macOS

Create the virtual machine

The following steps use VirtualBox Basic Mode, which provides a simplified wizard for creating and configuring a virtual machine.

1. Open VirtualBox, and select New on the toolbar.
2. In the Virtual machine name and operating system step, specify the following settings:
   • Name: Enter Home Assistant.
   • VM Folder: Select a location to store the virtual machine files.
   • ISO Image: Leave blank.
   • OS: Select Linux.
   • OS Distribution: Select Oracle Linux (64-bit). If you use a Mac with Apple silicon (M1, M2, or M3), select ARM 64-bit instead.
3. Select Next.
4. In the Specify virtual hardware step, specify the following settings:
   • Base Memory: Set to at least 2048 MB, which is 2 GB.
   • Number of CPUs: Set to at least 2.
   • Use EFI: Select the checkbox to use UEFI instead of legacy BIOS. Home Assistant requires UEFI to boot.
5. Select Next.
6. In the Summary step, review the settings and select Finish.

Attach the Home Assistant disk (VDI)

Configure the virtual machine to use the Home Assistant disk (VDI) that you downloaded and extracted earlier.

1. Select your new Home Assistant VM in the list, and then select Settings on the toolbar.
2. Go to the Storage section.
3. In the Storage Devices list, under Controller: SATA, right-click the empty placeholder disk and select Remove attachment.
4. Next to Controller: SATA, select the Add hard disk icon (the blue disk with a plus sign).
5. In the dialog that appears, select the Add button.
6. Find and select the downloaded .vdi file.
7. Select Choose to confirm the file.

Configure network

1. While still in the Settings window, go to the Network section.
2. In Attached to, change the setting to Bridged Adapter.
3. In Name, select the network adapter you use for internet access. Home Assistant uses this adapter to communicate with other devices on your network. If your computer uses Wi-Fi, select your Wi-Fi adapter. If it uses a wired connection, select your Ethernet adapter.
4. Select OK.

Enable automatic disk space reclamation (optional)

By default, VirtualBox does not reclaim unused disk space from virtual disks. To enable automatic disk shrinking for the Home Assistant VDI, run the following command on the host machine:

VBoxManage storageattach <VM name> --storagectl "SATA" --port 0 --device 0 --nonrotational on --discard on

For more information about the command, see VBoxManage storageattach command.

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