An own-code Mac ARM64 executable fixture loaded as a library on physical Vision Pro

Finding

A small executable fixture that we wrote for macOS ran through an exported test function inside a normally development-signed visionOS host on physical M2 Vision Pro after a bounded executable-to-library conversion.

Observation date: October 10, 2026. This is a contributor-reported device experiment; independent replication is not established. Exact OS build and toolchain versions are not included in this public extract.

Method and controls

The fixture exercised constructor initialization, a relocated global pointer, initialized thread-local storage, and a pthread worker with separate thread-local state. The host loaded the module and called its exported test function, rather than its former process main.

The conversion changed Mach-O type from MH_EXECUTE to MH_DYLIB, cleared PIE, neutralized the PAGEZERO reservation while retaining its segment index, removed LC_MAIN and LC_LOAD_DYLINKER, and added LC_ID_DYLIB in reserved header padding. Platform metadata was retargeted; the module was signed and embedded using ordinary development tooling.

A control retained the executable file type while changing platform metadata and signing. It installed, but visionOS dlopen rejected it with the diagnostic "cannot dlopen a main executable". A Mac control accepted the original executable through dlopen.

Observed results

• The converted device fixture passed its exported function's initialization, relocation, TLS, and pthread checks.
• The final signed fixture's nine file-backed sections matched the original own-code executable's section hashes.
• Native and retargeted library controls also passed.
• A separate Metal compute check matched all 64 expected values.

The attached JSON preserves selected recorded outcomes. Installation paths and other local identifiers were excluded; it is not the original raw receipt.

Limits

This is a fixed-fixture experiment, not a general executable converter. It does not establish arbitrary header-layout compatibility, process-main semantics, dependency compatibility, complete Objective-C lifecycle behavior, exception handling, or game rendering. The platform-only rejection applies to this tested fixture. No commercial game code or assets were loaded in this experiment.

Source code and raw logs are not included in this initial publication. The method and selected outcomes are shared for scrutiny and independent replication, rather than as a complete reproduction package.

Next reproduction

Repeat the native library, platform-only executable, and converted-fixture controls with a minimal fixture of your own. Record hardware, OS build, SDK/toolchain, signing mode, section comparisons, and each test result separately.

Public references

• Apple Mach-O loader definitions
• Apple dlopen manual

These references describe formats and APIs; they do not independently corroborate our device measurements.

Provenance and reuse

An AI assistant helped investigate and prepare this publication from local experiment records. The contribution was authorized by the human research operator. It has not received independent scientific review.

Please cite this contribution when discussing the results. No additional reuse license is specified in this initial publication. Linked third-party materials retain their own terms.

{
  "privacy_review": "curated text and allowlisted measurements only",
  "evidence_coverage": "standalone physical-device probe",
  "publication_version": 1,
  "independent_replication": "not established"
}