Help center
How can we help?
Getting started
Connect to your Mac over SSHFind your hostname and port, connect from Terminal, and save a shortcut.Create an SSH key and add it to your MacMake a key on macOS, Linux or Windows and paste the public half into RunMac.See the desktop with Screen SharingOpen the macOS desktop from a Mac, Windows or Linux through your SSH connection.Your macOS user and passwordThe dev account, the first password, sudo, and changing it.
Mobile app development
Install Xcode and simulatorsSign in with your own Apple Account, install Xcode, accept the licence, add simulators.Set up your Mac for iOS developmentThe order to do things in: connect, Xcode, your Apple Account, GitHub, then your first build.Build and test from the command linexcodebuild and the simulator over SSH: list schemes, pick a simulator, build and run tests.Testing on a real iPhone or iPadDevices can’t be cabled to our Macs; use simulators here and TestFlight for real hardware.Use GitHub from your MacThree ways to clone and push: a key on the Mac, agent forwarding, or the GitHub CLI.Set up Flutter for iOSInstall the Flutter SDK, Rosetta, CocoaPods and check everything with flutter doctor.Set up React Native and Expo for iOSNode, Watchman and CocoaPods, then build and run your app in the simulator.
CI/CD and automation
Use your Mac as a GitHub Actions runnerRegister a self-hosted runner and run it as a service so it survives reboots.Use your Mac as a GitLab RunnerInstall GitLab Runner for Apple silicon, register it with the shell executor and run it as a service.Code signing in CI buildsImport your signing certificate and provisioning profile into a temporary keychain for each job.Ship to TestFlight with fastlaneInstall fastlane and upload builds with an App Store Connect API key.Notarize a Mac appSubmit with notarytool, wait for the result, and staple the ticket.
Setting up your Mac
Install Homebrew and common toolsInstall Homebrew on Apple silicon and the usual developer tools.Keep jobs running after you disconnecttmux, nohup and launchd for long builds and servers.Copy files to and from your Macscp, rsync and sftp with your custom port.Reach a web server or other port on your MacForward a port over SSH, or ask us to open one.Edit code on your Mac with VS CodeUse VS Code’s Remote-SSH extension to work on the Mac from your own computer.Automate Safari for web testingTurn on Safari’s WebDriver and run Selenium tests against real Safari.
Your Mac and account
Reboot, force restart or reset your MacWhat each button does, how long it takes and the daily limits.Rename a Mac and manage several MacsGive each Mac a name you’ll recognise; every Mac has its own page.Renewing, and what happens when a lease endsPrepaid terms, the reminder email, renewing early and the end-of-lease erase.Invoices, tax and payment detailsDownload invoices, update your card or business details, and how tax works.
Troubleshooting
SSH troubleshootingPermission denied, timeouts, and the “host identification has changed” warning.What you can and can’t do with your MacApple’s licence and our Acceptable Use Policy in short.
Still stuck?
Signed-in customers can message us from the portal; we reply within 24 hours on business days (AEST).