Install on macOS

This guide covers installing Kinetic on macOS using the interactive terminal installer.

Prefer a graphical interface?

Download the Tauri desktop app instead — it handles installation for you with a GUI. See the welcome page for the download link.

Prerequisites

• curl (pre-installed on macOS)
• Administrator password — the installer writes to /usr/local/bin/ and registers system services
• macOS 12 (Monterey) or later recommended

Run the installer

Open Terminal and run:

curl -sSL https://kinetic.saifmukhtar.dev/install.sh | bash

The installer is interactive. Use ↑ / ↓ to navigate, Enter to select.

Choose your profile

Profile	Installs	Best for
Standard User	Daemon + CLI	Registering names, resolving .kin
Power User	Daemon + CLI + DNS Server	OS-level .kin resolution in your browser
Node Operator	Node + CLI	Running a P2P infrastructure node
Host Operator	Host + CLI	Hosting content on a .kin address
Custom	You choose	Mixed setups

What the installer does

1. Downloads binaries from GitHub Releases
2. Verifies SHA256 checksums before installing
3. Copies binaries to /usr/local/bin/ and sets permissions
4. Runs kinetic setup to generate your node identity (if none exists)
5. Installs services via launchd and starts them

Power User DNS on macOS

The Power User profile creates /etc/resolver/kin — a macOS resolver stub file that routes all .kin queries to 127.0.0.1:53. This gives your entire system native .kin resolution.

Verify the installation

kinetic --version
kinetic-daemon --version

Check the daemon is running:

launchctl list | grep kinetic

You should see kinetic-daemon in the list with a PID.

First-time setup

The installer runs kinetic setup automatically on first install. To run it manually:

kinetic setup

This generates your 24-word seed phrase. Write it down immediately — it is shown once and never again.

Back up your seed phrase

Your 24-word seed is the only way to recover your identity and names if you lose your machine. See Seed Backup.

Data directory

Your data is stored at:

~/Library/Application Support/kinetic/
├── identity.key          # Private key — never share this
├── api.token             # Local API bearer token
└── zones/
    └── yourname.kin.json # DNS zone for each registered name

macOS-specific issues

"Cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified"

macOS Gatekeeper may block the binary on first run. Remove the quarantine attribute:

xattr -c /usr/local/bin/kinetic-daemon
xattr -c /usr/local/bin/kinetic

Or allow it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Allow Anyway.

Network access permission prompt

macOS will ask if Kinetic can accept incoming network connections. Click Allow. The daemon needs this for P2P communication.

Port 53 conflict

If you have another local DNS service running, the DNS server may fail to bind. Check:

sudo lsof -i :53

Stop the conflicting service, then restart kinetic-dns:

sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/kinetic-dns

Upgrading

Re-run the installer. It detects the existing installation and prompts for an upgrade or cleanup.

Full uninstall

Re-run the installer and select Full Cleanup when prompted. This removes all binaries, services, and data including your identity.

Full cleanup deletes your identity

Ensure your 24-word seed is backed up before running a full cleanup.