Getting started

Installation

Native VM is one desktop app. Download it for your system, install it like any other app, and sign in with your Native VM account.

Get the files from the Download page. Version 0.1.0 is a beta, for macOS on Apple silicon, Windows and Linux; an Intel Mac build is on the way.

macOS

Open the disk image

Open NativeVM-0.1.0-macos-arm64.dmg and drag Native VM onto the Applications link beside it.

Open Native VM

Open it from Applications. This first release isn't notarized by Apple yet, so macOS may say it can't check the app for malicious software. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the message about Native VM, and choose Open Anyway. You only do this once.

Native VM opens on its sign-in window. Sign in with your Native VM account, or choose Create an account. See Account and plans.

Native VM needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later. On an older Mac, Finder explains the problem instead of the app failing to start.

Windows

Native VM runs on Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.

Run NativeVM-0.1.0-windows-x64-setup.exe. It installs for your user with no administrator prompt; the installer also offers to install for all users.
Or unzip the portable .zip anywhere and run Native VM.exe.

Then sign in with your Native VM account, or choose Create an account.

Linux

Native VM runs on Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04, or Debian 12, on x64.

Terminal

sudo apt install ./nativevm_0.1.0_amd64.deb

Then open Native VM from your applications menu, or run nativevm. The portable .tar.gz works without installing: extract it and run nativevm/nativevm.

Updates

Click the Native VM logo at the top left of any window to open About Native VM, then choose Check for updates. Native VM only looks when you ask, and the check carries nothing about your servers. When a newer release exists, it offers the page to download it from.

About Native VM also shows the version and how to reach support. Copy details puts the build, your system and the data folder on the clipboard, ready to paste into a support email.

Where your data lives

Native VM keeps its data on your computer, in one folder:

System	Data folder
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/nativevm/Native VM`
Windows	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\nativevm\Native VM`
Linux	`~/.local/share/nativevm/Native VM`

It holds your saved servers, the host keys you've trusted, and this session's metrics. Passwords, passphrases and tokens are in your OS keychain unless you chose otherwise; see Credentials.

Uninstalling

Delete the app the way you delete any app on your system. The data folder and saved credentials stay, so a reinstall picks up where you left off.