0f}s, powering down')
+                log('powering down (boot complete)')
                 try:
                     qmp.system_powerdown()
                 except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
                     log(f'powerdown failed: {e}')
-                for _ in range(90):
+                for _ in range(120):
                     if proc.poll() is not None:
+                        log('QEMU exited after powerdown')
                         return 0
                     time.sleep(1)
+                # macOS ignores the power button at the Setup Assistant; the
+                # volumes are journaled (APFS) and the PE mounts them cleanly next
+                log('guest ignores the ACPI power button here (Setup Assistant); stopping QEMU')
                 proc.kill()
                 return 0
             continue
-        else:
         login_since = None
-        if 'terminal' not in top and 'utilities' not in top and screen.mean() < 40 \
-                and screen.stable_for() > args.stall_reset and disk_idle(args) and resets < args.max_resets:
+
+        # dark, frozen, nothing happening: a boot hang (seen at the Apple logo)
+        if screen.stable_for() > args.stall_reset and idle and resets < args.max_resets:
             resets += 1
             screen.save('stall-reset')
-            log(f'boot hung ({screen.stable_for():.0f}s frozen, dark, disk idle), system_reset #{resets}')
+            log(f'boot hung ({screen.stable_for():.0f}s frozen, dark, idle), system_reset #{resets}')
             try:
                 qmp.system_reset()
             except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
@@ -562,54 +521,66 @@ def run_boot(args, proc, qmp, log):
 
 
 def main():
-    p = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__, formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
-    p.add_argument('--mode', choices=['install', 'boot'], required=True)
+    p = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    p.add_argument('--mode', choices=['pe', 'install', 'boot', 'qga'], required=True)
+    p.add_argument('--qga-sock', default=None, help='guest agent unix socket (mode qga)')
+    p.add_argument('--qga-command', default=None, help='bash command to run as root through the guest agent (mode qga)')
+    p.add_argument('--qga-settle', type=float, default=20.0, help='seconds to wait after the agent answers before running the command')
     p.add_argument('--name', default='macos')
     p.add_argument('--debug-dir', default=None)
+    p.add_argument('--serial-log', default=None, help='file QEMU writes the serial console to')
     p.add_argument('--timeout', type=int, default=4 * 3600, help='seconds before QEMU is killed')
+    p.add_argument('--start-timeout', type=float, default=600.0, help='seconds for the PE to start run.sh')
     p.add_argument('--interval', type=float, default=5.0, help='seconds between screenshots')
     p.add_argument('--periodic', type=float, default=120.0, help='seconds between saved debug screenshots')
     p.add_argument('--settle', type=float, default=12.0, help='seconds a screen must be unchanged to act on it')
-    p.add_argument('--min-boot', type=float, default=45.0, help='seconds before the first action')
-    p.add_argument('--max-actions', type=int, default=8)
-    p.add_argument('--stall-reset', type=float, default=360.0, help='reset the VM if a non-Terminal screen is frozen this long (boot hang)')
+    p.add_argument('--stall-reset', type=float, default=360.0, help='reset the VM if a dark screen is frozen this long while disk and serial are idle')
     p.add_argument('--max-resets', type=int, default=6)
-    p.add_argument('--halt-timeout', type=float, default=150.0, help='after the bootstrap, a pure-black screen this long means the guest halted (macOS shutdown does not ACPI-power-off QEMU)')
-    p.add_argument('--progress-file', default=None, help='a file (the system disk) whose mtime shows guest activity; resets/halt only fire when it is also idle, so a slow-but-working boot is never interrupted')
-    p.add_argument('--disk-idle', type=float, default=90.0, help='seconds of no writes to --progress-file that count as idle')
-    p.add_argument('--login-grace', type=float, default=240.0, help='seconds to wait at the loginwindow for the agent to power off before the driver powers down itself')
-    p.add_argument('--command', default='diskutil mount VMIX;sh /Volumes/VMIX/run.sh')
+    p.add_argument('--reboot-timeout', type=float, default=60.0, help='seconds after a guest reboot request without a new kernel boot before the VM is reset')
+    p.add_argument('--halt-timeout', type=float, default=150.0, help='a pure-black, idle screen this long means the guest halted')
+    p.add_argument('--progress-file', default=None, help='the system disk; its mtime shows guest disk activity')
+    p.add_argument('--disk-idle', type=float, default=90.0, help='seconds without disk/serial activity that count as idle')
+    p.add_argument('--bright', type=float, default=80.0, help='mean brightness above which a screen is the loginwindow/desktop')
+    p.add_argument('--login-grace', type=float, default=180.0, help='seconds a bright screen must persist before powering down')
     p.add_argument('qemu', nargs=argparse.REMAINDER)
     args = p.parse_args()
-    qemu_args = args.qemu[1:] if args.qemu and args.qemu[0] == '--' else args.qemu
+    qemu_args = [a for a in args.qemu if a != '--']
     if not qemu_args:
         p.error('QEMU command line required after --')
 
-    args.debug_dir = prepare_debug_dir(args.debug_dir or f'/tmp/vmix-macos/{args.name}')
-    log = Log(os.path.join(args.debug_dir, 'driver.log'))
-    log(f'mode={args.mode} debug-dir={args.debug_dir} ocr={"yes" if pytesseract else "no"}')
-    qmp_sock = os.path.join(args.debug_dir, 'qmp.sock')
-
-    proc, qmp = launch(qemu_args, qmp_sock, log)
-    if qmp is None and '-display' in qemu_args and 'sdl' in qemu_args:
-        # SDL could not open a window: retry headless
-        log(f'QEMU exited early ({proc.returncode}) with SDL, retrying headless')
-        i = qemu_args.index('-display')
-        qemu_args = qemu_args[:i] + ['-display', 'none'] + qemu_args[i + 2:]
-        proc, qmp = launch(qemu_args, qmp_sock, log)
-    if qmp is None:
-        log(f'QEMU exited immediately with {proc.returncode}')
-        return proc.returncode or 1
+    debug_dir = args.debug_dir or f'/tmp/vmix-macos/{args.name}'
+    debug_dir = prepare_debug_dir(debug_dir)
+    log = Log(os.path.join(debug_dir, 'driver.log'))
+    log(f'mode={args.mode} debug-dir={debug_dir} serial={args.serial_log}')
 
