Install the ɳSelf CLI on macOS with an Intel processor (darwin/amd64). Tested on macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 14 Sonoma.

Use the Intel/AMD installer from docs.docker.com/desktop/install/mac-install/. Do NOT install the Apple Silicon build, it requires Rosetta and is slower.

Enable VirtioFS in Docker Desktop settings for better I/O performance: Docker Desktop → Settings → General → Use VirtioFS.

brew install nself-org/nself/nself

Homebrew selects the darwin/amd64 bottle automatically.

Verify:

file $(which nself)
# nself: Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64

nself version
# nself v1.0.9 (darwin/amd64)

curl -sSL https://install.nself.org | bash

Manual download:

VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/nself-org/cli/releases/latest | grep '"tag_name"' | cut -d'"' -f4)
curl -L "https://github.com/nself-org/cli/releases/download/${VERSION}/nself-darwin-amd64.tar.gz" -o nself.tar.gz
tar -xzf nself.tar.gz
sudo mv nself /usr/local/bin/nself
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/nself

nself version
# nself v1.0.9 (darwin/amd64)

nself doctor

Expected output:

✓ Docker: running (v26.x.x)
✓ Docker Compose: v2.x.x
✓ curl: available
✓ bash: available
✓ Architecture: amd64

Plugin containers run as linux/amd64. Docker Desktop handles the Linux VM automatically, you do not need to configure anything.

All official ɳSelf plugin images include linux/amd64 manifests. If docker pull complains about architecture, the plugin has a bug, file a report at github.com/nself-org/plugins.

nself doctor says Docker is not running

Click the Docker Desktop whale icon in the menu bar and wait for it to fully start (the icon stops animating when ready).

Slow first nself start

First run pulls all plugin images (~2–4 GB total for a standard stack). Subsequent starts use cached layers. Typical cold start: 3–8 minutes. Warm start: 15–30 seconds.

macOS security dialog blocks nself binary (Gatekeeper)

If macOS says the binary cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified:

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine $(which nself)

Or right-click the binary in Finder → Open → Open.

← install/macos-apple-silicon | install/linux-x86_64 →