ContextQMD
Back to Openclaw

macOS dev setup

docs/platforms/mac/dev-setup.md

2026.5.52.9 KB
Original Source

macOS developer setup

Build and run the OpenClaw macOS application from source.

Prerequisites

Before building the app, ensure you have the following installed:

  1. Xcode 26.2+: Required for Swift development.
  2. Node.js 24 & pnpm: Recommended for the gateway, CLI, and packaging scripts. Node 22 LTS, currently 22.14+, remains supported for compatibility.

1. Install Dependencies

Install the project-wide dependencies:

bash
pnpm install

2. Build and Package the App

To build the macOS app and package it into dist/OpenClaw.app, run:

bash
./scripts/package-mac-app.sh

If you don't have an Apple Developer ID certificate, the script will automatically use ad-hoc signing (-).

For dev run modes, signing flags, and Team ID troubleshooting, see the macOS app README: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/apps/macos/README.md

Note: Ad-hoc signed apps may trigger security prompts. If the app crashes immediately with "Abort trap 6", see the Troubleshooting section.

3. Install the CLI

The macOS app expects a global openclaw CLI install to manage background tasks.

To install it (recommended):

  1. Open the OpenClaw app.
  2. Go to the General settings tab.
  3. Click "Install CLI".

Alternatively, install it manually:

bash
npm install -g openclaw@<version>

pnpm add -g openclaw@<version> and bun add -g openclaw@<version> also work. For the Gateway runtime, Node remains the recommended path.

Troubleshooting

Build fails: toolchain or SDK mismatch

The macOS app build expects the latest macOS SDK and Swift 6.2 toolchain.

System dependencies (required):

  • Latest macOS version available in Software Update (required by Xcode 26.2 SDKs)
  • Xcode 26.2 (Swift 6.2 toolchain)

Checks:

bash
xcodebuild -version
xcrun swift --version

If versions don’t match, update macOS/Xcode and re-run the build.

App crashes on permission grant

If the app crashes when you try to allow Speech Recognition or Microphone access, it may be due to a corrupted TCC cache or signature mismatch.

Fix:

  1. Reset the TCC permissions:

    bash
    tccutil reset All ai.openclaw.mac.debug

  2. If that fails, change the BUNDLE_ID temporarily in scripts/package-mac-app.sh to force a "clean slate" from macOS.

Gateway "Starting..." indefinitely

If the gateway status stays on "Starting...", check if a zombie process is holding the port:

bash
openclaw gateway status
openclaw gateway stop

# If you're not using a LaunchAgent (dev mode / manual runs), find the listener:
lsof -nP -iTCP:18789 -sTCP:LISTEN

If a manual run is holding the port, stop that process (Ctrl+C). As a last resort, kill the PID you found above.