Apple Script: "Can't get virtual machine named XYZ"

[anarqist]

Describe the issue
I am trying to start my VM automatically on boot with a short Apple script:

#!/usr/bin/osascript

delay 10

tell application "UTM"
	set v to virtual machine id "EB2E6CCF-8075-4A65-91B8-907755BC0F22"
	start v
	properties of window 1
	set miniaturized of window 1 to true
end tell

But it does not find my VM, neither by name or ID. See attached screenshot below.

It only works the first time I rename my VM, but after that it no longer recognizes the name or ID.

Configuration

• UTM Version: 4.6.4
• macOS Version: 15.3.2
• Mac Chip (Intel, M1, ...): M4 Pro

If Apple Script (w/ .plist in launchagents folder) is not the best option to automatically start a VM on boot what other options do I have?

[anarqist]

The same happens if I try to use utmctl. It does not find my VM.

[HenkPoley]

For the utmctl case, what does this say?

/Applications/UTM.app/Contents/MacOS/utmctl list

You then need to start by using the UUID (first column), like:

/Applications/UTM.app/Contents/MacOS/utmctl start E538872D-206A-4975-B079-68415DE1706E

And did you give Terminal special 'privacy' access the first time you ran utmctl? If you didn't it probably cannot communicate with UTM itself, and you'll need to go to System Settings > Privacy, and find the right option.

[HenkPoley]

On my machine Script Editor says for this script:

tell application "UTM"
	get name of every virtual machine
end tell

as result:

{"Windows 11 ARM64"}

And this then starts that VM:

tell application "UTM"
	set vm to virtual machine "Windows 11 ARM64"
	start vm
end tell

I think you should able to get your Apple Script to work now.

I am using UTM 4.6.4, and loaded the 'dictionary' of this App from File → Open Dictionary…

I have to say that even using set vm to virtual machine id "ABC.." with the proper UUID, works for me.

Even the properties of window 1 and set miniaturized of window 1 to true works fine for me.

[HenkPoley]

Possibly AppleScript interfacing, Apple's HyperVisor Framework, or something else that UTM / qemu uses, needs a longer time to start up? Seems odd, but that could be a possibility.

I notice that when UTM is stopped, it sometimes also doesn't listen to the start command immediately.

Did you try something like:

delay 10

# Start UTM
tell application "UTM"
	activate
end tell

delay 1

tell application "UTM"
	properties of window 0
	set miniaturized of window 0 to true
	set vm to virtual machine id "4A.."
	start vm
	
	# Move to top left corner
	set currentBounds to bounds of window 1
	set width to (item 3 of currentBounds) - (item 1 of currentBounds)
	set height to (item 4 of currentBounds) - (item 2 of currentBounds)
	set bounds of window 1 to {0, 0, width, height}
	
	properties of window 1
	set miniaturized of window 1 to true
end tell

To just start UTM first?

[anarqist]

@HenkPoley

So, my VM was running and I executed the command /Applications/UTM.app/Contents/MacOS/utmctl list and it correctly showed my VM with their UUID. I was able to stop the VM within terminal and start it for multiple times and it always showed me the correct state/information etc.

As soon as I rebooted my Mac UTM was running in the background (autostart), but no VM was automatically booted.
I ran the command /Applications/UTM.app/Contents/MacOS/utmctl list again and it does no longer show me anything.
Even after manually starting the VM it does not update the information in terminal.

Whats weird: I just reran the same command after about 5 mins of running my Mac and manually started the VM and now the list command shows my running VM, so it looks like there is a huuuge delay in finding the the information?

EDIT:

I think I fixed it.
I removed UTM from the login items within System Settings and added the section to start UTM by Apple script. It seems to work now:

tell application "UTM"
	activate
	properties of window 1
	set miniaturized of window 1 to true
end tell

delay 10

tell application "UTM"
	set v to virtual machine id "EB2E6CCF-8075-4A65-91B8-907755BC0F22"
	start v
	properties of window 1
	set miniaturized of window 1 to true
end tell

This script runs as an automation when I boot my Mac.

So it seems somehow there is an interference with the auto boot as login item and and then run commands.

[HenkPoley]

I notice that when running it at random times (not at boot), with UTM closed, and a delay of 1 second, the start vm command doesn't work very stable. Sometimes the VM window does pop up, but the VM does not start.

My guess is also that there is some delay between UTM starting, and the virtual machine list being fully populated.

I suppose UTM could pause processing set v to virtual machine id ".." requests from AppleScript until the virtual machine list is completely filled.