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Kernel publishes a Homebrew tap for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon). This is the easiest way to run it as a proper background service on a Mac, with no Docker or manual zip handling.

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Server

The formula bundles jellyfin-ffmpeg, so there’s nothing else to install. Once the service is running, open http://localhost:9014 to run the setup wizard.

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Remote transcoder (optional)

Only needed if you’re offloading transcode work to this Mac from a Kernel server running elsewhere. See Remote Transcoder for what this does and why it’s a Pro/Lifetime feature.
remotenode listens on port 9015 by default, not 9014, so it doesn’t collide with server if you install both on the same Mac. Its config lives at $(brew --prefix)/etc/kernel-remotenode/config.yml.
Pair it from the Kernel admin UI under Settings > Remote Transcoders once it’s running; see Pairing a Node for the full flow (multicast discovery, or adding it manually by ip:port if it’s on a different subnet).

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Managing the service

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Updating

The formulas set KERNEL_MANAGED, so the in-app updater (Settings > Updates) is disabled automatically on a Homebrew install, the same way it is on the .deb/.rpm packages. brew upgrade is what keeps the formula, the binary, and the bundled ffmpeg in sync. See Updating.

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Uninstalling

This leaves $(brew --prefix)/var/kernel-server (your database and config) in place. Remove it manually if you want a clean slate.