A macOS X ISO file is a disk image file that contains the installation files for macOS X, a series of operating systems developed by Apple for Mac computers. The ISO file can be used to create a bootable installation disk or to install the operating system on a virtual machine.

Because macOS is proprietary software, there are no traditional academic papers titled "The macOS ISO." Instead, the deep technical literature focuses on the underlying technologies that the operating system comprises.

The Rise and Redundancy of the macOS X ISO