@geekbb: NTFS read/write on Apple Silicon macOS — no kernel extensions, no SIP disable. It actually runs a libkrun microVM (based on anylinuxfs, with ntfs-3g inside) to handle the actual NTFS writes, then…

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Summary

ntfsmac is an open-source tool that enables NTFS read/write on Apple Silicon macOS by using a libkrun microVM running ntfs-3g, avoiding kernel extensions and SIP modifications. It provides both CLI and a GUI menu-bar app.

NTFS read/write on Apple Silicon macOS, no kernel extensions, no SIP disable. This actually runs a libkrun microVM (based on anylinuxfs, with ntfs-3g inside) to handle the actual NTFS writes, and then macOS mounts it via NFS for access, bypassing the kernel extension approach blocked by SIP policy. https://t.co/4vtdAhrtEs https://t.co/uMQIbP0ySg
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On Apple Silicon macOS, achieve NTFS read/write without kernel extensions, without disabling SIP. This actually runs a libkrun microVM (based on anylinuxfs, running ntfs-3g internally) to perform the actual NTFS writes, then macOS accesses it via NFS mount, bypassing the kernel extension route blocked by SIP policy. https://t.co/4vtdAhrtEs https://t.co/uMQIbP0ySg — # khr898/ntfsmac Source: https://github.com/khr898/ntfsmac # ntfsmac NTFS read/write on Apple Silicon macOS — no kernel extension, no SIP modification. Wraps anylinuxfs (https://github.com/nohajc/anylinuxfs) (a libkrun microVM running ntfs-3g), exported to macOS over NFS on a host-only vmnet bridge. CLI first, GUI second. ## Why macOS does not have native NTFS write support. The usual fixes are a kernel extension (blocked by newer SIP policy) or a paid third-party driver. ntfsmac takes a third path: a disposable Linux microVM does the actual NTFS write, and macOS just mounts it over NFS — no kext, no SIP toggle, no System Extension approval dance. ## Requirements - Apple Silicon (arm64) only. No Intel fallback. - macOS 13.0+. ## Install CLI, via Homebrew tap: sh brew tap khr898/ntfsmac brew install ntfsmac ntfsmac diagnose GUI: download the latest ad-hoc-signed .dmg from Releases — not distributed as a Homebrew cask (see Signing & distribution). ## Usage sh ntfsmac mount # e.g. disk4s1 — mounts read/write by default ntfsmac unmount ntfsmac diagnose # environment + bridge + helper health check ntfsmac uninstall # removes CLI, runtime state, and the GUI's privileged helper ntfsmac help Device identifiers are validated against ^disk[0-9]+s[0-9]+$ before any command touches them — see SECURITY.md. ## GUI Menu-bar app (no Dock icon): pick a drive, mount it, get out of the way. Menu-bar icon color tells the whole story — grey idle, blue mounting, green mounted read/write, yellow mounted read-only (dirty journal), red error. Full button-level spec in GUI-PLAN.md. ## Architecture macOS ── NFS (soft mount) ──> vmnet host-only bridge ──> libkrun microVM ── ntfs-3g ──> NTFS drive Every control that mounts, unmounts, or touches pf/route state goes through a SMJobBless XPC helper — the GUI never shell-outs to sudo directly. Full architecture and phased build plan: docs/dev/PLAN.md. ## Signing & distribution Ad-hoc signed only (codesign -s -) — no paid Apple Developer account, no notarization. That’s why the GUI ships as a DMG (never a Homebrew cask) and the CLI lives in a personal tap (never homebrew-core). ## Status CLI-first build, currently in the Phase 3 GUI build-out. See docs/dev/PLAN.md for the full phase plan. ## Contributing See CONTRIBUTING.md. Working with an AI coding agent? Start with CLAUDE.md (also readable as AGENTS.md). ## Security Please report vulnerabilities per SECURITY.md rather than filing a public issue. ## License MIT — see LICENSE.

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