[macOS] Cant allocate more than 1 CPU Core

[FlorianKrug]

Describe the Issue

MacOs does not boot, when i allocate more than 1 Socket, 1 Core and 1 Thread. I have tried several MacOs Versions.

Reproduce the Issue

1. Run Autopilot
2. Start VM over Virt-Manager
3. Run installer
4. increase CPU Core Count

Expectation

VM should run faster

Screenshots

No response

Operating System

Manjaro Linux

Kernel

6.12.17-1-MANJARO

Processor

AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS

RAM (in GB)

16

GPU(s)

Radeon 760M Graphics

Version

v0.13.0

Branch

main

Generated Script File

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# shellcheck disable=SC2054

#
#   APC-RUN_15-03-2025_14-18-10
#
#   THIS FILE WAS GENERATED USING AUTOPILOT.
#
#   To boot this script, run the following command:
#   $ ./boot.sh
#

#
#	boot.sh
#	Created by Coopydood as part of the ultimate-macOS-KVM project.
#
#	Profile: https://github.com/Coopydood
#	Repo: https://github.com/Coopydood/ultimate-macOS-KVM
#
#	Adapted from OSX-KVM among others.
#	Greetz to TheNickDude, Dortania, kholia, foxlet, and other contributors :]
#


ID="macOS"
NAME="macOS 14"
FILE="boot.sh"

ULTMOS=0.13.0
IGNORE_FILE=0
REQUIRES_SUDO=0
VFIO_PTA=0
VFIO_DEVICES=0
GEN_EPOCH=1742044690
FEATURE_LEVEL=9
VERBOSE=1
DISCORD_RPC=1
DISCORD_RPC_IMG="default"

SCREEN_RES="1280x720"

ALLOCATED_RAM="8"
CPU_SOCKETS="1"
CPU_CORES="1"
CPU_THREADS="1"
CPU_MODEL="Haswell-noTSX"
CPU_FEATURE_ARGS="+ssse3,+sse4.2,+popcnt,+avx,+aes,+xsave,+xsaveopt,check"

REPO_PATH="/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM"
VM_PATH="/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM"
OVMF_DIR="/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/ovmf"

VFIO_ID_0="$USR_VFIO_ID_0"
VFIO_ID_1="$USR_VFIO_ID_1"
VFIO_ROM="$USR_VFIO_ROM"

USB_DEVICES="$USR_USB_DEVICES"

NETWORK_DEVICE="vmxnet3"
MAC_ADDRESS="00:16:cb:00:10:13"

OS_ID="Sonoma"

HDD_PATH="$VM_PATH/HDD.qcow2"
DISK_TYPE="SSD"

#   You should not have to touch anything below this line, especially if you
#   don't really know what you're doing. It'll probably break something.

args=(
-global ICH9-LPC.acpi-pci-hotplug-with-bridge-support=off
-enable-kvm -m "$ALLOCATED_RAM" -cpu "$CPU_MODEL",kvm=on,vendor=GenuineIntel,+invtsc,vmware-cpuid-freq=on,"$CPU_FEATURE_ARGS"
-machine q35
-boot menu=on,splash-time=5
##-device usb-ehci,id=ehci
#-device qemu-xhci,id=xhci
-usb -device usb-kbd -device usb-tablet 
#USB_DEV_BEGIN
#USB_DEV_END
-smp "$CPU_THREADS",cores="$CPU_CORES",sockets="$CPU_SOCKETS"
-device pcie-root-port,bus=pcie.0,slot=1,x-speed=16,x-width=32
#VFIO_DEV_BEGIN
#VFIO_DEV_END
-device isa-applesmc,osk="ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc"
-drive if=pflash,format=raw,readonly=on,file="$OVMF_DIR/OVMF_CODE.fd"
-drive if=pflash,format=raw,file="$OVMF_DIR/OVMF_VARS.fd"
-smbios type=2
-device ich9-intel-hda -device hda-duplex
-device ich9-ahci,id=sata
-drive id=OpenCore,if=none,format=qcow2,file="$VM_PATH/boot/OpenCore.qcow2"
-drive id=HDD,if=none,file="$HDD_PATH",format=qcow2
-device ide-hd,bus=sata.2,drive=OpenCore,bootindex=1
-device ide-hd,bus=sata.3,drive=HDD,rotation_rate=1

############## REMOVE THESE LINES AFTER MACOS INSTALLATION ###############
-drive id=BaseSystem,if=none,file="$VM_PATH/BaseSystem.img",format=raw
-device ide-hd,bus=sata.4,drive=BaseSystem
##########################################################################

-netdev user,id=net0 -device "$NETWORK_DEVICE",netdev=net0,id=net0,mac="$MAC_ADDRESS"
-device qxl-vga,vgamem_mb=128,vram_size_mb=128    
-monitor stdio
#-display none
#-vga qxl

################ UNCOMMENT IF YOU WANT TO USE VNC MONITOR ################
#-vnc 0.0.0.0:1,password=on -k en-us
##########################################################################

