Velo Workspaces
Clone is the "how", not a "what"
Cloning is an APFS copy-on-write operation, clonefile() underneath, and it's nearly instant because no data is copied until something changes. Velo Workspaces uses it for two jobs: making a new workspace's disk from a saved base image, and copying a workspace's disk and state into a restore point. Same mechanism, two jobs, so "should I clone or use a base image?" is really two questions. Base images as versioned infrastructure has the mechanics, and why your Mac's disk numbers don't add up explains why Finder counts every clone at full size.
Base image: a saved starting point
A base image is a frozen template: configured once, then cloned repeatedly so new workspaces all start identical. It doesn't track versions, doesn't change once saved, and exists to be the known-good thing everything else starts from. Saving base images is part of Pro; creating workspaces from ones you already have is free. In 1.2 they live in Settings › Images › Base Images.
Snapshot (restore point): a way back to one workspace's past
A restore point copies an existing workspace's disk (and saved state, if it was suspended) so you can return to that moment. It belongs to one workspace's history; it isn't a template for new ones. Disposable VM vs. snapshot covers what it copies.
Disposable workspace: nothing kept, by design
Closing one deletes it: no clone, no snapshot, nothing kept. The next one clones fresh from a base image, not from the one just deleted. It's the opposite instinct to both of the above; disposability is about discarding on purpose.
Side by side
| Base image | Snapshot | Disposable workspace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A saved template | A copy of one workspace's past state | A workspace that keeps nothing after use |
| Uses cloning? | Is cloned from | Created and restored by cloning | Not involved |
| Tied to one workspace? | No: a shared start for many | Yes: one workspace's history | Nothing persists to be tied to |
| Answers | "What should every new workspace start from?" | "Can I get back to where this workspace was?" | "Can I be sure nothing carries over?" |
Picking one
Want every new workspace to start from the same setup? Base image. Want to rewind one workspace you're working in? Snapshot. Want a guarantee that nothing from this run survives? Disposable workspace, with no snapshot involved. One workspace per Git branch uses all three: a shared base image every branch clones from, snapshots as optional checkpoints in a long-running branch, and disposal when the branch is done.
Related reading: base images as versioned infrastructure, disposable VM vs. snapshot, and, because clones cost almost nothing on disk, how many VMs you can run at once. Or download Velo Workspaces and try it yourself.