socket_vmnet provides vmnet.framework support for QEMU.
socket_vmnet does not require QEMU to run as the root user.
(But socket_vmnet itself has to run as the root, in most cases.)
socket_vmnet was forked from vde_vmnet v0.6.0.
Unlike vde_vmnet, socket_vmnet does not depend on VDE.
Requires macOS 10.15 or later.
VERSION="$(curl -fsSL https://api.github.com/repos/lima-vm/socket_vmnet/releases/latest | jq -r .tag_name)"
FILE="socket_vmnet-${VERSION:1}-$(uname -m).tar.gz"
# Download the binary archive
curl -OSL "https://github.com/lima-vm/socket_vmnet/releases/download/${VERSION}/${FILE}"
# (Optional) Attest the GitHub Artifact Attestation using GitHub's gh command (https://cli.github.com)
gh attestation verify --owner=lima-vm "${FILE}"
# (Optional) Preview the contents of the binary archive
tar tzvf "${FILE}"
# Install /opt/socket_vmnet from the binary archive
sudo tar Cxzvf / "${FILE}" opt/socket_vmnetThis downloads and installs the latest release from https://github.com/lima-vm/socket_vmnet/releases.
Launchd (optional, not needed for Lima)
To install the launchd service:
SERVICE_ID=io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet
sudo cp "/opt/socket_vmnet/share/doc/socket_vmnet/launchd/$SERVICE_ID.plist" "/Library/LaunchDaemons/$SERVICE_ID.plist"
sudo launchctl bootstrap system "/Library/LaunchDaemons/$SERVICE_ID.plist"
sudo launchctl enable system/$SERVICE_ID
sudo launchctl kickstart -kp system/$SERVICE_IDThe launchd unit file will be installed as /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.plist.
Default configuration:
| Config | Value |
|---|---|
| Socket | /var/run/socket_vmnet |
| Stdout | /var/log/socket_vmnet/stdout |
| Stderr | /var/log/socket_vmnet/stderr |
| Gateway | 192.168.105.1 |
To uninstall the launchd service:
SERVICE_ID=io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet
sudo launchctl bootout system "/Library/LaunchDaemons/$SERVICE_ID.plist" || true
sudo rm -f "/Library/LaunchDaemons/$SERVICE_ID.plist"sudo make install.binThis installs binaries using PREFIX=/opt/socket_vmnet:
/opt/socket_vmnet/bin/socket_vmnet/opt/socket_vmnet/bin/socket_vmnet_client
You can customize the install location using the PREFIX environment variable,
however, it is highly recommended to set the prefix to a directory that can be
only written by the root. Note that /usr/local/bin is sometimes chowned for a
non-admin user, so /usr/local is not an appropriate prefix.
Run the following command to start the daemon:
sudo /opt/socket_vmnet/bin/socket_vmnet --vmnet-gateway=192.168.105.1 /var/run/socket_vmnetTip
sudo make install is also available in addition to sudo make install.bin.
The former one installs the launchd service (see below) too.
Launchd (optional, not needed for Lima)
To install the launchd service:
sudo make install.launchdThe launchd unit file will be installed as /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.plist.
Default configuration:
| Config | Value |
|---|---|
| Socket | /var/run/socket_vmnet |
| Stdout | /var/log/socket_vmnet/stdout |
| Stderr | /var/log/socket_vmnet/stderr |
| Gateway | 192.168.105.1 |
To uninstall the launchd service:
sudo make uninstall.launchd
brew install socket_vmnetThe binaries will be installed onto the following paths:
${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/socket_vmnet/bin/socket_vmnet${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/socket_vmnet/bin/socket_vmnet_client
The ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX} path defaults to /opt/homebrew on ARM, /usr/local on Intel.
The ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/socket_vmnet directory is usually symlinked to ../Cellar/socket_vmnet/${VERSION}.
Run the following command to start the daemon:
mkdir -p ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var/run
sudo ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/socket_vmnet/bin/socket_vmnet --vmnet-gateway=192.168.105.1 ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var/run/socket_vmnet[!WARNING] Typically, the
socket_vmnetbinary in the${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}can be replaced by any user in theadmingroup.
Launchd (optional, not needed for Lima)
To install the launchd service:
# sudo is necessary for the next line
sudo ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/bin/brew services start socket_vmnetThe launchd unit file will be installed as /Library/LaunchDaemons/homebrew.mxcl.socket_vmnet.plist.
Default configuration:
| Config | Value |
|---|---|
| Socket | ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var/run/socket_vmnet |
| Stdout | ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var/log/socket_vmnet/stdout |
| Stderr | ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var/log/socket_vmnet/stderr |
| Gateway | 192.168.105.1 |
To uninstall the launchd service:
sudo ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/bin/brew services stop socket_vmnet
sudo port install socket_vmnetThe binaries will be installed onto the following paths:
/opt/local/bin/socket_vmnet/opt/local/bin/socket_vmnet_client
Run the following command to start the daemon manually:
sudo /opt/local/bin/socket_vmnet --vmnet-gateway=192.168.105.1 /var/run/socket_vmnetLaunchd (optional, not needed for Lima)
To install the launchd service:
sudo port load socket_vmnetThe launchd unit file will be installed as
/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.macports.socket_vmnet.plist.