)

while getopts d: flag
do
    case "${flag}" in
        d) DISCORD_RPC=${OPTARG};;
    esac
done

if [ $VERBOSE = 1 ]
then
echo
echo \ \ \──────────────────────────────────────────────
echo \ \ \ \ \ $FILE
echo \ \ \ \ \ $ID $OS_ID
echo
echo \ \ \ \ \ Built with ULTMOS v$ULTMOS
echo \ \ \ \ \ Using $CPU_MODEL CPU model
if [ $REQUIRES_SUDO = 1 ]
then
echo \ \ \ \ \ Superuser privileges enabled
fi
if [ $VFIO_PTA = 1 ]
then
echo \ \ \ \ \ Passthrough enabled
else
echo \ \ \ \ \ Passthrough disabled
fi
if [ $DISCORD_RPC = 1 ]
then
echo \ \ \ \ \ Discord RPC enabled
else
echo \ \ \ \ \ Discord RPC disabled
fi
echo \ \ \──────────────────────────────────────────────
echo
fi

if [ $DISCORD_RPC = 1 ]
then
"$REPO_PATH/scripts/drpc.py" --os "$OS_ID" --pt $VFIO_DEVICES --wd "$REPO_PATH" --show "$DISCORD_RPC_IMG" &
fi

qemu-system-x86_64 "${args[@]}"

if [ $DISCORD_RPC = 1 ]
then
pkill -f drpc.py
fi

Generated XML File (if applicable)

<!--
	 
	    APC-RUN_15-03-2025_14-18-16
 
    THIS FILE WAS GENERATED USING AUTOPILOT.
				 
     To be used with virsh / virt-manager.
	 
	
	/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/boot.xml	
	Created by Coopydood as part of the ultimate-macOS-KVM project.
	
	Profile: https://github.com/Coopydood
	Repo: https://github.com/Coopydood/ultimate-macOS-KVM

-->

<domain xmlns:qemu="http://libvirt.org/schemas/domain/qemu/1.0" type="kvm">
  <name>ultmos-14</name>
  <title>macOS Sonoma (ULTMOS)</title>
  <description>  macOS Sonoma
  Converted from /home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/boot.sh 

  This virtual machine was created using ultimate-macOS-KVM, a project by Coopydood.
  Visit https://github.com/Coopydood/ultimate-macOS-KVM for help and support, or provide some feedback!

  DEBUG
  ULTMOS: v0.13.0
  XML: /home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/boot.xml
  AP: /home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/boot.sh
  APFLOW: Yes
  AUTO: Yes
  USEBLOBS: Yes
  RUNTIME: 14:18:16 15/03/2025
  </description>
  <uuid>c9e90bce-8a93-4635-b4fe-13d20449c4f3</uuid>
  <memory unit="KiB">8388608</memory>
  <currentMemory unit="KiB">8388608</currentMemory>
  <vcpu placement="static">1</vcpu>
  <os>
    <type arch="x86_64" machine="pc-q35-4.2">hvm</type>
    <loader readonly="yes" type="pflash">/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/ovmf/OVMF_CODE.fd</loader>
    <nvram>/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/ovmf/OVMF_VARS.fd</nvram>
    <boot dev="hd"/>
  </os>
  <features>
    <acpi/>
    <apic/>
  </features>
  <cpu mode="host-passthrough" check="none" migratable="on">
    <topology sockets="1" dies="1" cores="1" threads="1"/>
  </cpu>
  <clock offset="utc">
    <timer name="rtc" tickpolicy="catchup"/>
    <timer name="pit" tickpolicy="delay"/>
    <timer name="hpet" present="no"/>
  </clock>
  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
  <on_crash>restart</on_crash>
  <devices>
    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>
    <disk type="file" device="disk">
      <driver name="qemu" type="qcow2"/>
      <source file="/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/boot/OpenCore.qcow2"/>
      <target dev="sda" bus="sata"/>
      <address type="drive" controller="0" bus="0" target="0" unit="0"/>
    </disk>
    <disk type="file" device="disk"> <!-- HDD HEADER -->
      <driver name="qemu" type="qcow2"/>
      <source file="/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/HDD.qcow2"/>
      <target dev="sdb" bus="sata" rotation_rate="1"/>
      <address type="drive" controller="0" bus="0" target="0" unit="1"/>
    </disk> <!-- HDD FOOTER -->

<!--############# REMOVE THESE LINES AFTER MACOS INSTALLATION #############-->

    <disk type="file" device="disk"> 
      <driver name="qemu" type="raw"/>
      <source file="/home/florian/macos/ultimate-macOS-KVM/BaseSystem.img"/>
      <target dev="sdc" bus="sata"/>
      <address type="drive" controller="0" bus="0" target="0" unit="2"/>
	  </disk> 