+    qmp_sock = os.path.join(debug_dir, 'qmp.sock')
+    proc = launch(qemu_args, qmp_sock, log)
+    qmp = QMP(qmp_sock)
     try:
-        if args.mode == 'install':
-            rc = run_install(args, proc, qmp, log)
+        qmp.connect()
+    except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
+        log(f'QMP connect failed: {e}')
+        proc.kill()
+        return 2
+    screen = Screen(qmp, debug_dir, log)
+    serial = Serial(args.serial_log)
+    try:
+        if args.mode == 'qga':
+            rc = run_qga(args, proc, qmp, screen, serial, log)
         else:
-            rc = run_boot(args, proc, qmp, log)
+            rc = drive(args, proc, qmp, screen, serial, log)
     finally:
+        if args.serial_log and os.path.exists(args.serial_log):
+            try:
+                shutil.copy(args.serial_log, os.path.join(debug_dir, 'serial.log'))
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+        try:
             if proc.poll() is None:
                 proc.kill()
-    log(f'QEMU exited with {rc}')
+        except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+            pass
+    log(f'done rc={rc}')
     return rc
 
 

lib/images/macos/helpers/vmix-readback.nix

@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
-# Shell snippet: read the vmix agent's result off the VMIX HFS+ volume of a raw
-# disk image (${image}). Prints the guest logs and sets STATUS to the contents
-# of vmix-run.status ("0" on success). Uses libguestfs (mtools is FAT-only). The
-# agent unmounts VMIX cleanly before shutdown, so a read-only mount is safe.
+# Shell snippet: read the PE's result off the VMIX HFS+ volume of a raw disk
+# image (${image}). Prints the guest logs and sets STATUS to the contents of
+# vmix-run.status ("0" on success, empty if run.sh never returned, e.g. the
+# installer rebooted). The PE unmounts VMIX before powering off.
 { ... }:
 image:
 ''
   echo "=== vmix: reading result from ${image} ==="
-  for f in install.log system-install.log vmix-run.log vmix-agent.log; do
+  for f in vmix-run.log system-install.log; do
     C=$(guestfish --ro -a ${image} -m /dev/sda1 cat /$f 2>/dev/null || true)
-    [ -n "$C" ] && { echo "--- $f ---"; printf '%s\n' "$C"; }
+    [ -n "$C" ] && { echo "--- $f ---"; printf '%s\n' "$C" | tail -400; }
   done
   STATUS=$(guestfish --ro -a ${image} -m /dev/sda1 cat /vmix-run.status 2>/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)
 ''

lib/images/macos/tahoe/images.nix

@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 # Pre-built macOS Tahoe (26) images
-# Pipeline: makeImage (unattended install, vmix agent) → templates → generalize
+# Pipeline: makeRecoveryPE (Recovery + vmix hook) → makeImage (unattended, offline
+# install) → templates (applied offline from the PE) → generalize
 { pkgs, lib, system, macos, installer, recovery, ... }:
 with macos;
 rec {
+  pe = makeRecoveryPE { name = "macos-tahoe"; inherit recovery; };
+
   upstream = makeImage {
     name = "macos-tahoe";
-    inherit installer recovery;
+    inherit installer pe;
   };
 
   basic = customizeImageFold upstream templates.bundles.basic;

lib/images/macos/templates/default.nix

@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 rec {
   generalize = import ./generalize.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
 
+  software = import ./software { inherit pkgs lib; };
+  profile = import ./profile { inherit pkgs lib; };
+
   essentials = {
     remoteAccess = import ./essentials/remote-access.nix { };
     noUpdates = import ./essentials/no-updates.nix { };
-    performance = import ./essentials/performance.nix { };
+    performance = import ./essentials/performance.nix { inherit pkgs; };
   };
 
   bundles = {

lib/images/macos/templates/essentials/no-updates.nix

@@ -4,12 +4,10 @@
 {
   name = "no-updates";
   script = ''
-    softwareupdate --schedule off || true
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticCheckEnabled -bool false
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload -bool false
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates -bool false
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate ConfigDataInstall -bool false
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CriticalUpdateInstall -bool false
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.commerce AutoUpdate -bool false
+    SU="$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist"
+    for k in AutomaticCheckEnabled AutomaticDownload AutomaticallyInstallMacOSUpdates ConfigDataInstall CriticalUpdateInstall; do
+      pe_plist_set "$SU" "$k" bool false
+    done
+    pe_plist_set "$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.commerce.plist" AutoUpdate bool false
   '';
 }

lib/images/macos/templates/essentials/performance.nix

@@ -1,11 +1,32 @@
-# Less background work in a VM: no Spotlight indexing, no Time Machine, no sleep
-{ ... }:
+# Less background work in a VM: no Spotlight indexing, no Time Machine, no
+# sleep, no immediate screen lock.
+{ pkgs, ... }:
+let
+  power = pkgs.writeText "com.apple.PowerManagement.plist" ''
+    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+    <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+    <plist version="1.0">
+    <dict>
+      <key>ActivePowerProfiles</key><dict><key>AC Power</key><integer>-1</integer></dict>
+      <key>Custom Profile</key><dict><key>AC Power</key><dict>
+        <key>Display Sleep Timer</key><integer>0</integer>
+        <key>System Sleep Timer</key><integer>0</integer>
+        <key>Disk Sleep Timer</key><integer>0</integer>
+        <key>Wake On LAN</key><integer>0</integer>
+        <key>hibernatemode</key><integer>0</integer>
+      </dict></dict>
+    </dict>
+    </plist>
+  '';
+in
 {
   name = "performance";
+  files = [ { source = power; name = "com.apple.PowerManagement.plist"; } ];
   script = ''
-    mdutil -a -i off || true
-    tmutil disable || true
-    pmset -a sleep 0 displaysleep 0 disksleep 0 hibernatemode 0 womp 0 || true
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow DisableScreenLockImmediate -bool true
+    touch "$DATA/.metadata_never_index"
+    pe_plist_set "$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist" AutoBackup bool false
+    pe_plist_set "$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow.plist" DisableScreenLockImmediate bool true
+    cp "$V/com.apple.PowerManagement.plist" "$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.PowerManagement.plist"
+    chown 0:0 "$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.PowerManagement.plist"
   '';
 }

