Install on macOS

Tested on Apple Silicon with macOS 27. Native Liquid Glass requires macOS 26 or later; this release does not include an Intel build. Allow several GB for the app, Python dependencies, and models. The Mac app is an unsigned development build, not a notarized App Store release.

1. Install Homebrew if needed, then install dependencies:

   Terminal

   ShellCopy

   1brew install uv node ollama

2. Download the source, or clone it:

   Terminal

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   1git clone https://github.com/Up-to-code/edwardarwin.git
   2cd edwardarwin

3. Obtain Cubism SDK for Web from Live2D’s official download page, review its license, and copy Core/live2dcubismcore.js into live2d-ui/src/renderer/WebSDK/Core/. Cubism Core is proprietary and is intentionally not distributed as a standalone runtime in this source release.

4. Prepare the local backend and web interface:

   Terminal

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   1./setup-macos.command

   This installs Python 3.12 dependencies, downloads Supertonic 3 and SenseVoice, pulls qwen3:1.7b into Ollama, and builds the UI. It does not upload your personal files.

5. Download and unzip Emma-Darwin-macOS-arm64.zip from Releases. Move Emma Darwin.app to ~/Applications, open it, and choose the source folder from step 2. If macOS blocks this unsigned build, review it and use macOS’s normal Open Anyway flow in Privacy & Security.

   To build the Mac app yourself instead, install Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install), then run:

   Terminal

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   1./install-macos.command

6. Use the float icon in the header, or run ./run-desktop-avatar.command to start floating mode.

Microphone and screen capture require the relevant permissions in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Enable screen access only when you want to use capture or screen-text tools. Chrome needs to be installed for opening links. If another Ollama server is already running, setup uses that server’s existing model directory.