nowfound

AI · January 18, 2026

Lume 0.2 – Build and Run macOS VMs with unattended setup

Hey HN, Lume is an open-source CLI for running macOS and Linux VMs on Apple Silicon. Since launch (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42908061), we've been using it to run AI agents in isolated macOS environments. We needed VMs that could set themselves up, so we built that. Here's what's new in 0.2: *Unattended Setup* – Go from IPSW to a fully configured VM without touching the keyboard. We built a VNC + OCR system that clicks through macOS Setup Assistant automatically. No more manual setup before pushing to a registry: lume create my-vm --os macos --ipsw latest…

Lume 0.2 – Build and Run macOS VMs with unattended setup launched on January 18, 2026 with 154 votes, #202 of 14,584 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches.

Visit cua.ai ↗Alternativestop 1% of January 2026

In plain words

Lume is an open-source CLI tool for creating and running macOS and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon. Version 0.2 introduces unattended setup using VNC and OCR to automatically configure macOS without manual interaction, and adds an HTTP API that runs as a background daemon for script and CI pipeline integration. The tool is designed for developers and teams running AI agents in isolated macOS environments.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

Install Lume, Cua's local Apple Silicon VM manager for macOS and Linux guests.

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hey HN, Lume is an open-source CLI for running macOS and Linux VMs on Apple Silicon. Since launch (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42908061), we've been using it to run AI agents in isolated macOS environments. We needed VMs that could set themselves up, so we built that. Here's what's new in 0.2…

Does a similar job

all alternatives →
  • Lume – OS lightweight CLI for MacOS and Linux VMs on Apple Silicon2025 · github.com · ▲309

    We just open-sourced Lume - a tool we built after hitting walls with existing virtualization options on Apple Silicon. No GUI, no complex stacks - just a single binary that lets you spin up macOS or Linux VMs via CLI or API. Why we built Lume: - Run native macOS VMs in 1 command, using Apple Virtualization.Framework: `lume run macos-sequoia-vanilla:latest` - Prebuilt images on https://ghcr.io/trycua (macOS, Ubuntu on ARM) - API server to manage VMs programmatically `POST /lume/vms` - A python SDK on github.com/trycua/pylume Run prebuilt macOS images in just…

  • Lumier – Run macOS VMs in a Docker2025 · github.com · ▲159

    Hey HN, we're excited to share Lumier (https://github.com/trycua/cua/tree/main/libs/lumier), an open-source tool for running macOS and Linux virtual machines in Docker containers on Apple Silicon Macs. When building virtualized environments for AI agents, we needed a reproducible way to package and distribute macOS VMs. Inspired by projects like dockur/windows (https://github.com/dockur/windows) that pioneered running Windows in Docker, we wanted to create something similar but optimized for Apple Silicon. The existing…

  • QEMU front end for M1 and Intel Macs2021 · mac.getutm.app · ▲418

    Securely run operating systems on your Mac

  • Huddle01 VMsMay 2026 · get.huddle01.com · ▲435

    Virtual Machines for Your Agents

  • LM Studio2025 · lmstudio.ai · ▲209

    Discover, download, and run local LLMs (incl. DeepSeek R1)

  • Local-First Linux MicroVMs for macOSFeb 2026 · shuru.run · ▲213

    Shuru is a lightweight sandbox that spins up Linux VMs on macOS using Apple's Virtualization.framework. Boots in about a second on Apple Silicon, and everything is ephemeral by default. There's a checkpoint system for when you do want to persist state, and sandboxes run without network access unless you explicitly allow it. Single Rust binary, no dependencies. Built it for sandboxing AI agent code execution, but it works well for anything where you need a disposable Linux environment.

More ai this month

the category →
  • Video model that turns script into viral social media videos

    AI · 19d ago · spira.ai

  • The browser where Claude Code and Codex work beside you

    AI · 18d ago · rill.love

  • Kolibri is Aleph Alpha

    AI · 20d ago · tej.as

  • Paintings by AI models: programs run through a simulation of oil paint.

    AI · 22d ago · stillwet.art

  • Beam.win▲379

    Run AI agents on one Mac and use its windows on another

    AI · 5d ago · beam.win

  • Route requests to the right LLM for cost, latency & quality

    AI · 23d ago · fastrouter.ai

Source: Show HN post ↗ · launch text quoted in part

Launched alongside, January 2026

the whole month →
  • IN

    Hey HN! I wanted to share something I built over the last few weeks: isometric.nyc is a massive isometric pixel art map of NYC, built with nano banana and coding agents. I didn't write a single line of code. Of course no-code doesn't mean no-engineering. This project took a lot more manual labor than I'd hoped! I wrote a deep dive on the workflow and some thoughts about the future of AI coding and creativity: http://cannoneyed.com/projects/isometric-nyc

    AI · Jan 2026 · cannoneyed.com

  • Cowork▲1,088

    Turn Claude into your digital coworker

    AI · Jan 2026 · claude.com

  • DataFast▲867

    Revenue-first analytics

    Growth · Jan 2026 · datafa.st

  • OpenClaw▲836

    The AI that actually does things

    AI · Jan 2026 · openclaw.ai

  • Automatic AI-powered code reviews the moment you open a PR

    Dev tools · Jan 2026 · kilo.ai

  • AI Content Maker, for Social Media Publishing

    AI · Jan 2026 · postsyncer.com