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Introduction

rusta is a macOS-only CLI for creating and managing Ubuntu VMs on Apple Silicon using Tart.

It is the spiritual successor to ubuntu-tart-vm.sh, exposing its features through a subcommand-based UX rather than a single mega-script. It handles cloning Ubuntu OCI images, provisioning guests over SSH, wiring up Docker, and keeping track of a default VM so day-to-day commands stay short.

Requirements

  • Apple Silicon Mac (arm64). The CLI aborts at startup on any other architecture.
  • macOS with Homebrew available on PATH.
  • Outbound HTTPS to ghcr.io for OCI image pulls and rusta versions.

tart, sshpass, and (only for docker-setup) docker are auto-installed via Homebrew on demand.

Where next?

  • Installation — install via Homebrew, crates.io, or from source.
  • Quick Start — the shortest path from zero to an SSH session in a fresh Ubuntu VM.
  • Commands — full CLI command reference.