Install the OpenFrame Agent on macOS

Time to get a real machine reporting in. The OpenFrame agent is a single command — it pulls the client, installs it, and registers the Mac to the customer you choose. This walks you through doing one Mac by hand so you understand the flow before you deploy at scale.

Before you start

• You need an Admin role in OpenFrame.
• Have admin (sudo) rights on the Mac you're enrolling — the installer needs them.
• Know which customer this device belongs to. The wrong customer means the device shows up under the wrong client, so get this right at install time.
• macOS will likely flag the install at first (it's new software without an established reputation). That's expected — see Troubleshooting below.

Get the install command

1. Left nav → Devices → Add Device.
2. Under Select Customer, pick the client this Mac belongs to.
3. Under Select Platform, choose macOS.
4. (Optional but recommended) Click Add Device Tag to attach tags now — e.g. Type: laptop or Purpose: workstation. Tagging at install saves you sorting devices later (see Organize Devices with Device Tags).
5. Your install command appears under Device Add Command. Click Copy Command.

The command looks like this (your key and org ID are baked in — don't share them around):

bash
cd ~ && rm -f openframe-client_macos.tar.gz openframe-client 2>/dev/null; \
curl -L -o openframe-client_macos.tar.gz '<openframe release URL>/openframe-client_macos.tar.gz' && \
tar -xzf openframe-client_macos.tar.gz && \
sudo chmod +x ./openframe-client && \
sudo ./openframe-client install --serverUrl <your-tenant>.openframe.ai --initialKey <YOUR_KEY> --orgId <YOUR_ORG_ID>

In plain terms: it downloads the macOS client, unpacks it, makes it executable, and runs install pointed at your tenant with an enrollment key and the customer's org ID.

The --initialKey is a live enrollment token. Treat the copied command like a credential — don't paste it into a public channel or a ticket a client can read.

Run it on the Mac

1. On the target Mac, open Terminal.
2. Paste the command and hit Return.
3. Enter the local admin password when sudo prompts.
4. Let it finish — it downloads, installs, and registers in one go.

That's it. No reboot needed.

Shortcut for the machine you're on: if you're enrolling the Mac you're currently using, the Add Device screen has a Run on Current Machine button instead of copy-paste. Handy for your own workstation; for everything else you'll use the copied command.

Confirm it worked

Head to Devices — the Mac should appear with an Online status within a minute or two. For the full verification and what to do if it doesn't show up, see Confirm Your First Device Is Connected.

Troubleshooting

macOS or your AV blocked the install. This is the common one, and it's a false positive — new software just hasn't built reputation with security vendors yet. If the client gets quarantined, add these to your antivirus / security tool's exclusions:

• /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.openframe.client.plist
• /Library/Application Support/OpenFrame/meshcentral-agent/

Or temporarily disable protection for the duration of the install, then re-enable it. OpenFrame is open-source software you can inspect on GitHub.

sudo rejected the password / permission denied. The account isn't a local admin. Use an admin account or have one handy.

Command fails to download. Check the Mac has outbound internet and isn't behind a proxy or content filter that blocks GitHub release downloads.

It installed but shows Offline. Give it a couple of minutes. If it persists, see the troubleshooting steps in Confirm Your First Device Is Connected and Troubleshooting a Disconnected Device (Phase 10).

Quick checklist

• Selected the correct customer
• Chose macOS and (optionally) added tags
• Copied the command and ran it in Terminal with sudo
• Added AV exclusions if the install was blocked
• Confirmed the Mac shows Online under Devices

What's next

Got a Mac in? Do the same for a PC — Install the OpenFrame Agent on Windows — then verify both with Confirm Your First Device Is Connected.

Based on OpenFrame v0.9.19. The install command and client version come straight from your console's Add Device screen — always copy the current one rather than reusing an old command.