Orka 3.5.0: Building a More Resilient Future for macOS Virtualization
Executive overview
- Orka 3.5.0 delivers day-one support for macOS 26 “Tahoe” so enterprises and iOS development teams can immediately validate apps on Apple’s newest OS.
- Enterprise teams gain stronger resiliency and networking with smarter node recovery, background VM processes, and bridged networking for on-prem environments that also prepare for VDI use cases.
- MacStadium introduces modern macOS VM image management with Harbor OCI registry and a pre-configured Packer iOS build template to streamline DevOps and iOS workflows.
- Orka 3.5.0 lays the foundation for future macOS virtualization, including full macOS 26 host support in Orka 3.6.0 and the expansion of enterprise VDI capabilities.
Introduction
For iOS app teams and enterprise CI/CD, the development pipeline is often the lifeline of the business. Any slowdown or disruption impacts developer productivity, time-to-market, and ultimately the customer experience. That’s why Orka 3.5.0 emphasizes stability, resiliency, and future readiness.
With this update, we’ve focused on new features that enable Orka customers to move faster, with less friction and more confidence. Orka 3.5.0 ensures workloads keep running when issues arise and introduces capabilities that make enterprise-scale macOS virtualization more flexible than ever. This new release streamlines operational efficiency, enabling teams to pivot when the next wave of macOS innovation arrives.
What’s new in Orka 3.5.0
Day-one guest support for the latest OS, including Tahoe
Has your team started building and testing on macOS Tahoe? Keeping up with Apple’s annual macOS releases is a non-negotiable for many teams and can be a challenge to stay up to date. With Orka 3.5.0, DevOps teams can validate apps against macOS 26 immediately, ensuring compatibility, reducing last-minute surprises, and keeping release schedules intact.
Introducing bridged networking on-prem
Networking complexity often slows down CI/CD. Orka now supports bridged networking for Orka on-prem environments, enabling direct VM connectivity from a virtual environment to a physical network environment.
Bridged networking allows Orka VMs to connect directly to a physical network as a native device, receiving their own IP address from the network’s Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. This simplifies workflows, accelerates builds, and creates a stronger foundation for upcoming VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) use cases.
Enhancing Support and Test Team Workflows
Orka Desktop provides a robust platform for support and test teams, focusing on consistency and reproducibility:
- Creation of standardized base images for test case validation
- Simplified sharing of VM images for bug reproduction and verification
- Rapid iteration and verification of fixes across various configurations
By using Orka Desktop's OCI-compliant image-sharing capabilities, teams can reduce environment setup time and allocate more resources to testing and problem-solving.
Harbor OCI storage for VM images
MacStadium hosted OCI storage is getting a major upgrade. Managing VM images at scale for the enterprise requires more than just simple storage. Orka 3.5.0 introduces Harbor OCI storage, a modern, secure, and managed registry for macOS VM images.
Enterprise teams now have a purpose-built solution to manage images at scale, compared to NFS mounted storage. Users can push and pull images directly from the Orka CLI to your Harbor registry.
Packer iOS build template
Getting started with iOS build environments should be fast and reliable. With the new Packer iOS build template, Orka 3.5.0 gives iOS development teams a pre-configured, tested image that accelerates setup while reducing errors. This golden template helps teams get started faster with the tools they use every day, including Homebrew, Cocoapods, and Swift.
New VM lifecycle metrics
Visibility drives performance. Orka 3.5.0 now exposes custom Prometheus metrics that track VM deployment durations from start to stop. Enterprise teams can tie these metrics directly to KPIs such as build times and integration test durations, providing clear insight into Orka’s contribution to pipeline efficiency.
Improved uptime and resiliency
Downtime can cost your business thousands. Orka 3.5.0 strengthens reliability with smarter node recovery and background VM processes that keep workloads running even when infrastructure hiccups occur. This helps enterprise teams reduce pipeline failures and keep CI/CD moving without manual intervention.
Building toward the next stage of macOS virtualization
Orka 3.5.0 lays the groundwork for the next stage of macOS virtualization, including:
• Full host support for macOS 26 “Tahoe” in Orka 3.6.0, giving enterprises trust that their infrastructure will be ready for the newest Apple operating system as soon as it’s released.
• The expansion of VDI use cases, where bridged networking and resilient infrastructure unlock new possibilities for secure, scalable macOS virtual desktop environments.
By strengthening resiliency, enhancing workflows, and anticipating enterprise needs, Orka 3.5.0 ensures organizations can innovate faster and stay aligned with Apple’s rapid release cycles.
Get started with Orka 3.5.0 today
Orka 3.5.0 is available today for MacStadium customers.
👉 Read the full release notes to explore every update in detail
👉 Ready to modernize your macOS CI/CD pipelines? Contact a MacStadium expert to get started with Orka.