VM Clone
Duplicate an existing workspace instantly using APFS copy-on-write. The clone gets a fresh identity but shares disk blocks with the original, so it uses near-zero additional disk space.
Overview
Cloning uses the macOS clonefile() system call to create APFS copy-on-write copies of the VM's disk image, hardware model, and auxiliary storage. Only blocks that are subsequently modified in either the original or the clone consume additional disk space.
What Gets Cloned vs. Regenerated
| Item | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Disk image | APFS COW clone (shared blocks) |
| Hardware model | APFS COW clone |
| Auxiliary storage | APFS COW clone |
| Machine identifier | Regenerated (new unique ID) |
| MAC address | Regenerated (new random address) |
| config.json | New file with same hardware settings, cleared per-instance state |
| Shared folders | Not carried over (cleared) |
| Port forwards | Not carried over (cleared) |
| Snapshots | Not carried over (empty directory) |
| Suspend state | Not carried over (clone boots fresh) |
GUI Usage
Right-click any stopped VM in the main window and select Clone. You'll be prompted to enter a name for the new workspace. The clone appears in the VM list immediately.
Disk Efficiency
Because APFS copy-on-write shares underlying data blocks, cloning a 64 GiB VM takes only milliseconds and uses almost no additional disk space initially. As you modify files inside the original or clone, only the changed blocks diverge and consume real storage.
This makes cloning ideal for creating throwaway test environments, templating workflows, or spinning up multiple variations of a base workspace.
Stop the VM first
APFS Required