lib/images/macos/templates/essentials/remote-access.nix

@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 # Enable SSH (Remote Login) and Screen Sharing (VNC on 5900 inside the guest)
+# by clearing their launchd overrides on the image's Data volume.
 { ... }:
 {
   name = "remote-access";
   script = ''
-    systemsetup -setremotelogin on >/dev/null 2>&1 || launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ssh.plist
-    launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.screensharing.plist
-    # allow all local users to screen share
-    defaults write /var/db/launchd.db/com.apple.launchd/overrides.plist com.apple.screensharing -dict Disabled -bool false 2>/dev/null || true
+    pe_service_disabled com.apple.openssh.sshd false
+    pe_service_disabled com.apple.screensharing false
   '';
 }

lib/images/macos/templates/generalize.nix

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-# Generalize a macOS image: create the user, auto-login, hostname, timezone,
-# suppress Setup Assistant prompts, then remove the vmix agent. Also gives the
-# image a fresh SMBIOS identity (serial/MLB from macserial, MAC + UUID from
-# `seed`) so every generalized VM looks like a distinct Mac to Apple ID/iMessage.
+# Generalize a macOS image, offline from the PE: create the (admin) user on the
+# image's Data volume with dscl, auto-login, suppress the first-login Setup
+# Assistant, hostname, locale, timezone, use the whole disk, and give the image
+# a fresh SMBIOS identity (serial/MLB from macserial, MAC + UUID from `seed`) so
+# every generalized VM looks like a distinct Mac to Apple ID/iMessage.
 # Usage: (templates.generalize { username = "User"; password = ""; hostname = "MAC"; })
 # delayOobeRun = true: no user, Setup Assistant runs on first real boot (like Windows OOBE)
 { pkgs, lib, ... }:
@@ -21,6 +22,14 @@
   uuid ? null,
   mac ? null,
   seed ? "${hostname}-${username}",
+  # keep the user's home on an APFS volume labelled vmix-home (a virtio-blk disk
+  # the host provides, formatted by the PE on first start). macOS refuses mounts
+  # over /Users (firmlink), so the volume automounts at /Volumes/<label> and the
+  # account's home directory lives there: ephemeral OS disk, persistent home.
+  persistHome ? false,
+  homeVolumeLabel ? "vmix-home",
+  # no desktop widgets for the created user (Sonoma+)
+  hideWidgets ? true,
   # accepted for CLI parity with Windows, not supported on macOS
   bgColor ? null,
 }:
@@ -34,7 +43,8 @@ let
     "DidSeeCloudSetup" "DidSeeSiriSetup" "DidSeePrivacy" "DidSeeTouchIDSetup" "DidSeeAppearanceSetup"
     "DidSeeScreenTime" "DidSeeAccessibility" "DidSeeTrueTonePrivacy" "DidSeeActivationLock"
     "DidSeeiCloudLoginForStorageServices" "DidSeeSyncSetup" "DidSeeSyncSetup2" "DidSeeAppleIDSyncSetup"
-    "DidSeeApplePaySetup" "DidSeeIntelligence" "DidSeeLockdownMode" "DidSeeAppStore" "SkipFirstLoginOptimization"
+    "DidSeeApplePaySetup" "DidSeeIntelligence" "DidSeeLockdownMode" "DidSeeAppStore" "DidSeeUpdateMacAutomatically"
+    "DidSeeSoftwareUpdate" "SkipFirstLoginOptimization"
   ];
 in
 {
@@ -44,60 +54,93 @@ in
   script = ''
     set -x
     ${lib.optionalString (bgColor != null) ''echo "vmix: bgColor is not supported on macOS, ignoring"''}
+    VER=$(pe_target_version); BUILD=$(pe_target_build)
+    echo "vmix: target macOS $VER ($BUILD)"
+    N="$DATA/private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default"
+    D() { dscl -f "$N" localhost "$@"; }
 
