SlateVM, clearly explained.

SlateVM provides purpose-built creation and runtime paths for macOS, ARM64 Linux distributions, and Windows 11 ARM guests on Apple silicon.

macOS uses compatible Apple restore images. Linux accepts ARM64 installation media, including Ubuntu, Debian, and custom ISO workflows. Windows uses supported Windows 11 ARM installation media.

Yes. SlateVM persists per-VM choices for CPU, memory, disk, display, networking, media, shared folders, and supported OS-specific options.

Each VM appears in a focused library and has its own persistent bundle containing configuration and virtual disk state. The app brings creation, launch, console, settings, diagnostics, and removal into one lifecycle.

macOS and Linux do. Windows uses QEMU accelerated by Hypervisor.framework, with UEFI, TPM, virtio devices, and a local SPICE console. SlateVM chooses the appropriate engine while presenting one application experience.

Yes. SlateVM supports Linux server and desktop creation paths, ARM64 installation media, cloud-init-enabled environments, shared folders, networking choices, and Linux guest tools.

SlateVM’s Windows 11 ARM path combines QEMU, Hypervisor.framework acceleration, UEFI, TPM, virtio devices, installation preparation, shared-directory support, and a dedicated SPICE console.

Nested virtualization is available for Linux guests on supported Apple-silicon hosts running macOS 15 or later. SlateVM checks Apple’s host capability before enabling the configuration.

Console rendering stays local to the Mac: framework-native views for macOS and Linux, and a local SPICE pipeline into a Metal-backed view for Windows.

NAT provides the simplest default. SlateVM also includes bridged and routed networking paths backed by its dedicated networking service and helper components, presenting the choices available for the host configuration.

Yes. The implementation includes shared-folder configuration for supported macOS, Linux, and Windows guest paths, with guest tools or drivers where the guest requires them.

SlateVM exposes persistent configuration, runtime state, job progress, diagnostics, logs, networking information, and current console state so operation and troubleshooting stay in one workspace.

The bundled slatevm-mcp adapter gives compatible AI clients structured tools backed by SlateVM’s local control server, connecting AI-driven workflows to the application that owns the VMs.

The tool surface covers image discovery, VM creation and lifecycle, jobs, host capabilities, diagnostics, console capture and input, networking, and guest command workflows.

Yes. SlateVM exposes stage-aware jobs and status so a compatible client can start work, observe progress, and continue when creation, installation, or another lifecycle task reaches its next state.

Yes. The local control surface includes console capture plus keyboard, pointer, scrolling, and text-input operations, giving compatible tools visual context and controlled interaction.

Yes. A compatible client can capture the guest screen, read visible text through OCR, wait for a requested phrase, and send guest-scoped keyboard, pointer, scrolling, and text actions. It can then capture or read the console again to verify the result.

Yes. The agent can work through visible installers, use unattended Linux creation where configured, or provision SlateVM’s dedicated per-VM SSH identity and run bounded commands inside a reachable guest.

No. After installation, the same control surface remains available for ongoing work across every supported guest platform. An agent can operate lifecycle state, observe and drive the console, inspect networking and diagnostics, and use bounded SSH commands where access has been provisioned.

SlateVM gives the client multiple sources of evidence: lifecycle and job state, console capture, OCR, exact serial text for headless Linux, logs, diagnostics, and SSH results. The agent can inspect the failure, choose another supported action, and verify what changed.

Yes. A SlateVM guest has its own operating system, virtual disks, configuration, networking, and console. Host folders are available only when you add them to supported guests, allowing the VM to become the agent’s dedicated workspace while your Mac remains the supervisory environment.

No. VM bundles, virtual disks, configuration, console state, and dedicated SSH identities remain on systems you control unless you deliberately connect or expose them elsewhere. MCP control terminates locally in the SlateVM application.

Yes. Windows 11 ARM guests expose the same structured lifecycle, screen capture, OCR, input, diagnostics, and networking workflows. Guest command execution is available when the VM is reachable and its dedicated SSH access has been provisioned.