Here's a refined guide to smoothly run x86_64 .ova virtual machines on your M1 Mac:

  1. Install Homebrew (if not already installed):
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
  1. Install QEMU:
brew install qemu
  1. Extract the .ova File:
tar -xvf /path/to/ova
  1. Convert the .ova File to a .qcow2 File:
qemu-img convert -O qcow2 /path/to/vdmk /path/to/output/qcow2
  • Ensure the output path has the .qcow2 extension.
  • The process may take up to 5 minutes with no visible output until completion.

  1. Download UTM from here

  2. Create a New Virtual Machine in UTM:

  • Click the "+" icon on the top menu and select "Start from scratch".
  • Navigate to the "Drives" tab and click "Import Drive", then choose the .qcow2 file we generated.
  • In some scenarios, you might need to disable UEFI booting:
    • Go to "System", then "Advanced Settings", and unselect "UEFI Booting".
  • To optimize performance, allocate at least 6GB of RAM, 6 cores, and enable multi-core mode.
  • Finally, click "Save".
  1. Start the Virtual Machine and enjoy x86_64 emulation on your M1 Mac!

Resource: https://gist.github.com/tadhgboyle/a0c859b7d7c0a258593dc00cdc5006cc