Set up a Mac dedicated server for always-on work

A HyperDC Mac dedicated server is a physical Mac Studio or Mac mini with Apple silicon in our data center, with an administrator account for you. It is perfect for CI runners, code signing, AI inference on Apple silicon and long-running macOS services. A Mac on a desk is set up for a person; a Mac in a data center needs a few settings so it stays reachable. This guide covers them.

Before you start

• Your connection details from the welcome email.
• A way to connect: the HyperDC Web Console in your browser, Apple Remote Desktop from another Mac (connect with Apple Remote Desktop) or the HyperDC Remote Connect app.
• The basics from first steps on a macOS server: change the password, install updates, add developer tools.

Step 1: Secure the administrator account

Your account is an administrator on the Mac. Treat it like the root account of a Linux server:

• Change the password from the welcome email (System Settings › Users & Groups).
• For daily work or CI, create a standard user in System Settings › Users & Groups › Add User and use the administrator only for system changes.
• Turn on the firewall in System Settings › Network › Firewall.
• Turn on only the sharing services you use in System Settings › General › Sharing (for example Remote Management for Apple Remote Desktop and Remote Login for SSH).

Step 2: Keep the Mac awake and running

Open System Settings › Energy. Depending on the model and macOS version you see some of these options; set them as follows:

Check the result in Terminal:

pmset -g

Verify: pmset -g shows sleep 0. If it does not, run sudo pmset -a sleep 0.

Step 3: Decide how the Mac signs in after a restart

After a restart, macOS shows the login window. Background services, SSH and launchd daemons run without a signed-in user, but apps such as Docker Desktop, Xcode UI tests and some CI agents need a desktop session.

• If you need a session after every restart, set System Settings › Users & Groups › Automatically log in as to a standard user (not the administrator), and keep FileVault off.
• Otherwise, leave automatic login Off and sign in through the Web Console or Apple Remote Desktop after planned restarts.

Step 4: Install Homebrew and your tools

Homebrew is the common package manager for developer tools on macOS. On Apple silicon it installs to /opt/homebrew. Install it as described on its official site, then add it to your shell:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

You can also download the script first, read it, and run it from the file, or use the .pkg installer from Homebrew's latest release on GitHub.

Verify: brew doctor reports that your system is ready to brew.

Then install what you need, for example brew install git jq. For Xcode and simulator runtimes, see macOS VPS and VDS; for CI runners, macOS server for iOS CI.

Step 5: Run services around the clock

• Command-line services that must start with the Mac belong in launchd, the macOS service manager; Apple's launchd documentation explains daemons (system-wide) and agents (per user).
• Containers run in Docker Desktop: see Docker Desktop and virtual machines on a Mac dedicated server.
• AI inference on Apple silicon: Ollama and llama.cpp use the GPU through Metal; see install Ollama for the Linux variant and the project's macOS download.

Troubleshooting

The Mac is unreachable after a power cut or a restart. If Start up automatically after a power failure is off, the Mac stays off; open a ticket. After a normal restart, the Mac waits at the login window: sign in through the Web Console.

The Mac goes to sleep. Check pmset -g and the Energy settings in Step 2.

Docker Desktop is not running after a restart. It starts only when a user signs in. Sign in, or set up automatic login for a standard user as in Step 3, and turn on Start Docker Desktop when you sign in to your computer in Docker Desktop's settings.

More problems: macOS server troubleshooting.

Next steps

• Containers and virtual machines: Docker Desktop and VMs on a Mac dedicated server.
• Connect from another Mac: Apple Remote Desktop.