     ${lib.optionalString (!delayOobeRun) ''
-    # --- user account (admin)
-    if ! id "${username}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-      sysadminctl -addUser "${username}" -fullName ${lib.escapeShellArg fullName} \
-        -password ${lib.escapeShellArg (if password == "" then tempPassword else password)} \
-        -admin -home "/Users/${username}" || exit 1
-      ${lib.optionalString (password == "") ''
-      dscl . -passwd "/Users/${username}" "${tempPassword}" "" || echo "vmix: WARNING: could not set an empty password, password is '${tempPassword}'"
-      ''}
+    # --- user account (admin), created directly in the local directory node
+    U="${username}"; HOME_DIR="$DATA/Users/$U"
+    ${lib.optionalString persistHome ''HOME_PATH="/Volumes/${homeVolumeLabel}/$U"''}
+    if ! D -read "/Local/Default/Users/$U" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      UID_NEW=$(D -list /Local/Default/Users UniqueID | awk '$2 >= 501 && $2 < 1000 && $2 > m {m = $2} END {print (m ? m + 1 : 501)}')
+      D -create "/Local/Default/Users/$U" || pe_fail "dscl create user"
+      D -create "/Local/Default/Users/$U" UserShell /bin/zsh
+      D -create "/Local/Default/Users/$U" RealName ${lib.escapeShellArg fullName}
+      D -create "/Local/Default/Users/$U" UniqueID "$UID_NEW"
+      D -create "/Local/Default/Users/$U" PrimaryGroupID 20
+      D -create "/Local/Default/Users/$U" NFSHomeDirectory "${if persistHome then "/Volumes/${homeVolumeLabel}/$U" else "/Users/$U"}"
+      if ! D -passwd "/Local/Default/Users/$U" ${lib.escapeShellArg password}; then
+        echo "vmix: WARNING: could not set the requested password, using '${tempPassword}'"
+        D -passwd "/Local/Default/Users/$U" "${tempPassword}" || pe_fail "dscl passwd"
+      fi
+      for g in admin _appserverusr _appserveradm _lpadmin; do
+        D -append "/Local/Default/Groups/$g" GroupMembership "$U" 2>/dev/null || true
+      done
+      mkdir -p "$HOME_DIR"
+      T="$SYS/System/Library/User Template/Non_localized"; [ -d "$T" ] || T="/System/Library/User Template/Non_localized"
+      ditto "$T" "$HOME_DIR" 2>/dev/null || true
+      L="$SYS/System/Library/User Template/English.lproj"; [ -d "$L" ] && ditto "$L" "$HOME_DIR" 2>/dev/null || true
+    else
+      UID_NEW=$(D -read "/Local/Default/Users/$U" UniqueID | awk '{print $2}')
     fi
     ${lib.optionalString autoLogon ''
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow autoLoginUser "${username}"
-    cp /Volumes/VMIX/kcpassword /etc/kcpassword
-    chmod 600 /etc/kcpassword
-    chown root:wheel /etc/kcpassword
+    pe_plist_set "$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow.plist" autoLoginUser string "$U"
+    cp "$V/kcpassword" "$DATA/private/etc/kcpassword"
+    chmod 600 "$DATA/private/etc/kcpassword"; chown 0:0 "$DATA/private/etc/kcpassword"
     ''}
     # --- no Setup Assistant / "What's new" prompts at first login
-    P="/Users/${username}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SetupAssistant"
-    VER=$(sw_vers -productVersion)
-    BUILD=$(sw_vers -buildVersion)
-    for k in ${lib.concatStringsSep " " setupKeys}; do
-      defaults write "$P" "$k" -bool true
-    done
-    defaults write "$P" GestureMovieSeen none
-    defaults write "$P" LastSeenCloudProductVersion "$VER"
-    defaults write "$P" LastSeenBuddyBuildVersion "$BUILD"
-    defaults write "$P" LastSeenSiriProductVersion "$VER"
-    defaults write "$P" LastPreLoginTasksPerformedVersion "$VER"
-    defaults write "/Users/${username}/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences" AppleLocale "${macLocale}"
-    chown -R "${username}" "/Users/${username}/Library/Preferences"
+    mkdir -p "$HOME_DIR/Library/Preferences"
+    P="$HOME_DIR/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SetupAssistant.plist"
+    for k in ${lib.concatStringsSep " " setupKeys}; do pe_plist_set "$P" "$k" bool true; done
+    pe_plist_set "$P" GestureMovieSeen string none
+    pe_plist_set "$P" LastSeenCloudProductVersion string "$VER"
+    pe_plist_set "$P" LastSeenBuddyBuildVersion string "$BUILD"
+    pe_plist_set "$P" LastSeenSiriProductVersion string "$VER"
+    pe_plist_set "$P" LastPreLoginTasksPerformedVersion string "$VER"
+    pe_plist_set "$P" LastPreLoginTasksPerformedBuild string "$BUILD"
+    pe_plist_set "$HOME_DIR/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist" AppleLocale string "${macLocale}"
+    ${lib.optionalString hideWidgets ''
+    WM="$HOME_DIR/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WindowManager.plist"
+    pe_plist_set "$WM" StandardHideWidgets integer 1
+    pe_plist_set "$WM" StageManagerHideWidgets integer 1
+    ''}
+    chown -R "$UID_NEW:20" "$HOME_DIR"
+    touch "$DATA/private/var/db/.AppleSetupDone"
+    ''}
+    ${lib.optionalString delayOobeRun ''
+    rm -f "$DATA/private/var/db/.AppleSetupDone"
     ''}
 
     # --- machine identity
-    scutil --set ComputerName "${hostname}"
-    scutil --set HostName "${hostname}"
-    scutil --set LocalHostName "${hostname}"
-    defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences AppleLocale "${macLocale}"
-    systemsetup -settimezone "${timezone}" >/dev/null 2>&1 || ln -sfn "/usr/share/zoneinfo/${timezone}" /etc/localtime
+    PF="$DATA/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist"
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$PF")"
+    pe_plist_dict "$PF" System
+    pe_plist_dict "$PF" System.System
+    pe_plist_dict "$PF" System.Network
+    pe_plist_dict "$PF" System.Network.HostNames
+    pe_plist_set "$PF" System.System.ComputerName string "${hostname}"
+    pe_plist_set "$PF" System.System.HostName string "${hostname}"
+    pe_plist_set "$PF" System.Network.HostNames.LocalHostName string "${hostname}"
+    pe_plist_set "$DATA/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist" AppleLocale string "${macLocale}"
+    ln -sfn "/var/db/timezone/zoneinfo/${timezone}" "$DATA/private/etc/localtime"
+    pe_plist_set "$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.timezone.auto.plist" Active bool false
 
-    # --- never sleep (VM)
-    pmset -a sleep 0 displaysleep 0 disksleep 0 hibernatemode 0 || true
+    # --- QEMU's USB keyboard (vendor 0x0627, product 0x0001) is unknown to macOS,
+    # which would open the Keyboard Setup Assistant at every login: declare it ANSI
+    KT="$DATA/Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboardtype.plist"
+    pe_plist_dict "$KT" keyboardtype
+    pe_plist_set "$KT" keyboardtype.1-1575-0 integer 40
 
-    # --- use the whole (possibly grown) disk
-    STORE=$(diskutil info / | awk '/APFS Physical Store/ {print $NF}')
-    [ -n "$STORE" ] && diskutil apfs resizeContainer "$STORE" 0 || true
-
-    ${lib.optionalString delayOobeRun ''
-    # Setup Assistant will run on the next boot
-    rm -f /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
+    ${lib.optionalString persistHome ''
+    # --- persistent home: the seeded home directory on the Data volume is the
+    # template loginwindow copies to /Volumes/${homeVolumeLabel}/$U at first login
+    # (the volume is automounted by diskarbitrationd before the login)
     ''}
 
