macOS Installation

Prebuilt packages for the NetXMS server are not provided for macOS and must be built from source — the process is the same as on Linux. Agent installation has macOS-specific steps documented below.

Agent

The NetXMS agent runs natively on macOS and includes a Darwin-specific subagent that collects system metrics using macOS frameworks (IOKit, CoreFoundation). Supported metrics include CPU usage, file system space, network interface statistics, I/O counters, system uptime, and hardware information.

Prerequisites

  • Xcode Command Line Tools (provides the C/C++ compiler and build tools)

  • openssl (available via Homebrew)

Install the prerequisites:

xcode-select --install
brew install openssl

Build and Install

Download the release source archive and build the agent:

curl -O https://www.netxms.org/download/releases/6.1/netxms-6.1.0.tar.gz
tar xzf netxms-6.1.0.tar.gz
cd netxms-6.1.0
./configure --enable-release-build --with-agent --with-openssl=$(brew --prefix openssl) --prefix=/usr/local
make
sudo make install

The agent binary (nxagentd) and the Darwin subagent are installed to /usr/local.

Configure the Agent

Create the configuration file at /usr/local/etc/nxagentd.conf:

MasterServers = 10.0.0.1
LogFile = /var/log/nxagentd

Replace 10.0.0.1 with your NetXMS server IP address or hostname.

Key configuration parameters:

Parameter Default Description

MasterServers

(none)

Comma-separated list of server addresses (IP, hostname, or CIDR) with full control over the agent, including configuration changes and upgrades.

ControlServers

(none)

Servers with intermediate access: read data and execute predefined actions.

Servers

(none)

Servers with read-only access.

SharedSecret

admin

Shared secret for server-agent authentication; must match the secret configured on the server. Used when RequireAuthentication is enabled.

RequireAuthentication

No

Require shared secret authentication for all server connections.

ServerConnection

(none)

Server address for an agent-initiated tunnel connection. See Agent Tunnels.

LogFile

(platform-dependent)

Path to agent log file. Special values: {syslog} (syslog / Windows Event Log), {systemd} (systemd journal), {stdout} (standard output).

DebugLevel

0

Debug verbosity level (0-9); 0 disables debug output.

For the full list of agent configuration parameters, see Agent Configuration.

Set Up a launchd Service

Create a launchd property list to run the agent as a system daemon.

Write the following to /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.netxms.nxagentd.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.netxms.nxagentd</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/usr/local/bin/nxagentd</string>
        <string>-f</string>
        <string>-c</string>
        <string>/usr/local/etc/nxagentd.conf</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
    <string>/var/log/nxagentd.err</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Load and start the service:

sudo launchctl bootstrap system /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.netxms.nxagentd.plist

Verify that the agent is running:

sudo launchctl list | grep nxagentd

To stop the agent:

sudo launchctl bootout system /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.netxms.nxagentd.plist

Verify Connectivity

From the NetXMS server, test that the agent responds:

nxget <agent_address> System.PlatformName

This should return a string like Darwin-arm64 or Darwin-x86_64.

Desktop Management Client

The NetXMS desktop management client provides a native application for managing your monitoring environment. It offers the same functionality as the web console and may provide better responsiveness for daily administrative tasks.

Installation

Download the macOS management client installer (.dmg) from the NetXMS download page. Package is universal and supports both Apple Silicon and Intel machines.

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file.

  2. Drag the NetXMS Management Console to the Applications folder.

  3. Launch the application from Applications or Spotlight.

The application is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens without additional security warnings.

Connecting to the Server

When launching the management client for the first time:

  1. Enter the NetXMS server address (IP or hostname).

  2. Enter your login credentials.

  3. The client connects to the server on port 4701.

Ensure that port 4701 is accessible from your Mac to the NetXMS server.