Lumier – Run macOS VMs in a Docker
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…
In plain words
Lumier is an open-source tool that runs macOS and Linux virtual machines inside Docker containers on Apple Silicon Macs. It leverages Apple's Virtualization Framework to provide a reproducible way to package and distribute macOS environments. Designed for developers building virtualized setups for AI agents, Lumier offers an alternative to existing solutions that either lack M-series chip support or rely on slower emulation methods. The tool uses Docker as a delivery mechanism rather than for isolation.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
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 solutions either didn't support M-series chips or relied on KVM/Intel emulation, which was slow and cumbersome. We realized we could leverage Apple's Virtualization Framework to create a much better experience. Lumier takes a different approach: it uses Docker as a delivery mechanism (not for isolation) and connects to a lightweight virtualization service (lume) running on your Mac. This creates true hardware-accelerated VMs using Apple's native virtualization capabilities. With Lumier, you can: - Launch a ready-to-use macOS VM in minutes with zero manual setup - Access your VM through any web browser via VNC - Share files between your host and VM effortlessly - Use persistent storage or ephemeral mode for quick tests - Automate VM startup with custom scripts All of this works natively on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) - no emulation required. To get started: 1. Install Docker for Apple Silicon: https://desktop.docker.com/mac/main/arm64/Docker.dmg 2. Install lume background service with our one-liner: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/trycua/cua/main/libs/lume/scripts/install.sh)" 3. Start a VM (ephemeral mode): docker run -it --rm \ --name lumier-vm \ -p 8006:8006 \ -e VM_NAME=lumier-vm \ -e VERSION=ghcr.io/trycua/macos-sequoia-cua:latest \ -e CPU_CORES=4 \ -e RAM_SIZE=8192 \ trycua/lumier:latest 4. Open http://localhost:8006/vnc.html in your browser. The container will generate a unique password for each VM instance - you'll see it in the container logs. For persistent storage (so your changes survive container restarts): mkdir -p storage docker run -it --rm \ --name lumier-vm \ -p 8006:8006 \ -v $(pwd)/storage:/storage \ -e VM_NAME=lumier-vm \ -e HOST_STORAGE_PATH=$(pwd)/storage \ trycua/lumier:latest Want to share files with your VM? Just add another volume: mkdir -p shared docker run ... -v $(pwd)/shared:/shared -e HOST_SHARED_PATH=$(pwd)/shared ... You can even automate VM startup by placing an on-logon.sh script in shared/lifecycle/. We're seeing people use Lumier for: - Development and testing environments that need macOS - CI/CD pipelines for Apple platform apps - Disposable macOS instances for security research - Automated UI testing across macOS versions - Running AI agents in isolated environments Lumier is 100% open-source under the MIT license. We're actively developing it as part of our work on C/ua (https://github.com/trycua/cua), and we'd love your feedback, bug reports, or feature ideas. We'll be here to answer any technical questions and look forward to your comments!
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