-    # --- the agent's job is done: remove it (this is the last vmix step)
-    rm -f /Library/LaunchDaemons/ch.vmix.agent.plist
-    rm -rf /Library/vmix
+    # --- use the whole (possibly grown) disk
+    STORE=$(diskutil info "$SYS_ID" | sed -n 's/.*APFS Physical Store: *//p' | awk '{print $1}')
+    [ -n "$STORE" ] && diskutil apfs resizeContainer "$STORE" 0 || true
   '';
 }

lib/images/macos/templates/profile/default.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# User profile templates, applied on the booted image inside the logged-in
+# user's session through the guest agent (after generalize with autoLogon).
+#   settings — { hideWidgets, wallpaper, dockApps, dockAutohide, showHiddenFiles }
+{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
+let
+  # Apple Events (osascript → System Events) need per-app automation consent that a
+  # headless session cannot grant; desktoppr sets the wallpaper through NSWorkspace
+  # inside the user's session instead (scriptingosx/desktoppr, pinned).
+  desktoppr = pkgs.fetchurl {
+    url = "https://github.com/scriptingosx/desktoppr/releases/download/v0.5/desktoppr-0.5-218.pkg";
+    hash = "sha256-HPtn1wI7xrx7HjyMz1yJGhutIodt938/vHfSeHfMe50=";
+  };
+in
+rec {
+  settings = {
+    hideWidgets ? true,          # no desktop widgets (Sonoma+)
+    wallpaper ? null,            # image file (drv/path) set as the desktop picture
+    dockApps ? null,             # list of app paths, e.g. [ "/System/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app" ]; null = untouched
+    dockAutohide ? false,
+    showHiddenFiles ? false,
+    darkMode ? null,             # true/false/null
+  }: {
+    name = "profile";
+    files = lib.optionals (wallpaper != null) [
+      { source = wallpaper; name = "wallpaper.${lib.last (lib.splitString "." (baseNameOf (toString wallpaper)))}"; }
+      { source = desktoppr; name = "desktoppr.pkg"; }
+    ];
+    bootScript = ''
+      set -x
+      [ -n "$CONSOLE_USER" ] || { echo "vmix: profile needs a logged-in user (generalize with autoLogon)"; exit 1; }
+      H=$(dscl . -read "/Users/$CONSOLE_USER" NFSHomeDirectory | awk '{print $2}')
+      D() { as_user defaults write "$@"; }
+      ${lib.optionalString hideWidgets ''
+      D com.apple.WindowManager StandardHideWidgets -int 1
+      D com.apple.WindowManager StageManagerHideWidgets -int 1
+      D com.apple.widgets widgetAppearance -int 0
+      ''}
+
+      ${lib.optionalString (dockApps != null) ''
+      D com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array
+      ${lib.concatMapStringsSep "\n" (a: ''
+      D com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add "<dict><key>tile-type</key><string>file-tile</string><key>tile-data</key><dict><key>file-data</key><dict><key>_CFURLString</key><string>file://${a}/</string><key>_CFURLStringType</key><integer>15</integer></dict></dict></dict>"
+      '') dockApps}
+      ''}
+      ${lib.optionalString dockAutohide ''D com.apple.dock autohide -bool true''}
+      ${lib.optionalString showHiddenFiles ''D com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true''}
+      ${lib.optionalString (darkMode != null) (if darkMode
+        then ''D -g AppleInterfaceStyle Dark''
+        else ''as_user defaults delete -g AppleInterfaceStyle 2>/dev/null || true'')}
+      as_user killall Dock Finder WindowManager 2>/dev/null || true
+      sleep 10
+      # wallpaper last: WindowManager re-applies its desktop configuration when the
+      # widget/dock settings above change, which reverts a choice made before it
+      ${lib.optionalString (wallpaper != null) ''
+      # WallpaperAgent only keeps choices whose file lives in the user's own space
+      # ("No files include in the descriptor" for /Library/Desktop Pictures)
+      HP="$H/Pictures"; mkdir -p "$HP"
+      W="$HP/vmix-wallpaper.${lib.last (lib.splitString "." (baseNameOf (toString wallpaper)))}"
+      cp "$V/wallpaper".* "$W"; chown "$CONSOLE_USER" "$HP" "$W"; chmod 644 "$W"
+      installer -pkg "$V/desktoppr.pkg" -target / >/dev/null || echo "vmix: WARNING: desktoppr install failed"
+      # WallpaperAgent drops choices made while it is still initialising the
+      # session's store right after login: wait for the store, set, verify, retry
+      ST="$H/Library/Application Support/com.apple.wallpaper/Store/Index.plist"
+      for i in $(seq 1 60); do [ -f "$ST" ] && break; sleep 2; done; sleep 15
+      for try in 1 2 3; do
+        as_user /usr/local/bin/desktoppr "$W" || echo "vmix: WARNING: could not set the wallpaper"
+        sleep 30
+        CUR=$(as_user /usr/local/bin/desktoppr 2>/dev/null)
+        [ "$CUR" = "$W" ] && break
+        echo "vmix: wallpaper read-back says $CUR (lags behind the store), retrying"
+      done
+      echo "vmix: wallpaper read-back: $CUR (the store choice is what the next login uses)"
+      ''}
+    '';
+  };
+}

lib/images/macos/templates/software/default.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# Software installation templates.
+#   pkg    — install a flat/distribution .pkg offline from the PE (`installer -target`)
+#   app    — copy an .app bundle (from a directory or zip) into /Applications offline
+#   script — run a shell script as root on the booted image (network available)
+{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
+rec {
+  pkg = { name, src, choices ? null }: {
+    name = "pkg-${name}";
+    files = [ { source = src; name = "${name}.pkg"; } ]
+      ++ lib.optional (choices != null) { source = choices; name = "${name}.choices.xml"; };
+    script = ''
+      echo "vmix: installing ${name}.pkg into $SYS"
+      installer -verboseR -pkg "$V/${name}.pkg" -target "$SYS" \
+        ${lib.optionalString (choices != null) ''-applyChoiceChangesXML "$V/${name}.choices.xml"''} \
+        || pe_fail "installer ${name}.pkg"
+    '';
+  };
+
+  app = { name, src }: {
+    name = "app-${name}";
+    files = [ { source = src; name = "${name}.app"; } ];
+    script = ''
+      echo "vmix: copying ${name}.app to $DATA/Applications"
+      mkdir -p "$DATA/Applications"
+      rm -rf "$DATA/Applications/${name}.app"
+      ditto "$V/${name}.app" "$DATA/Applications/${name}.app" || pe_fail "ditto ${name}.app"
+      chown -R 0:80 "$DATA/Applications/${name}.app"
+      xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "$DATA/Applications/${name}.app" 2>/dev/null || true
+    '';
+  };
+
+  script = { name, script, files ? [], network ? true }: {
+    name = "script-${name}";
+    inherit files network;
+    bootScript = script;
+  };
+
+  # Homebrew (needs network; installs for the console user or the given user)
+  homebrew = { user ? null, formulae ? [], casks ? [] }: {
+    name = "homebrew";
+    bootScript = ''
+      U=${if user == null then "$CONSOLE_USER" else user}
+      [ -n "$U" ] || { echo "vmix: no user to install Homebrew for"; exit 1; }
+      launchctl asuser "$(id -u "$U")" sudo -u "$U" env NONINTERACTIVE=1 \
+        /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" || exit 1
+      B=/usr/local/bin/brew
+      ${lib.optionalString (formulae != []) ''launchctl asuser "$(id -u "$U")" sudo -u "$U" $B install ${lib.escapeShellArgs formulae} || exit 1''}
+      ${lib.optionalString (casks != []) ''launchctl asuser "$(id -u "$U")" sudo -u "$U" $B install --cask ${lib.escapeShellArgs casks} || exit 1''}
+    '';
+  };
+}

