Easily Set Up a Virtual Machine on Your MacBook with Apple Silicon

When Apple changed from Intel to silicon chips, it was a complete nightmare....well, in my opinion, of course.

There were some challenges that we had to get through, much like any type of advancement in technology.

Easily Set Up a Virtual Machine on Your MacBook with Apple Silicon

Want to run Kali Linux on your Apple Silicon Mac? This comprehensive guide walks you through setting up a Kali Linux virtual machine using VMware Fusion, optimized specifically for M1, M2, and M3 Macs. Follow these steps for a seamless, high-performance setup.

What You'll Need

Before diving in, make sure you have:

• Mac with Apple Silicon: M1, M2, or M3 chip running macOS 13 or later

• VMware Fusion: The Apple Silicon build (free for personal use)

• Kali Linux ARM64 Installer ISO: Not the x86/x64 version, and skip the "Live" image

• Disk Space: 40-60 GB free (more if you plan to install extensive tools)

• Internet Connection: For downloading mirrors and updates

  
  

Critical Note: Make sure your Kali image is ARM64/aarch64. x86/x64 images won't boot on Apple Silicon.

Step 1: Install VMware Fusion (Apple Silicon Build)

1. Download VMware Fusion for Apple Silicon from the official VMware website

2. Install and launch the application

3. Grant any first-run permissions when prompted:

   • Network access

   • File system access

4. (Optional) Sign in or enter a license key

   • VMware Fusion Player is free for personal use

     
     

Step 2: Download Kali Linux ARM64 Installer

1. Visit the official Kali Linux downloads page

2. Download the Kali Linux Installer ISO for ARM64/aarch64

   • Important: Don't download x86/x64 versions

   • Don't download "Live" images

3. Save the ISO to an easy-to-access location (e.g., ~/Downloads)

   
   

Step 3: Create Your Virtual Machine

1. In VMware Fusion, go to File → New…

2. Select Create a custom virtual machine (or "Install from disc or image")

3. Choose your operating system:

   • Linux → Other Linux 6.x or later kernel 64-bit ARM

   • Or select the closest ARM64 Linux option available

4. Leave Firmware set to UEFI (this is the default and recommended)

5. Create a new virtual disk:

   • Size: 60 GB recommended

   • Type: Thin-provision is fine

   • Disk type: Choose NVMe if available for better performance

6. Save your VM with a descriptive name (e.g., Kali-ARM64.vmx)

   
   

Step 4: Configure VM Hardware Settings

With the VM powered off, click the Settings gear icon to optimize your configuration:

CD/DVD Drive:

• Check Connect at power on

• Click Choose a disc or image…

• Select your downloaded Kali ARM64 ISO

Processors & Memory:

• vCPUs: Allocate 4-6 cores

• RAM: 8 GB recommended (4 GB minimum)

• More RAM = smoother UI experience

Network Adapter:

• Start with NAT (simplest option)

• You can switch to Bridged later if needed

Shared Folders (Optional):

• Select a host folder to share with the VM

• It will mount at /mnt/hgfs inside Kali

  
  

Step 5: Run the Kali Linux Installer

1. Power on the VM

2. At the Kali boot menu, select Graphical install

3. Follow the installation prompts:

Language & Location:

• Set your preferred language, location, and keyboard layout

Network Configuration:

• DHCP works perfectly for most setups

• Set a Hostname (e.g., kali-vm)

• Leave Domain blank unless you have specific requirements

Users and Passwords:

• Create a normal user account (recommended)

• Root password: You can leave this blank to use sudo with your user account

• If you set a root password, store it securely

Disk Partitioning:

• Choose Guided – use entire disk

• Select All files in one partition

• Click Finish and confirm Write changes to disk

Package Manager:

• When prompted about a mirror, select Yes

• Use the default Kali mirror (e.g., http.kali.org)

• No proxy needed unless your network requires one

Boot Loader (GRUB/EFI):

• Let the installer configure the boot loader automatically

• The default selection works perfectly for UEFI

• Once installation completes:

  • Before rebooting, disconnect the ISO:

    • Go to VM menu → Removable Devices → CD/DVD

    • Uncheck Connect

  • Click Reboot

    
    

Step 6: First Boot & System Integration

Log In:

• Use the user account you created during installation

Update Kali:

Run these commands to ensure your system is up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y

Install VMware Guest Tools:

This enables seamless features like auto-resize, clipboard sharing, and drag-and-drop:

sudo apt install -y open-vm-tools open-vm-tools-desktop
sudo systemctl enable --now vmtoolsd
sudo reboot

Test Integration:

• After reboot, resize the VM window the display should auto-adjust

• Test the two-way clipboard by copying text between your Mac and Kali

  
  

Step 7: Quality-of-Life Improvements (Optional)

Shared Folders:

• Files should automatically mount at /mnt/hgfs

• If not visible, verify that:

  • Shared Folders are enabled in VM settings

  • open-vm-tools-desktop is installed

Create Snapshots:

• Go to VM → Snapshots → Take Snapshot

• Name it descriptively (e.g., "Fresh install")

• This lets you revert to a clean state anytime

Network Configuration:

• NAT: Simple and works immediately (default)

• Bridged: Switch to this if the VM needs to appear as a peer on your LAN

Power Controls:

• For clean shutdowns, use VM → Shut Down

• Avoid forcing power off unless necessary

Display Tweaks:

• If the UI appears tiny or blurry, toggle Use full resolution for Retina in Display settings

• Adjust resolution as needed for optimal viewing

Troubleshooting Common Issues

VM won't boot or shows errors:

• Verify you downloaded the ARM64 ISO, not x86/x64

• Check that you have enough disk space

• Ensure UEFI firmware is selected

Slow performance:

• Allocate more RAM (8 GB recommended)

• Increase vCPU count (4-6 cores)

• Make sure you're using the Apple Silicon build of VMware Fusion

Display doesn't auto-resize:

• Install open-vm-tools-desktop package

• Restart the VM after installation

• Try toggling fullscreen mode

Shared folders not visible:

• Verify Shared Folders are enabled in VM settings

• Check that /mnt/hgfs directory exists

• Reinstall open-vm-tools-desktop if needed

Network connectivity issues:

• Start with NAT mode for simplest setup

• Check that your Mac has internet access

• Try restarting the VM

Performance Tips

To maximize your Kali Linux VM performance:

1. Allocate adequate resources: Don't be stingy with RAM and CPU cores

2. Use NVMe disk type: Faster than standard SCSI when creating the VM

3. Keep systems updated: Update both VMware Fusion and Kali regularly

4. Close unnecessary Mac apps: Free up system resources

5. Enable hardware acceleration: Ensure it's enabled in VM settings

6. Use thin-provisioned disks: Saves space without sacrificing performance

Best Practices

• Snapshot early and often: Before major changes or tool installations

• Regular backups: Export VM configurations periodically

• Security first: Keep Kali updated with apt update && apt full-upgrade

• Resource monitoring: Don't allocate all your Mac's resources to the VM

• Documentation: Note any custom configurations for future reference

Conclusion

You've successfully set up Kali Linux on your Apple Silicon Mac using VMware Fusion! With proper configuration and VMware guest tools installed, you now have a powerful, high-performance penetration testing environment running seamlessly alongside macOS.

The combination of Apple Silicon's efficiency and VMware Fusion's ARM64 support provides near-native performance for most tasks. Remember to take snapshots before experimenting with new tools or configurations, and keep your system updated for the best experience.

Happy hacking!