Chmocker

Chmocker (chroot + docker) is yet another try to create MacOS containers. Chmocker accepts the classic Dockerfile format and allows you to have an isolated environment on MacOS computers. Created for building Flipper Zero Embedded toolchain

How it works

• FS layers made through tar images (very slow, way to discover - APFS snapshots)
• FS isolation made through chroot
• Process isolation is absent (way to discover - Process groups)

How to use

Images

All begins with the base system image. In first you need to create it from your system, or download it from somewhere.

sudo chmocker image create -t MacOSVenturaWithBrew

This command will build a chroot-ready .tar archive, jump to it and install Brew. Try using -h flag to see extended flags, e.g. for skipping brew install or adding a custom ComandLineTools.

Dockerfile

You can try to build something inside a chroot of the image created above. Example Dockerfile:

FROM MacOSVenturaWithBrew
RUN brew install coreutils
ADD https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.2/Python-3.11.2.tgz /toolchain/src/src/archives/
RUN tar -xvf /toolchain/src/src/archives/Python-3.11.2.tgz -C /toolchain/src/src/
ADD scripts/build-mac-python.sh /toolchain/src/
RUN bash /toolchain/src/build-mac-python.sh

Build

sudo chmocker build -t macos-python

Run

sudo chmocker run --rm --it macos-python