lib/images/macos/tools/soak.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Repeatability check for a macOS image build: build the same attribute N times
+# (forcing a rebuild each time), keep every run's driver + serial logs, and print
+# a table of outcome / duration / which recovery mechanisms fired.
+#   tools/soak.sh <flake-dir> <attr> [runs] [outdir]
+# e.g. tools/soak.sh /root/vmix.nix macos.images.tahoe.upstream 3
+set -u
+FLAKE=${1:?flake dir}; ATTR=${2:?attribute}; RUNS=${3:-3}; OUT=${4:-/tmp/vmix-macos-soak}
+NAME=$(nix eval --impure --raw --expr "(builtins.getFlake \"path:$FLAKE\").lib.x86_64-linux.$ATTR.name" | sed 's/-vmix\.qcow2$//')
+DRV=$(nix eval --impure --raw --expr "(builtins.getFlake \"path:$FLAKE\").lib.x86_64-linux.$ATTR.drvPath")
+mkdir -p "$OUT"
+printf '%-4s %-8s %-9s %-6s %-7s %-7s %-6s %s\n' run result minutes boots resets panics tries note | tee "$OUT/summary.txt"
+for i in $(seq 1 "$RUNS"); do
+  D="$OUT/run-$i"; rm -rf "$D"; mkdir -p "$D"
+  rm -rf "/tmp/vmix-macos/$NAME"
+  t0=$(date +%s)
+  if [ "$i" -eq 1 ]; then nix build --no-link -L --option sandbox relaxed "$DRV^*" > "$D/build.log" 2>&1; rc=$?
+  else nix build --no-link -L --option sandbox relaxed --rebuild "$DRV^*" > "$D/build.log" 2>&1; rc=$?; fi
+  t1=$(date +%s)
+  cp "/tmp/vmix-macos/$NAME"/driver.log "/tmp/vmix-macos/$NAME"/serial.log "$D/" 2>/dev/null
+  cp "/tmp/vmix-macos/$NAME"/*.png "$D/" 2>/dev/null
+  L="$D/driver.log"
+  boots=$(grep -c 'guest kernel boot' "$L" 2>/dev/null); resets=$(grep -c 'system_reset' "$L" 2>/dev/null)
+  panics=$(grep -c 'kernel panic' "$L" 2>/dev/null); tries=$(grep -c 'startosinstall try' "$L" 2>/dev/null)
+  note=$(grep -oE 'prepare too slow[^,]*|PE did not[^,]*|guest halted|powering down|timeout reached' "$L" 2>/dev/null | sort | uniq -c | tr '\n' ';' | tr -s ' ')
+  # --rebuild makes nix exit non-zero when the (byte-wise different) qcow2 does not
+  # match the earlier output; judge the run by the builder's own completion line
+  if grep -q "install complete" "$D/build.log"; then res=OK; else res=FAIL; fi
+  printf '%-4s %-8s %-9s %-6s %-7s %-7s %-6s %s\n' "$i" "$res" "$(( (t1 - t0) / 60 ))" "$boots" "$resets" "$panics" "$tries" "$note" | tee -a "$OUT/summary.txt"
+done
+echo "logs: $OUT"

lib/images/macos/upstream.json

@@ -28,6 +28,28 @@
       "fetchRecoveryScript": {
         "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kholia/OSX-KVM/4c378a4b5e0b219783683012bec680325eb40719/fetch-macOS-v2.py",
         "sha256": "39ac6d26bd265f5d32198062f515ad15ef93afb7a74e702be2b008090d5bd5f3"
+      },
+      "kexts": {
+        "Lilu": {
+          "version": "1.7.2",
+          "url": "https://github.com/acidanthera/Lilu/releases/download/1.7.2/Lilu-1.7.2-RELEASE.zip",
+          "hash": "sha256-U5Z9fc+qsBAjoz3y6WmolSLxPWZUpqVqxHEbYtq/Org="
+        },
+        "VirtualSMC": {
+          "version": "1.3.7",
+          "url": "https://github.com/acidanthera/VirtualSMC/releases/download/1.3.7/VirtualSMC-1.3.7-RELEASE.zip",
+          "hash": "sha256-EvHTeZafkmMG+pLZTdvzOzKzEXZYncQgidhkomsxtwA="
+        },
+        "WhateverGreen": {
+          "version": "1.7.0",
+          "url": "https://github.com/acidanthera/WhateverGreen/releases/download/1.7.0/WhateverGreen-1.7.0-RELEASE.zip",
+          "hash": "sha256-bW/+gzStYPeEpmJ5TmeyVgt511fVBoQdyMqZlKs5l5s="
+        },
+        "RestrictEvents": {
+          "version": "1.1.6",
+          "url": "https://github.com/acidanthera/RestrictEvents/releases/download/1.1.6/RestrictEvents-1.1.6-RELEASE.zip",
+          "hash": "sha256-mBcN+uGV3dKLXZXj8EASWhPKeDvLm9HluMWI4hexTuY="
+        }
       }
     }
   }

nixos/vms/config.nix

@@ -107,6 +107,42 @@ let
         (unique (map pciDeviceOf vmCfg.pci.passthrough));
 
