# Set up a Mac dedicated server for always-on work > Prepare a Mac Studio or Mac mini dedicated server: connect, secure the admin account, keep it awake and restarting after power loss, and install Homebrew. Difficulty: Beginner 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](/guides/connect-to-mac-apple-remote-desktop)) or the **HyperDC Remote Connect** app. - The basics from [first steps on a macOS server](/guides/macos-server-first-steps): 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: | Setting | Value | |---|---| | **Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off** | On | | **Start up automatically after a power failure** | On | | **Start up when power is connected** (newer Mac mini and Mac Studio models with macOS Tahoe 26.5 or later) | **Always** | Check the result in Terminal: ```bash 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. > **Warning** > > With **FileVault** on, the Mac asks for a password at startup and automatic login is disabled. Turn it on only if someone can sign in after every restart, including restarts for macOS updates. ## 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: ```bash /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](/guides/macos-vps); for CI runners, [macOS server for iOS CI](/guides/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](/guides/docker-desktop-on-mac). - **AI inference** on Apple silicon: Ollama and llama.cpp use the GPU through Metal; see [install Ollama](/guides/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](/guides/macos-server-troubleshooting). ## Next steps - Containers and virtual machines: [Docker Desktop and VMs on a Mac dedicated server](/guides/docker-desktop-on-mac). - Connect from another Mac: [Apple Remote Desktop](/guides/connect-to-mac-apple-remote-desktop). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between a Mac dedicated server and a macOS VPS? A Mac dedicated server is a physical Mac Studio or Mac mini that only you use, with an administrator account. A macOS VPS or VDS is a virtual Mac on shared Apple hardware. ### Can I run Docker Desktop and virtual machines? Yes. Docker Desktop and virtual machines are allowed on Mac dedicated servers, and because the Mac is not a virtual machine itself, they run directly on the hardware. ### Should I turn on FileVault? Only if you have a plan for restarts. With FileVault on, the Mac waits for a password at startup and automatic login is disabled, so tools that need a signed-in desktop stop until someone signs in. ### Should I turn on automatic login? Only when a job needs a signed-in desktop after every restart, for example UI tests. Apple warns that automatic login lets anyone who can restart the Mac use it, and advises against logging in an administrator automatically. --- Source: \ Updated: 2026-10-15