Prerequisites

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Before installing the TextureMind Desktop (TMD) server on a macOS system, ensure that the machine meets the operating system, hardware, and configuration requirements described in this section.

Unlike some remote desktop solutions that are limited to cloud-hosted macOS environments, TMD supports both physical Apple hardware and virtualized macOS environments, provided that Apple licensing requirements are met.

Supported macOS Versions and Architectures

Operating System Requirements

Component	Requirement
Minimum macOS version	macOS 11 (Big Sur)
Audio capture support	macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
Architecture	Apple Silicon (arm64) only

Note
Intel-based (x86_64) macOS systems are not supported.

Hardware Requirements

Apple Silicon–based Mac (M1, M2, M3, or later)
Minimum 8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended)
Stable network connection (wired recommended for servers)

User Session Requirements

On macOS, remote desktop software operates within an existing logged-in user session.

Physical Login Is Required

macOS does not allow a remote desktop session to be created on the login screen. As a result:

A user must log in locally at least once using the keyboard and mouse.
TextureMind Desktop can only accept remote connections after a user session is active.
If the system is rebooted or logged out, a new physical login is required before remote access becomes available again.

This behavior applies to both physical machines and macOS virtual machines.

Preventing Session Termination

To minimize interruptions and reduce the need for repeated physical logins, configure the system to keep the user session active for extended periods.

Disable Sleep and Display Power Saving

Open System Settings → Displays → Advanced (or Energy Saver, depending on macOS version) and apply the following:

Set Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off to enabled
Set Turn display off after to Never (or a very high value)

Alternatively, configure these settings from the command line:

sudo pmset -a sleep 0
sudo pmset -a displaysleep 0
sudo pmset -a disksleep 0

Note
These settings are recommended for systems used as remote desktop servers. Consider power consumption and thermal constraints, especially on laptops.

Disable Automatic Logout

macOS may automatically log out inactive users depending on security policies.

To disable automatic logout:

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
Disable any inactivity-based logout or session timeout options
Verify that no MDM or profile enforces automatic logout

Fast User Switching and Multiple Users

TMD supports only one active console session at a time on macOS.

Fast User Switching is not supported
Only the currently logged-in user can be accessed remotely
Logging in with a different user terminates the active session

Permissions and Security Settings

TextureMind Desktop requires standard macOS permissions to capture the screen and interact with the desktop.

During installation or first launch, you may be prompted to grant:

Screen Recording permission
Accessibility permission
Input Monitoring permission (if required by the client)

After granting permissions, a logout or reboot may be required for changes to take effect.

Audio Considerations

Audio capture is supported on macOS 13 (Ventura) and later
On macOS 11 and 12, video-only sessions are supported
Audio availability depends on system-level audio configuration and permissions

Summary

Before installing TextureMind Desktop on macOS, ensure that:

The system is running macOS 11 or later
The hardware uses Apple Silicon (arm64)
A user session is logged in locally
Sleep, display sleep, and automatic logout are disabled
Required privacy and security permissions are granted

Proper system configuration is essential to ensure uninterrupted remote access and minimize the need for physical interaction with the machine.