 
+      # --- macOS: guest agent, virtio-fs shares, persistent home volume
+      macosQemu = vmixLib.macos.qemu;
+      qgaSock = "/run/vmix/qga-${vmCfg.name}.sock";
+      macosGuestAgent = isMacos && vmCfg.macos.guestAgent.enable;
+      macosShares = if isMacos then vmCfg.shares else {};
+      macosShareNames = attrNames macosShares;
+      macosAutomountShare = if macosShares ? automount then "automount"
+        else if macosShareNames != [] then head macosShareNames else null;
+      macosShareTag = n: if n == macosAutomountShare then macosQemu.automountTag else n;
+      macosShareSock = n: "/run/vmix/vfs-${vmCfg.name}-${n}.sock";
+      macosHome = isMacos && vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.enable;
+      macosFormatHome = if macosHome then vmixLib.macos.formatVolume {
+        image = vmCfg.disks.os.file; label = vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.label;
+      } else null;
+      # shares beyond the automounted one are mounted through the guest agent once it answers
+      macosMountSharesScript = pkgs.writeShellScript "${vmCfg.name}-macos-shares-vmix" ''
+        for i in $(seq 1 120); do
+          [ -S ${qgaSock} ] && printf '{"execute":"guest-ping"}\n' | ${pkgs.socat}/bin/socat -T5 - UNIX-CONNECT:${qgaSock} 2>/dev/null | grep -q return && break
+          sleep 5
+        done
+        ${concatMapStrings (n: optionalString (n != macosAutomountShare) ''
+        printf '%s\n' '{"execute":"guest-exec","arguments":{"path":"/bin/bash","arg":["-c","mkdir -p ${macosShares.${n}.target}; mount -t virtiofs ${n} ${macosShares.${n}.target}"]}}' \
+          | ${pkgs.socat}/bin/socat -T10 - UNIX-CONNECT:${qgaSock} >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+        '') macosShareNames}
+      '';
+      seedHomeDiskScript = pkgs.writeShellScript "${vmCfg.name}-home-disk-vmix" ''
+        F="${vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.file}"
+        if [ ! -e "$F" ]; then
+          echo "Creating persistent home volume $F (${vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.size}, ${vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.format})..."
+          mkdir -p "$(dirname "$F")"
+          ${pkgs.qemu}/bin/qemu-img create -q -f ${vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.format} "$F" ${vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.size}
+          chmod 600 "$F"
+          ${macosFormatHome} "$F" ${vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.format}
+        fi
+      '';
+
       # Linux VMs: apply customizeImage with 9p fstab and machine-id setup
       linuxOsImage = vmixLib.linux.customizeImage vmCfg.disks.os.file {
         name = vmCfg.name;
@@ -140,7 +176,8 @@ let
         fi
       '';
 
-      persistExecStartPre = lib.optional (hasOsDisk && vmCfg.disks.os.persist) seedPersistentDiskScript;
+      persistExecStartPre = lib.optional (hasOsDisk && vmCfg.disks.os.persist) seedPersistentDiskScript
+        ++ lib.optional macosHome seedHomeDiskScript;
 
       # QEMU expects single-letter boot codes (e.g. c,d,n), while vmix uses readable names.
       bootOrderQemu =
@@ -175,6 +212,16 @@ let
       );
 
