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> You asked if macOS can be virtualised. The answer is yes, it can, on Mac hardware.

I guess that's fair enough. It used to be you couldn't virtualize OSX/macOS on anything, period. So this is a step in the right direction.

I suppose the historical lack of virtualization provisions in the license agreement led to the rise of insane concoctions like Imgix[1] - literally custom fabricating racks to hold a bunch of Mac Pros in a data center - absolutely insane, but necessary if you wanted a macOS/OSX stack.

I guess it's implied that virtualization would be hardware agnostic... since that's a primary reason to virtualize an OS.

Artificial limitations of only two (2) instances on only Apple hardware is absurd, and barely useful at all.

From kbutler's post[1]:

> "(iii) to install, use and run up to two (2) additional copies or instances of the Apple Software within virtual operating system environments on each Mac Computer you own or control that is already running the Apple Software, for purposes of: (a) software development; (b) testing during software development; (c) using macOS Server; or (d) personal, non-commercial use."

This seems to imply you can only virtualize macOS on Apple hardware that is already running macOS. Since ESXi is a Type-1 Hypervisor and includes it's own kernel, etc, it seems dubious to wipe the OS, and install ESXi on Apple hardware. Perhaps you'll never be caught doing this... but it seems like it would still violate the EULA.

[1]…

Unlike the old rack mount options for the trashcan Mac Pro units (eg https://photos.imgix.com/racking-mac-pros), it doesn't seem like much thought has been given here to a front-to-back airflow.

I'm also surprised they're touting the density of this solution— seems like the obvious thing would be to put the Minis on their sides. A 4U chassis has 17.5cm vertical space in it, and a Mac Mini is 17cm wide. With the Mini being 2in in height, that suggests 8-9 Minis in a 4U rack, vs 2 Minis in a 2U rack for Scaleway's trays.

EDIT: Here's a commercially-available solution that's 6/4U: https://www.mk1manufacturing.com/Rack-Mount-for-6-M4-mac-minis-p102.html, you'd think it could basically be this but with the management plane behind or in front. And as others have said, making the management plane be more shared, so it's not 1:1.

The Minis are incredibly simple machines inside, and their airflow is not great. You could pop their logic boards out and run them without the chassis. With some thought it wouldn't be too tough to significantly improve their airflow for this environment.

I do have an existing rack design that holds 64 of them (and other people have gone denser, with operational compromises I prefer not to make), so there's no great impetus on my side to rip them out of their enclosures.

My Mac Mini rack design is shown in a little more detail in our previous article: http://photos.imgix.com/building-a-graphics-card-for-the-internet

Not very related, but it reminds me that there are a lot of people who rack Mac Pros in data centers. Not Mac Mini. Mac Pros. Yes, the cylinder one. I guess it's mostly for graphics and rendering capabilities or when testing requires the original machines. People come up with all sorts of tricks because it is very inefficient - like vents [1] - or this other company who 3D-printed pieces to keep the Macbook Pros open at 7mm (=0,05 banana) [2].

[1] I especially liked this blog: http://photos.imgix.com/racking-mac-pros

[2] https://simbimbo.wordpress.com/2015/07/24/well-im-at-it-again-this-time-with-macbook-pros/

imgix (YC S11) | Many Positions | San Francisco, CA | Full-time

imgix is real-time image resizing service and CDN.

We are hiring a few different types of engineers to help grow and maintain our infrastructure. Our service is loved by our customers.

You might have come across us when we wrote about our unconventional choices in architecture:

http://photos.imgix.com/racking-mac-pros

We currently power the images behind Kickstarter, Zillow, Unsplash, Bonobos, Bustle, Hotel Tonight, and many more.

If interested, you can read more here:

https://www.imgix.com/jobs

I would guess that the only people buying Mac Pros at this point are people who need to for infrastructure compatibility reasons, and/or who need something more powerful than a MBP but absolutely can't go with an iMac for whatever reason. These are mostly people who probably would have been buying more even without the bump. So the bump is just a nice bonus and tip of the hat from Apple to hang in there.

Example of what I'm talking about? Check out this Mac Pro server rack setup:

http://photos.imgix.com/racking-mac-pros