MacBook M1 Developer Compatibility: Xcode, VS Code, Docker, Homebrew & More

Code Editors

Vim is distributed as a universal binary and runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1/M2). Visual Studio Code can be launched under Rosetta 2, but the Insider build already provides native ARM support, and the stable release is expected to follow.

Xcode

Xcode is a first‑party IDE that runs efficiently on M1 chips. In a benchmark compiling the PSPDFKit PDF SDK, a 2019 16‑inch Intel MacBook Pro took 7 min 31 s, while an M1‑based MacBook Air (fan‑less) took 8 min 49 s.

When testing apps that target iOS versions earlier than 14, developers may encounter WebKit memory‑allocator crashes and occasional Xcode hangs. In such cases, use an Intel‑based Mac or wait for a future Xcode update that resolves these issues.

Docker

Docker Desktop does not run on Apple Silicon and cannot be executed via Rosetta 2. A practical workaround is to run an ARM‑Linux virtual machine (e.g., using UTM or QEMU) on the Mac and install Docker inside that VM.

For a step‑by‑step guide, see the tutorial at https://finestructure.co/blog/2020/11/27/running-docker-on-apple-silicon-m1.

Homebrew

Homebrew can be installed under Rosetta 2 by prefixing the official installation script with arch -x86_64:

$ arch -x86_64 /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"

Because pre‑compiled bottles for ARM macOS are not yet available, many formulae need to be built from source using brew install -s.

For a fully native installation, manually compile Homebrew into /opt/homebrew:

$ sudo mkdir -p /opt/homebrew
$ sudo chown -R $(whoami):staff /opt/homebrew
$ cd /opt
$ curl -L https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/tarball/master | tar xz --strip 1 -C homebrew

The Rosetta‑installed Homebrew resides in /usr/local/bin; the native version lives in /opt/homebrew/bin. Add the native path to PATH:

export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"

To explicitly invoke the Rosetta version, create an alias:

alias ibrew='arch -x86_64 /usr/local/bin/brew'

Open issues related to ARM compatibility are tracked at https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/issues/7857.

Other Common Software

Google Chrome 87+ runs natively on M1.

Microsoft Office runs via Rosetta 2; version 16.43 (optimized for macOS Big Sur) offers the best launch times.

Electron applications may suffer performance penalties under Rosetta because the V8 JIT is not fully translated. Electron 11 adds native Apple Silicon support.

Applications executed under Rosetta are read‑only, which disables automatic updates; users must update them manually.

Virtual Machines and Windows

VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop can run on M1 Macs, but they rely on emulation because Apple‑Silicon‑compatible hypervisors are not yet available. VirtualBox does not run at all.

ARM‑based Windows can emulate x86 applications, and Microsoft is researching x64 emulation. CrossOver can run individual Windows programs but does not provide a full VM environment.

The M1 hardware limit of 16 GB RAM can become a bottleneck for memory‑intensive VMs.

Conclusion

Apple Silicon Macs deliver impressive CPU performance and silent operation, but many development tools still lack native support. Workarounds such as Rosetta 2, ARM‑Linux VMs, or dual Homebrew installations are often required. Compatibility is expected to improve as vendors release updates, and newer hardware (e.g., M2) may alleviate some limitations.

Reference links:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25238608

https://steipete.com/posts/apple-silicon-m1-a-developer-perspective/

https://soffes.blog/homebrew-on-apple-silicon

https://github.com/mikelxc/Workarounds-for-ARM-mac