AX ENGINE / Installation guide
Install AX Engine.
Start with the GUI app for model downloads, server controls and chat. One curl command installs the app and its bundled inference runtime. No Homebrew, Python or Xcode required. For Terminal and automation, a separate CLI installation is available below.
Install GUI app
Quit AX Engine with Command-Q; closing its window does not quit the app. Then run this command in Terminal on Apple Silicon (M2 or newer), macOS 26.2 or later. macOS may request your password to install into Applications.
Recommended · GUI app
macOS 26.2+ · Apple Silicon (M2 or newer)Terminal
Open source · Apache-2.0
The installer verifies release signatures, the package hash and Apple identity before installing AX Engine.app. It stages upgrades and restores the previous app if replacement fails.
curl -fsSL https://download.automatosx.com/ax-engine-desktop/install | bashInstalls /Applications/AX Engine.app with its runtime bundled. Models download separately. For global ax-engine commands in Terminal, use the separate CLI installation below.
2. Open AX Engine
Open AX Engine from Applications, or run the command below. The native runtime is included; no separate CLI installation is needed.
open -a "AX Engine"3. Download a model
Open Models → Catalog, choose a model that fits your Mac, and download it. Public models need no Hugging Face account. Downloads are separate from app installation. Check the selected pack’s size and memory requirements before downloading, and leave disk space for temporary download files. Catalog inclusion does not mean a model fits your Mac.
4. Start the server and chat
Once the download is ready, open Server → Choose Installed Model, select your model, and click Start Server. When the server is ready, open Playground, select a running model, and send a message. To update the app, quit with Command-Q and rerun the install command. Models, settings and conversations are preserved. Automatic app updates are not available yet.
Verify without installing
This downloads and checks the release without replacing the app. If verification fails, retry later; keep Gatekeeper enabled.
curl -fsSL https://download.automatosx.com/ax-engine-desktop/install | bash -s -- --verify-onlyAX Engine CLI
For Terminal, scripts and direct API serving. Homebrew installs ax-engine, ax-engine-server and the benchmark tools on PATH, with the native MLX runtime. It does not install the GUI app.
Apple Silicon (M2 or newer) · macOS 26+ · Homebrew
brew install defai-digital/tap/ax-engineCheck the installation
ax-engine doctorServe a local model
Replace /path/to/model with a prepared, supported model directory. Local inference needs no Python or Xcode. Model aliases and online downloads may require the Python helper setup described in the CLI guide.
ax-engine serve "/path/to/model"Update the CLI
brew update && brew upgrade defai-digital/tap/ax-engineGUI and CLI update separately
The GUI installer updates AX Engine.app and its bundled runtime together. It does not add ax-engine to Terminal’s PATH or update a separately installed CLI. Homebrew manages the CLI independently. You can use either installation on its own, or keep both.