       qemuStartVMScript = pkgs.writeShellScript "${vmCfg.name}-qemu-vmix" ''
+        ${optionalString (isMacos && macosShareNames != []) ''
+          mkdir -p /run/vmix
+          ${concatMapStrings (n: ''
+          rm -f ${macosShareSock n}
+          ${pkgs.virtiofsd}/bin/virtiofsd --socket-path=${macosShareSock n} --shared-dir ${toString macosShares.${n}.source} --cache auto --sandbox none &
+          '') macosShareNames}
+          for i in $(seq 1 50); do ${concatMapStringsSep " && " (n: "[ -S ${macosShareSock n} ]") macosShareNames} && break; sleep 0.2; done
+          ${optionalString macosGuestAgent "${macosMountSharesScript} &"}
+        ''}
+        ${optionalString macosGuestAgent "mkdir -p /run/vmix; rm -f ${qgaSock}"}
         ${optionalString vmCfg.vnc.enable ''
           ${optionalString (vmCfg.vnc.passwordFile != null) ''
             if [ ! -r ${escapeShellArg vmCfg.vnc.passwordFile} ]; then
@@ -208,7 +255,7 @@ let
           ${optionalString vmCfg.vnc.enable "-vnc ${vncArgs}"} \
           ${optionalString (vmCfg.spice.enable && vmCfg.spice.passwordFile != null) "-object secret,id=spice-pass-${vmCfg.name},file=${escapeShellArg vmCfg.spice.passwordFile}"} \
           ${optionalString vmCfg.spice.enable "-spice addr=${vmCfg.spice.addr},port=${toString vmCfg.spice.port}${optionalString (vmCfg.spice.passwordFile == null) ",disable-ticketing=on"}${optionalString (vmCfg.spice.passwordFile != null) ",password-secret=spice-pass-${vmCfg.name}"}"} \
-          ${optionalString vmCfg.spice.enable (if vmCfg.spice.displayDevice == "qxl" && vmCfg.spice.vgamem != null then "-vga none -device qxl-vga,vgamem_mb=${toString vmCfg.spice.vgamem}" else "-vga ${vmCfg.spice.displayDevice}")} \
+          ${optionalString (vmCfg.spice.enable && !isMacos) (if vmCfg.spice.displayDevice == "qxl" && vmCfg.spice.vgamem != null then "-vga none -device qxl-vga,vgamem_mb=${toString vmCfg.spice.vgamem}" else "-vga ${vmCfg.spice.displayDevice}")} \
           ${optionalString (vmCfg.spice.enable && vmCfg.spice.agent.enable) "-device virtio-serial-pci -chardev spicevmc,id=vdagent,debug=0,name=vdagent -device virtserialport,chardev=vdagent,name=com.redhat.spice.0"} \
           ${# Guest agent channel — prevents qemu-ga from spinning when virtio-win guest tools are installed
             optionalString isWindows "${optionalString (!vmCfg.spice.enable || !vmCfg.spice.agent.enable) "-device virtio-serial-pci"} -chardev socket,path=/tmp/qga-${vmCfg.name}.sock,server=on,wait=off,id=qga0 -device virtserialport,chardev=qga0,name=org.qemu.guest_agent.0"} \
@@ -228,9 +275,14 @@ let
           -device qemu-xhci -device usb-tablet \
           -global ICH9-LMB.disable_s3=1 -global ICH9-LMB.disable_s4=1 \
           ''} \
-          ${# macOS: AppleSMC + OSK, USB keyboard/tablet, AHCI system disk, VMware SVGA (no SPICE display device)
+          ${# macOS: VirtualSMC, USB keyboard/tablet, AHCI system disk, VMware SVGA (also under SPICE),
+            # Apple's guest agent, virtio-fs shares (shared memory backend), virtio-blk home volume
             optionalString isMacos ''
-          ${vmixLib.macos.qemu.deviceArgs} ${optionalString (!vmCfg.spice.enable) vmixLib.macos.qemu.vgaArgs} \
+          ${macosQemu.deviceArgs} ${if vmCfg.spice.enable && vmCfg.spice.displayDevice == "std" then "-vga std" else macosQemu.vgaArgs} \
+          ${optionalString macosGuestAgent (macosQemu.guestAgentArgs qgaSock)} \
+          ${optionalString (macosShareNames != []) (macosQemu.memBackendArgs vmCfg.mem.size)} \
+          ${concatMapStrings (n: "${macosQemu.virtioFsArgs { tag = macosShareTag n; sock = macosShareSock n; id = n; }} \\\n          ") macosShareNames} \
+          ${optionalString macosHome (macosQemu.virtioBlkArgs { id = "home"; file = vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.file; format = vmCfg.macos.homeDisk.format; })} \
           ''} \
           ${optionalString hasOsDisk (if isMacos
             then "-drive id=os,if=none,file=${osDiskPath},format=qcow2${optionalString (vmCfg.disks.os.persist == false) ",snapshot=on"} -device ide-hd,bus=sata.0,drive=os"
@@ -239,9 +291,9 @@ let
           ${concatMapStrings (diskCfg: ''
             -drive file=${toString diskCfg.file},format=${diskCfg.format},if=${vmCfg.disks.bus} \
           '') (attrValues vmCfg.disks.add)} \
-          ${concatStrings (mapAttrsToList (shareName: shareCfg: ''
+          ${optionalString (!isMacos) (concatStrings (mapAttrsToList (shareName: shareCfg: ''
             -virtfs local,path=${toString shareCfg.source},security_model=passthrough,mount_tag=${shareName} \
-          '') vmCfg.shares)} \
+          '') vmCfg.shares))} \
           ${optionalString cfg.networks.user.enable "
             -netdev user,id=user \
             -device ${vmCfg.nicModel},netdev=user${optionalString isMacos ",mac=${macosMac}${macosNicPlacement}"} \
@@ -280,6 +332,8 @@ let
         ProtectSystem = true;
         ProtectHome = true;
         PrivateNetwork = true;
+        RuntimeDirectory = "vmix";
+        RuntimeDirectoryPreserve = "yes";
       } // lib.optionalAttrs (vmCfg.pci.passthrough != []) {
         # VFIO passthrough needs raw device access — relax sandboxing
         ProtectSystem = lib.mkForce false;

nixos/vms/submoduleOptions.nix

@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ with lib;
         };
       };
       displayDevice = mkOption {
-        type = types.enum [ "virtio" "qxl" "std" "none" ];
+        type = types.enum [ "virtio" "qxl" "std" "vmware" "none" ];
         default = "qxl";
-        description = "QEMU -vga type to use with SPICE (qxl, virtio, std, none).";
+        description = "QEMU -vga type to use with SPICE (qxl, virtio, std, vmware, none). macOS has no QXL/virtio-gpu driver: it always uses vmware (or std).";
       };
       vgamem = mkOption {
         type = types.nullOr types.int;
@@ -212,11 +212,11 @@ with lib;
           };
           target = mkOption {
             type = types.str;
-            description = "Target path inside the VM for the shared directory.";
+            description = "Target path inside the VM for the shared directory. macOS: the share named `automount` (or the first one) appears at /Volumes/My Shared Files; others are mounted at target through the guest agent.";
           };
         };
       });
-      description = "Shared directories.";
+      description = "Shared directories (9p for Linux, virtio-fs via virtiofsd for macOS).";
     };
 
     disks.bus = mkOption {
@@ -265,6 +265,38 @@ with lib;
         default = null;
         description = "MAC address of en0. Defaults to the image's macAddress (must match OpenCore's ROM for Apple ID / iMessage).";
       };
+      guestAgent.enable = mkOption {
+        type = types.bool;
+        default = true;
+        description = "Attach Apple's built-in QEMU guest agent (virtio console port org.qemu.guest_agent.0). Socket: /run/vmix/qga-<name>.sock; guest-exec runs as root.";
+      };
+      homeDisk = {
+        enable = mkOption {
+          type = types.bool;
+          default = false;
+          description = "Persistent home volume: a host disk image attached as virtio-blk, formatted APFS with label `label` by the PE on first start. The image must be generalized with persistHome = true (the user's home is /Volumes/<label>/<user>), which makes the OS disk safely ephemeral (disks.os.persist = false).";
+        };
+        file = mkOption {
+          type = types.str;
+          default = "";
+          description = "Path of the home disk image, e.g. /storage/vms/mac/home.qcow2 (created if missing).";
+        };
+        format = mkOption {
+          type = types.enum [ "qcow2" "raw" ];
+          default = "qcow2";
+          description = "Image format; use raw for a zvol/block device (created only for files).";
+        };
+        size = mkOption {
+          type = types.str;
+          default = "64G";
+          description = "Size when the image is created.";
+        };
+        label = mkOption {
+          type = types.str;
+          default = "vmix-home";
+          description = "APFS volume label (must match generalize's homeVolumeLabel).";
+        };
+      };
     };
 
     tpm = {