Server Installation on Mac

This article guides you on how to install and launch the farmerswife Server application on macOS.

Key Points to Note

• Upgrading to farmerswife version 7.1 and above requires Java / OpenJDK to be installed
  • As of January 2026, the recommended version of Open JDK to use for macOS is Hotspot 17.0.17+10.
  • For more information please see our article here.

Installing the farmerswife Server

Running the Installer

1. Download the .zip installer file to your Desktop (listed below)

2. Double-click the file to extract the application

3. Drag the farmerswife Server application into the Applications folder

First Launch on macOS Big Sur or Later

If you are running on macOS 11 or later, on first launch, macOS may block the application.  If this happens:

1. Open the Applications folder

2. Right-click the farmerswife Server application

3. Select Open

4. Confirm when prompted

This step is required only once.

Demo or Empty DB

On first launch of a new server application, you may be prompted to choose between DemoDB or the Empty DB.

• To run DemoDB, select this and click OK
• To run EmptyDB, select this and you will next be asked for a license file.  This should have been sent to you by farmerswife Support

Please Note: If you downloaded the package to "Downloads" and then try to run it from that location it may not start. If this happens please move the application to the Desktop and run from there. If it now launches, move it to your Applications folder.

macOS Compatibility Requirements

Key Points To Note

• macOS 26.x (Tahoe) is only supported with farmerswife Server 7.2 Service Pack 2 (7.2 SP2 / 7.2.1002) or later.

• If you plan to upgrade your Mac to macOS 26.x Tahoe or newer, please ensure your farmerswife Server application is upgraded first.

• Server and client applications must both be running the same version.

• From farmerswife version 7.0 onward, 32-bit operating systems are not supported. Any systems running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or earlier must be upgraded to macOS 10.14 Mojave or newer.

How to Check Your macOS Version

1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen

2. Select About This Mac

3. Note the macOS name and version number (for example: macOS Sonoma 14.x)

Supported macOS Versions

For all supported macOS versions below, download the same installer unless otherwise noted.

* macOS 26.x Tahoe requires farmerswife Server & Client 7.2 SP2 or later.

Unsupported macOS Versions

Since the release of version 7.0, the following macOS versions are no longer supported by farmerswife:

• macOS High Sierra (10.13.x)

• macOS Sierra (10.12.x)

• OS X El Capitan (10.11.x) and earlier

If you are running any of these versions of macOS, and wish to farmerswife version 7.0 or above, please upgrade your system to macOS 10.14 Mojave or newer.

If you have any queries related to installing farmerswife for macOS, then please contact support@farmerswife.com for more information.