Anyone having success with iMessage?

[HansDaigle]

I'm having no success with iMessage.

• I tried with a fresh account
• I tried with an account tied to a physical iPhone that was created in 2020

I followed the instructions here: https://github.com/sickcodes/Docker-OSX/issues?q=156

Both accounts were blocked when I tried to log in to iMessage.

• The fresh account was fully blocked getting the "You cannot sign in iMessage on this mac at this time" error.
• The second account is in a login logout loop with no errors. Apparently, the solution is to call apple: https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/l1wg1l/imessage_on_macos_keeps_logging_me_out/.

This is the command I run:

docker run -it \
    --device /dev/kvm \
    -e "DISPLAY=${DISPLAY:-:0.0}" \
    -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
    -p 50922:10022 \
    -e GENERATE_SPECIFIC=true \
    -e DEVICE_MODEL="${DEVICE_MODEL}" \
    -e SERIAL="${SERIAL}" \
    -e BOARD_SERIAL="${BOARD_SERIAL}" \
    -e UUID="${UUID}" \
    -e MAC_ADDRESS="${MAC_ADDRESS}" \
    -v "${PWD}/existing_disk.img:/image" \
    sickcodes/docker-osx:naked

I tried with a BigSur image and a Monterey image, I also tried at least 3 different sets of unique machine numbers.

./custom/generate-unique-machine-values.sh \
        --count 1 \
        --tsv ~/my_permanent_serial_number.tsv \
        --output-env ~/my_permanent_serial_number.sh

+++

My question is: Is anyone having success with iMessage? If so how are you generating the unique machine numbers?

[rahmnathan]

I'm facing the same issue.

[ju-li]

You have to call Apple Support and give them the customer code in the error message. They'll activate it for the machine number that generated the customer code. Blue Bubbles has a good explanation of it in section "Error Messages": https://docs.bluebubbles.app/server/advanced/macos-virtualization/running-a-macos-vm/enabling-imessage-in-a-vm

[acheong08]

Same issue but I am not getting an error message. It just logs me out once I successfully log in

[ju-li]

Same issue but I am not getting an error message. It just logs me out once I successfully log in

I had that issue and kept trying to login and the error message showed up 🤷

[arty01238]

Was this ever resolved?

[ju-li]

Was this ever resolved?

@arty01238 just do what's laid out in Error Messages: https://docs.bluebubbles.app/server/advanced/macos-virtualization/running-a-macos-vm/enabling-imessage-in-a-vm

[Rossbro2]

Was there an update made on Apple's side that blocks iMessage for Docker-OSX? This was working for me about a year ago, then all the sudden I can't sign into iMessage anymore, despite logging into the OS and iCloud with my Apple ID. Sign into iMessage, and after a couple seconds, it goes directly back to the iMessage login screen. No "customer code" prompt/window shows 🤷🏼‍♂️

I thought there was something messed up on my system but I did an entirely new fresh install with the same problem. Called Apple support and they directed me to updating to the latest Mac OS, but that fails also. I can see the iMac Pro as a "device" on my iPad, but it doesn't show up on the Apple support website. What gives?

docker run -it \
    --device /dev/kvm \
    -p 50922:10022 \
    -p 5999:5999 \
    -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
    -e GENERATE_UNIQUE=true \
    -e MASTER_PLIST_URL='https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sickcodes/osx-serial-generator/master/config-custom.plist' \
    -e "DISPLAY=${DISPLAY:-:0.0}" \
    -e EXTRA="-display none -vnc 0.0.0.0:99,password=on" \
    --name MacOS \
    sickcodes/docker-osx:ventura

I verified SERIAL, BOARD_SERIAL, and UUID are all non-blank and appear legit. However, MAC_ADDRESS doesn't seem right (:##:##:##), and ROM is blank... Am I doing something wrong? I assumed GENERATE_UNIQUE=true would've taken care of things.

Thanks in advance!

@sickcodes 👀

[ju-li]

Was there an update made on Apple's side that blocks iMessage for Docker-OSX? This was working for me about a year ago, then all the sudden I can't sign into iMessage anymore, despite logging into the OS and iCloud with my Apple ID. Sign into iMessage, and after a couple seconds, it goes directly back to the iMessage login screen. No "customer code" prompt/window shows 🤷🏼‍♂️

I thought there was something messed up on my system but I did an entirely new fresh install with the same problem. Called Apple support and they directed me to updating to the latest Mac OS, but that fails also. I can see the iMac Pro as a "device" on my iPad, but it doesn't show up on the Apple support website. What gives?

docker run -it \
    --device /dev/kvm \
    -p 50922:10022 \
    -p 5999:5999 \
    -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
    -e GENERATE_UNIQUE=true \
    -e MASTER_PLIST_URL='https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sickcodes/osx-serial-generator/master/config-custom.plist' \
    -e "DISPLAY=${DISPLAY:-:0.0}" \
    -e EXTRA="-display none -vnc 0.0.0.0:99,password=on" \
    --name MacOS \
    sickcodes/docker-osx:ventura

I verified SERIAL, BOARD_SERIAL, and UUID are all non-blank and appear legit. However, MAC_ADDRESS doesn't seem right (:##:##:##), and ROM is blank... Am I doing something wrong? I assumed GENERATE_UNIQUE=true would've taken care of things.

Thanks in advance!

@sickcodes 👀

GENERATE_UNIQUE=true doesn't guarantee that the generated SERIAL, etc are valid. It was working for you before but you didn't persist the valid value across reboots using GENERATE_SPECIFIC=true
So when you rebooted, you lost your previously valid serial numbers
See: https://github.com/sickcodes/Docker-OSX?tab=readme-ov-file#making-serial-numbers-persist-across-reboots

I think it's best to follow this method for generating serials and then testing them: https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Post-Install/universal/iservices.html#generate-an-uuid
And then telling the container to use the specific serials that you've tested