Default configuration:
| Config | Value |
|---|---|
| Socket | /var/run/socket_vmnet |
| Stdout | /var/log/socket_vmnet.log |
| Gateway | 192.168.105.1 |
To uninstall the launchd service:
sudo port unload socket_vmnetMake sure that the socket_vmnet daemon is running, and execute QEMU via socket_vmnet_client as follows:
${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt/socket_vmnet/bin/socket_vmnet_client \
${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var/run/socket_vmnet \
qemu-system-x86_64 \
-device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0 -netdev socket,id=net0,fd=3 \
-m 4096 -accel hvf -cdrom ubuntu-22.04-desktop-amd64.isoThe guest IP is assigned by the DHCP server provided by macOS.
The guest is accessible to the internet, and the guest IP is accessible from the host.
To confirm, run sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y apache2 in the guest, and access the guest IP via Safari on the host.
Lima (since v0.12.0) provides built-in support for socket_vmnet:
$ limactl sudoers | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/lima
$ limactl start --name=default template://vmnetSee also https://github.com/lima-vm/lima/blob/master/docs/network.md
Multiple VMs can be connected to a single socket_vmnet instance.
Make sure to specify unique MAC addresses to VMs: -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0,mac=de:ad:be:ef:00:01 .
NOTE: don't confuse MAC addresses of VMs with the MAC address of socket_vmnet itself that is printed as vmnet_mac_address in the debug log.
You do not need to configure (and you can't, currently) the MAC address of socket_vmnet itself.
See ./launchd/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.en0.plist.
Install:
BRIDGED=en0
sed -e "s@/opt@${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/opt@g; s@/var@${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var@g; s@en0@${BRIDGED}@g" ./launchd/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.en0.plist \
| sudo tee /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.${BRIDGED}.plist
sudo launchctl bootstrap system /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.${BRIDGED}.plist
sudo launchctl enable system/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.${BRIDGED}
sudo launchctl kickstart -kp system/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.${BRIDGED}Use ${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/var/run/socket_vmnet.bridged.en0 as the socket.
Uninstall:
BRIDGED=en0
sudo launchctl bootout system /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.${BRIDGED}.plist
sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/io.github.lima-vm.socket_vmnet.bridged.${BRIDGED}.plistRunning socket_vmnet without root could be possible by signing the socket_vmnet binary with com.apple.vm.networking entitlement.
However, signing a binary with com.apple.vm.networking entitlement seems to require some contract with Apple.
:disappointed:
This entitlement is restricted to developers of virtualization software. To request this entitlement, contact your Apple representative.
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/entitlements/com_apple_vm_networking
Yes, but discouraged, as it allows non-root users to write arbitrary files, by specifying certain CLI args and environment variables.
Instead, consider using launchd or sudo.
See ./etc_sudoers.d/socket_vmnet to allow running sudo socket_vmnet with reduced set of args and environment variables.
socket_vmnet was forked from vde_vmnet v0.6.0.
Unlike vde_vmnet, socket_vmnet does not depend on VDE.
QEMU 7.1 added the built-in support for vmnet.
However, QEMU-builtin vmnet requires running the entire QEMU process as root.
On the other hand, socket_vmnet does not require the entire QEMU process to run as root, though socket_vmnet has to run as root.
When --vmnet-gateway=IP is set to "192.168.105.1", the whole subnet (192.168.105.2-192.168.105.254) is used as the DHCP range.
To use static IP addresses, limit the DHCP range with --vmnet-dhcp-end=IP.
For example, --vmnet-gateway=192.168.105.1 --vmnet-dhcp-end=192.168.105.100 allows using 192.168.105.101-192.168.105.254
as non-DHCP static addresses.
-
Decide a unique MAC address for the VM, e.g.
de:ad:be:ef:00:01. -
Decide a reserved IP address, e.g., "192.168.105.100"
-
Create
/etc/bootptablike this. Make sure not to drop the "%%" header.
# bootptab
%%
# hostname hwtype hwaddr ipaddr bootfile
tmp-vm01 1 de:ad:be:ef:00:01 192.168.105.100- Reload the DHCP daemon.
sudo /bin/launchctl kickstart -kp system/com.apple.bootpd- Run QEMU with the MAC address:
-device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0,mac=de:ad:be:ef:00:01.
NOTE: don't confuse MAC addresses of VMs with the MAC address of socket_vmnet itself that is printed as vmnet_mac_address in the debug log.
You do not need to configure (and you can't, currently) the MAC address of socket_vmnet itself.
Try the following commands:
sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --remove /usr/libexec/bootpd
sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --add /usr/libexec/bootpd
/usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --unblock /usr/libexec/bootpd- https://developer.apple.com/documentation/vmnet
- https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/entitlements/com_apple_vm_networking
file:///Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk/System/Library/Frameworks/vmnet.framework/Versions/Current/Headers/vmnet.h
- To enable verbose debug logs, set the environment variable
DEBUG=1. - When using launchd, logs are written to
/var/log/socket_vmnet/stderr./var/log/socket_vmnet/stdoutis not used and expected to be empty.
![@dependabot[bot]](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/in/29110?s=64&v=4){kind=small}
