macOS

Install the collaboration server on macOS 12 or later, Apple Silicon or Intel.

macOS 12 or later. Use collab-server-darwin-arm64 on Apple Silicon (M1 and later), and collab-server-darwin-amd64 on an Intel Mac. Apple menu, then About This Mac, tells you which one you have.

From the server repository:

./build.sh
mkdir -p ~/EditorCollab
cp dist/collab-server-darwin-arm64 ~/EditorCollab/collab-server
chmod +x ~/EditorCollab/collab-server

The executable is not signed. Built on that Mac, it runs directly. Copied from another machine (download, AirDrop, or a messaging app), macOS blocks it. Remove the quarantine flag once:

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ~/EditorCollab/collab-server

COLLAB_PASSWORD=my-password ~/EditorCollab/collab-server -data ~/EditorCollab/data

On the first start, macOS asks to allow incoming connections. Accept. Otherwise open System Settings, then Network, then Firewall, then Options.

In the background, without keeping Terminal open:

COLLAB_PASSWORD=my-password ~/EditorCollab/collab-server -detach -data ~/EditorCollab/data
~/EditorCollab/collab-server -stop -data ~/EditorCollab/data

The address is under System Settings, Network, then your Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then Details. Or run ipconfig getifaddr en0. Server URL is ws://192.168.1.30:7878/ws, with your address in place of the example.

Create ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.editorcollab.server.plist. Replace me with your user name.

<?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.editorcollab.server</string>
  <key>ProgramArguments</key>
  <array>
    <string>/Users/me/EditorCollab/collab-server</string>
    <string>-data</string>
    <string>/Users/me/EditorCollab/data</string>
    <string>-log</string>
    <string>/Users/me/EditorCollab/data/server.log</string>
  </array>
  <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
  <dict>
    <key>COLLAB_PASSWORD</key>
    <string>my-password</string>
  </dict>
  <key>RunAtLoad</key>
  <true/>
  <key>KeepAlive</key>
  <dict>
    <key>SuccessfulExit</key>
    <false/>
  </dict>
</dict>
</plist>

KeepAlive with SuccessfulExit false restarts the server after a crash, and does not restart it after a stop requested with -stop.

chmod 600 ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.editorcollab.server.plist
launchctl bootstrap gui/$(id -u) ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.editorcollab.server.plist
launchctl bootout gui/$(id -u)/com.editorcollab.server

The first launchctl line enables it. The second disables it. Do not pass -detach: launchd already runs it in the background.

The Mac must stay on and awake (System Settings, Lock Screen and Energy) or the other people lose the connection. The plist contains the password, which is why it is mode 600.