SLL

One final update: specify CPU model as IvyBridge (or SandyBridge) seems to work but the system CPU usage skyrocketed. Go back to Penryn and everything is fine.

Turns out the above vm and clover config works with sierra 10.12.5 as well (with fakeSMC added). Earlier kernel panic happened when my VM was configured with 6 core 2 threads. For some reason it panic straight away. This configuration works with qemu 2.7. Changed to 4 core 2 threads works fine.

Initially I got the same result as you, with a working sierra 10.12.5 VM. I then started to work thru the problem with a new el capitan VM (10.11.6). Using the most recent Clover (r4097). With the following vm xml and clover config.plist, it works well. I can also passthrough AMD graphics card and USB 3 PCI card. Still haven't been successful with a new Sierra VM. It got stuck while booting the installer. This seems to be a reported problem since 10.12.4. Would like to try again with a patched qemu 2.9.0 (applesmc patched). <domain type='kvm' id='64' xmlns:qemu='http://libvirt.org/schemas/domain/qemu/1.0'> <name>qemu el capitan- ovmf - try</name> <uuid>0450821b-8594-5d90-dd1b-c84fe897c924</uuid> <metadata> <vmtemplate xmlns="unraid" name="Linux" icon="linux.png" os="linux"/> </metadata> <memory unit='KiB'>4194304</memory> <currentMemory unit='KiB'>4194304</currentMemory> <memoryBacking> <nosharepages/> </memoryBacking> <vcpu placement='static'>2</vcpu> <cputune> <vcpupin vcpu='0' cpuset='7'/> <vcpupin vcpu='1' cpuset='6'/> </cputune> <resource> <partition>/machine</partition> </resource> <os> <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-q35-2.9'>hvm</type> <loader readonly='yes' type='pflash'>/usr/share/qemu/ovmf-x64/OVMF_CODE-pure-efi.fd</loader> <nvram>/etc/libvirt/qemu/nvram/0450821b-8594-5d90-dd1b-c84fe897c924_VARS-pure-efi.fd</nvram> <boot dev='hd'/> </os> <features> <acpi/> <apic/> </features> <cpu mode='host-passthrough' check='none'> <topology sockets='1' cores='2' threads='1'/> </cpu> <clock offset='utc'/> <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff> <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot> <on_crash>restart</on_crash> <devices> <emulator>/usr/local/sbin/qemu</emulator> <disk type='file' device='disk'> <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/> <source file='/mnt/cache/vm_images/clover-qemu29.img'/> <backingStore/> <target dev='hda' bus='sata'/> <alias name='sata0-0-0'/> <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/> </disk> <disk type='file' device='disk'> <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/> <source file='/mnt/cache/vm_images/ElCapitan.img'/> <backingStore/> <target dev='hdb' bus='sata'/> <alias name='sata0-0-1'/> <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='1'/> </disk> <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-ehci1'> <alias name='usb'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x7'/> </controller> <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-uhci1'> <alias name='usb'/> <master startport='0'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x0' multifunction='on'/> </controller> <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-uhci2'> <alias name='usb'/> <master startport='2'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x1'/> </controller> <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-uhci3'> <alias name='usb'/> <master startport='4'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x2'/> </controller> <controller type='sata' index='0'> <alias name='ide'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x1f' function='0x2'/> </controller> <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pcie-root'> <alias name='pcie.0'/> </controller> <controller type='pci' index='1' model='dmi-to-pci-bridge'> <model name='i82801b11-bridge'/> <alias name='pci.1'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x1e' function='0x0'/> </controller> <controller type='pci' index='2' model='pci-bridge'> <model name='pci-bridge'/> <target chassisNr='2'/> <alias name='pci.2'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x01' slot='0x01' function='0x0'/> </controller> <interface type='bridge'> <mac address='52:54:00:00:20:30'/> <source bridge='br0'/> <target dev='vnet2'/> <model type='e1000-82545em'/> <alias name='net0'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x03' function='0x0'/> </interface> <serial type='pty'> <source path='/dev/pts/2'/> <target port='0'/> <alias name='serial0'/> </serial> <console type='pty' tty='/dev/pts/2'> <source path='/dev/pts/2'/> <target type='serial' port='0'/> <alias name='serial0'/> </console> <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'> <alias name='input0'/> </input> <input type='keyboard' bus='ps2'> <alias name='input1'/> </input> <graphics type='vnc' port='5901' autoport='yes' websocket='5701' listen='0.0.0.0' keymap='en-us'> <listen type='address' address='0.0.0.0'/> </graphics> <video> <model type='cirrus' vram='16384' heads='1' primary='yes'/> <alias name='video0'/> <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x01' function='0x0'/> </video> <memballoon model='none'> <alias name='balloon0'/> </memballoon> </devices> <seclabel type='none' model='none'/> <qemu:commandline> <qemu:arg value='-device'/> <qemu:arg value='usb-kbd'/> <qemu:arg value='-device'/> <qemu:arg value='usb-tablet'/> <qemu:arg value='-device'/> <qemu:arg value='Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'/> <qemu:arg value='-smbios'/> <qemu:arg value='type=2'/> <qemu:arg value='-cpu'/> <qemu:arg value='IvyBridge,vendor=GenuineIntel,kvm=on,+invtsc,vmware-cpuid-freq=on'/> </qemu:commandline> </domain> Config.plist <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Boot</key> <dict> <key>Arguments</key> <string>-v</string> </dict> <key>RtVariables</key> <dict> <key>BooterConfig</key> <string>0x28</string> <key>CsrActiveConfig</key> <string>0x67</string> <key>ROM</key> <string>UseMacAddr0</string> </dict> <key>SMBIOS</key> <dict> <key>BiosReleaseDate</key> <string>09/03/2013</string> <key>BiosVendor</key> <string>Apple Inc.</string> <key>BiosVersion</key> <string>IM142.88Z.0118.B00.1309031249</string> <key>Board-ID</key> <string>Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</string> <key>BoardManufacturer</key> <string>Apple Inc.</string> <key>BoardType</key> <integer>10</integer> <key>ChassisAssetTag</key> <string>iMac-Aluminum</string> <key>ChassisManufacturer</key> <string>Apple Inc.</string> <key>ChassisType</key> <string>13</string> <key>Family</key> <string>iMac</string> <key>Manufacturer</key> <string>Apple Inc.</string> <key>ProductName</key> <string>iMac14,2</string> <key>SerialNumber</key> <string>Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</string> <key>Trust</key> <false/> <key>Version</key> <string>1.0</string> </dict> </dict> </plist>

I have tried this with 6.4-rc6 and El Capitan 10.11.6. It works as said with the latest unmodified and minimally configured Clover. However, to try out Sierra 10.12.5, I am hoping 6.4 will be released with the applesmc patch applied to qemu 2.9.0. That will allow Sierra to run without putting in FakeSMC. For those interested, I put the qemu -cpu options in the libvirt xml as follows: <cpu mode='host-passthrough' check='none'> <topology sockets='1' cores='2' threads='1'/> </cpu> ........... <qemu:commandline> ........ <qemu:arg value='-cpu'/> <qemu:arg value='IvyBridge,vendor=GenuineIntel,kvm=on,+invtsc,vmware-cpuid-freq=on'/> </qemu:commandline> Glad to see it even works with IvyBridge as the guest CPU model :-)