Installing macOS 10.6 Snow Leopard in Virtual Machines

VMware and Parallels support macOS 10.6 Snow Leopard virtualization, though both restrict this capability to Server editions; however, differences between Server and Desktop variants remain minimal, permitting straightforward installation from retail media through simple image modification.

Distribution Acquisition

Original macOS 10.6 installation media remains available through archive.org¹ or secondary markets. The virtualization restriction to Server editions requires modification of the installation image to present itself as Server variant despite originating from retail Desktop media.

Image Modification Procedure

The modification exploits macOS version detection by duplicating the system version metadata file. On macOS hosts, mount the original image with shadow option to enable write operations:

hdiutil attach Mac_OS_X_10.6.iso -shadow
sudo cp /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Install\ DVD/System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist \
        /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Install\ DVD/System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist
hdiutil detach /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Install\ DVD
hdiutil convert Mac_OS_X_10.6.iso -format UDZO -o Mac_OS_X_10.6_Server.dmg -shadow

This process creates ServerVersion.plist alongside the existing SystemVersion.plist, satisfying the installer’s server detection logic.

Installation and Postinstallation Fix

Standard VM creation proceeds normally with the modified image. Installation completes within half an hour; however, the installed system fails to boot because the installed copy lacks the server identification applied to the installation media.

Boot from the modified installation image again, access Utilities → Terminal, and apply the identical modification to the installed system volume:

sudo cp /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist \
        /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist

Following reboot, the system initializes correctly, permitting user account creation and configuration. System updates may overwrite ServerVersion.plist; if boot failure occurs post update, repeat the Terminal procedure from the installation image.

Legal and Technical Considerations

This procedure likely violates Apple’s macOS End User License Agreement, which historically restricted virtualization to macOS Server editions and prohibited modification of system files for license circumvention purposes. Users requiring legitimate virtualization should consider purchasing genuine Server media or evaluating whether contemporary licensing permits their use case.

For earlier macOS versions, particularly 10.4 Tiger, Landon Fuller documented CPU compatibility modifications necessary for modern virtualization platforms.²