Run MoltBot on Mac Mini

Mac Mini is perfect for running MoltBot as a 24/7 home server. Low power consumption, quiet operation, and Apple Silicon performance make it ideal for an always-on AI assistant.

Why Mac Mini?

Low Power: 5-10W idle, perfect for 24/7 operation
Silent: No fan noise at idle
Apple Silicon: M1/M2/M4 chips run local models efficiently
Compact: Fits anywhere in your home
Reliable: macOS stability for long-term operation

Prerequisites

Mac Mini (M1 or newer recommended)
macOS Sonoma or later
API key for your AI provider
Home network setup

Installation

Method 1: Homebrew (Recommended)

brew install moltbot

Method 2: npm

npm install -g moltbot

Method 3: Direct Download

Download the .dmg from releases and drag to Applications.

Initial Setup

Run the setup wizard:

moltbot setup

Configure your AI provider:

# For Claude
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-xxx"

# For GPT
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-xxx"

# For Gemini
export GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY="xxx"

Running as a Background Service

Using launchd (Recommended)

Create a launch agent:

mkdir -p ~/Library/LaunchAgents

Create ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.moltbot.agent.plist:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.moltbot.agent</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/opt/homebrew/bin/moltbot</string>
        <string>start</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StandardOutPath</key>
    <string>/tmp/moltbot.log</string>
    <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
    <string>/tmp/moltbot.error.log</string>
    <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
    <dict>
        <key>ANTHROPIC_API_KEY</key>
        <string>YOUR_API_KEY_HERE</string>
    </dict>
</dict>
</plist>

Load the service:

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.moltbot.agent.plist

Control the service:

# Start
launchctl start com.moltbot.agent

# Stop
launchctl stop com.moltbot.agent

# Unload
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.moltbot.agent.plist

Apple Silicon Optimization

Running Local Models

Mac Mini with Apple Silicon can run local LLMs efficiently:

# Install Ollama
brew install ollama

# Pull a model
ollama pull llama3.1

# Configure MoltBot to use Ollama
moltbot config set aiProvider ollama
moltbot config set ollamaModel llama3.1

Memory Configuration

For M1/M2/M4 with 16GB+ RAM, optimize for local models:

{
  "memory": {
    "maxContextTokens": 128000
  },
  "ollama": {
    "model": "llama3.1:70b",
    "numGpu": 1
  }
}

Home Server Configuration

Static IP

Set a static IP for your Mac Mini:

Open System Settings > Network
Select your connection > Details
Select TCP/IP tab
Configure IPv4: Manually
Enter IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100)

Remote Access

Enable SSH for remote management:

System Settings > General > Sharing
Enable Remote Login

Access from any device:

ssh yourusername@192.168.1.100

Prevent Sleep

Keep Mac Mini always awake:

System Settings > Energy Saver
Turn off "Put hard disks to sleep"
Turn off "Automatically sleep"
Enable "Wake for network access"

Or via terminal:

sudo pmset -a sleep 0
sudo pmset -a disksleep 0

Messaging Integration

Telegram Bot

# Set token
export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="123456:ABC-xxx"

# Enable in config
moltbot config set telegram.enabled true

Discord Bot

export DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN="xxx"
moltbot config set discord.enabled true

moltbot whatsapp login
# Scan QR code with your phone

Monitoring

View Logs

# Live logs
tail -f /tmp/moltbot.log

# Error logs
tail -f /tmp/moltbot.error.log

Health Check

Create a simple monitoring script:

#!/bin/bash
if ! pgrep -x "moltbot" > /dev/null; then
    launchctl start com.moltbot.agent
    echo "MoltBot restarted at $(date)" >> /tmp/moltbot-monitor.log
fi

Add to crontab:

crontab -e
# Add line:
*/5 * * * * /path/to/monitor.sh

Power Management

UPS Integration

For uninterrupted service, connect a UPS and configure:

System Settings > Battery > UPS
Set "Shut down computer on UPS low battery"

Wake on LAN

Enable remote wake:

sudo pmset -a womp 1

Wake remotely using the Mac's MAC address.

Backup

Time Machine

Enable Time Machine for automatic backups:

Connect external drive
System Settings > Time Machine
Select backup disk

MoltBot Data Backup

MoltBot stores data in ~/.moltbot/:

# Backup
tar -czf moltbot-backup.tar.gz ~/.moltbot

# Restore
tar -xzf moltbot-backup.tar.gz -C ~

Updating

# Homebrew
brew upgrade moltbot

# npm
npm update -g moltbot

Troubleshooting

Service Won't Start

Check logs:

cat /tmp/moltbot.error.log

Verify permissions:

chmod +x /opt/homebrew/bin/moltbot

High CPU Usage

Limit resources in config:

{
  "performance": {
    "maxConcurrentTasks": 2,
    "cpuLimit": 50
  }
}

Network Issues

Check firewall:

System Settings > Network > Firewall
Allow incoming connections for MoltBot

Your Mac Mini is now a powerful 24/7 AI assistant server! Need help? Join our Discord community.