<!--#######################################################################-->

    <controller type="sata" index="0">
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x1f" function="0x2"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="0" model="pcie-root"/>
    <controller type="pci" index="1" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="1" port="0x8"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x0" multifunction="on"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="2" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="2" port="0x9"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x1"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="3" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="3" port="0xa"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x2"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="4" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="4" port="0xb"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x3"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="5" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="5" port="0xc"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x4"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="6" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="6" port="0xd"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x5"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="7" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="7" port="0xe"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x6"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="8" model="pcie-root-port">
      <model name="pcie-root-port"/>
      <target chassis="8" port="0xf"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x01" function="0x7"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="pci" index="9" model="pcie-to-pci-bridge">
      <model name="pcie-pci-bridge"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x01" slot="0x00" function="0x0"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="usb" index="0" model="ich9-ehci1">
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x1d" function="0x7"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="usb" index="0" model="ich9-uhci1">
      <master startport="0"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x1d" function="0x0" multifunction="on"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="usb" index="0" model="ich9-uhci2">
      <master startport="2"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x1d" function="0x1"/>
    </controller>
    <controller type="usb" index="0" model="ich9-uhci3">
      <master startport="4"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x1d" function="0x2"/>
    </controller>
    <interface type="network">
      <mac address="00:16:cb:00:10:13"/>
      <source network="default"/>
      <model type="vmxnet3"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x09" slot="0x02" function="0x0"/>
    </interface>
    <serial type="pty">
      <target type="isa-serial" port="0">
        <model name="isa-serial"/>
      </target>
    </serial>
    <console type="pty">
      <target type="serial" port="0"/>
    </console>
    <input type="mouse" bus="ps2"/>
    <input type="keyboard" bus="ps2"/>
    <input type="keyboard" bus="usb">
      <address type="usb" bus="0" port="3"/>
    </input>
    <input type="mouse" bus="usb">
      <address type="usb" bus="0" port="4"/>
    </input>
    <graphics type="spice">
      <listen type="none"/>
    </graphics>
    <sound model="ich9">
	  <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x00" slot="0x1b" function="0x0"/>
	</sound>
    <audio id="1" type="none"/>
    <video>
      <model type="vga" vram="16384" heads="1" primary="yes"/>
      <address type="pci" domain="0x0000" bus="0x09" slot="0x01" function="0x0"/>
    </video>
    <!-- VFIO-PCI HEADER -->
    <!-- USB HEADER -->
    <!--<watchdog model="itco" action="reset"/> -->
    <memballoon model="none"/>
  </devices>
  <qemu:commandline>
    <qemu:arg value="-global"/>
    <qemu:arg value="ICH9-LPC.acpi-pci-hotplug-with-bridge-support=off"/>
    <qemu:arg value="-device"/>
    <qemu:arg value="isa-applesmc,osk=ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc"/>
    <qemu:arg value="-smbios"/>
    <qemu:arg value="type=2"/>
    <qemu:arg value="-cpu"/>
    <qemu:arg value="Haswell-noTSX,kvm=on,vendor=GenuineIntel,+invtsc,vmware-cpuid-freq=on,+ssse3,+sse4.2,+popcnt,+avx,+aes,+xsave,+xsaveopt,check"/>
    <qemu:arg value="-global"/>
    <qemu:arg value="nec-usb-xhci.msi=off"/>
    <!-- NVME HEADER -->
  </qemu:commandline>
</domain>

Generated Log File

Additional Information

Laptop Configuration

[KitsuneBalloon]

Hi there.

Try going into the boot argument editor (Extras > macOS Boot Argument Editor > View and change > Remove -V)

macOS is known to have a verbose bug in VMs starting with Ventura and up. If it can boot, try to allocate more cores then.

[TacoDogg]

My installation didn't have the -V flag enabled, and still refuses to boot any version with more than one core/thread allocated.

[KitsuneBalloon]

Can you boot the VM via QEMU in ./main.py?

This is just to sanity check if Virt-Manager is somehow screwing the installation over.

[Berny23]

Got 8 cores to work with the following settings in virt-manager:

Shows in device info page:

[TacoDogg]

Can you boot the VM via QEMU in ./main.py?

This is just to sanity check if Virt-Manager is somehow screwing the installation over.

Sorry for the (very) late response. I was using main.py to start the VM, not virt-manager. If it makes any difference, I am using an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, not an Intel one.

[KitsuneBalloon]

Sorry for the (very) late response. I was using main.py to start the VM, not virt-manager. If it makes any difference, I am using an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, not an Intel one.

Try booting via virt-manager after importing it. That usually defaults to host-passthrough.

EDIT: If this doesn't work, try what Berny23 said here: #168 (comment)

[TacoDogg]

Using host-passthrough as the CPU type in virt-manager causes macOS to get stuck on an Apple logo with an empty grey bar. The VM uses 100% of 2 threads on the host (CPU topology was 1 socket, 6 cores, 2 threads) and no disk IO or RAM. I let it sit like this for a couple of hours but absolutely nothing changed. This was after selecting 'macOS Base System' in OpenCore. The same thing happened with Berny23's config, although the first time I tried to boot macOS it returned to OpenCore after a few seconds. I reset NVRAM each time after tweaking the virt-manager settings. The VM will not boot with main.py, on the first boot it returns to OpenCore immediately, on second boot it shows the "Your computer has restarted because of a problem" screen.

Here's what virt-manager looks like while the VM is running:

(This continues for as long as I let the VM run)

And here's macOS: