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Version: 26.10.1

macOS

AetherSDR runs natively on macOS, with separate signed and notarized DMGs for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. This page collects everything that is specific to macOS: installing, the features that differ from Linux and Windows, where your files live, and fixes for macOS-only problems. Everything else in these docs applies to macOS as written, with Cmd in place of Ctrl in shortcuts.

Requirements​

Apple SiliconIntel
DownloadAetherSDR-*-macOS-apple-silicon.dmgAetherSDR-*-macOS-intel.dmg
macOS14.4 (Sonoma) or newer14.4 (Sonoma) or newer. Intel Macs that cannot run Sonoma cannot run current releases.
Panadapter renderingGPU (Metal)CPU renderer, deliberately, because the GPU path misbehaves on older Metal/OpenGL hardware
Copy Assist (speech-to-text)Included, with Metal GPU accelerationNot included in the DMG. Building from source on an Intel Mac still works.

Setup​

Installing the DMG​

  1. Download the DMG for your Mac from GitHub Releases.
  2. Open it and drag AetherSDR to Applications.
  3. Start AetherSDR from Applications. Both DMGs are signed and notarized by Apple, so Gatekeeper verifies them with no extra steps.
  4. The Connect to Radio window opens. Continue with First Connection, or try Your First Session with no radio.

Installing the DAX audio driver​

DAX Virtual Audio on macOS uses the DAX Virtual Audio Driver that ships in the AetherSDR DMG. Install it from the DMG before you enable DAX. Without it, enabling DAX shows DAX Audio Driver Missing.

Allowing Input Monitoring​

USB and Bluetooth HID controllers need macOS Input Monitoring permission. The first time AetherSDR opens one, macOS asks for it. Allow AetherSDR in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring.

This applies to the Ulanzi Dial, the Stream Deck+ (StreamDeck) and the HID encoders in USB Control Surfaces (RC-28, PowerMate, Contour Shuttle, TMate 2). HID encoders are off by default in Serial & Controllers so that the prompt never appears unless you own one, and the Ulanzi Dial asks only once a dial is attached.

Using AetherSDR on macOS​

What is different on macOS​

  • Menus are in the system menu bar at the top of the screen. See Menu Reference.
  • Radio Setup is AetherSDR → Preferences... (Settings → Radio Setup... on the other platforms). Search in it with ⌘F.
  • Window: a native window with the standard traffic-light buttons, the tiling menu, Stage Manager and native full screen (Cmd+Ctrl+F). Cmd+M minimises the window.
  • DAX virtual audio is built in through the DAX Virtual Audio Driver (above). See DAX Virtual Audio.
  • CAT virtual serial ports (PTY) are available as well as TCP ports, at ~/Library/Caches/AetherSDR/cat-A … cat-H. See CAT Control.
  • Noise reduction: MNR, Apple's MMSE-Wiener spectral noise reduction on the vDSP/Accelerate framework, is available only on macOS. BNR (NVIDIA) is not available; use DFNR instead, which runs on any CPU. See DSP Noise Mitigation.
  • Copy Assist uses the Metal GPU on Apple Silicon. It is not in the Intel DMG. See Copy Assist.
  • Credentials are kept in the macOS Keychain, never in the settings database.
  • ThumbDV appears as /dev/cu.usbserial-*. See D-STAR (ThumbDV).
  • Screen reader: VoiceOver. AetherSDR holds animations still when Reduce motion is on. See Accessibility.

Reference​

Where files live​

WhatLocation
Settings database (AetherSDR.db), backups, quarantine~/Library/Preferences/AetherSDR/
Application logs and support bundles~/Library/Preferences/AetherSDR/logs/ (newest log also linked as aethersdr.log)
NR2 FFTW wisdom~/.config/AetherSDR/aethersdr_fftw_wisdom
Copy Assist models~/Library/Application Support/AetherSDR/models/
CAT virtual serial ports~/Library/Caches/AetherSDR/cat-A … cat-H
Crash reportsConsole → Crash Reports, or ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/

To use the settings command line, run the program inside the app bundle, for example /Applications/AetherSDR.app/Contents/MacOS/AetherSDR --config path. See Settings and Backups and Support and Logging.

Known issues​

  • Selecting the Audio page in Preferences can push the Preferences window behind the main window (#6277).
  • Without Input Monitoring permission, a Ulanzi Dial shows only "Disconnected", with no hint that a permission is missing (#5247).
  • DAX transmit through the macOS DAX driver can send audio in bursts, and can stop sending until AetherSDR is restarted; TCI is not affected (#5870).
  • Receive audio can become distorted after several minutes on some external audio interfaces until PC Audio is toggled (#6160).
  • Copy Assist can freeze the whole application for 15–20 seconds at a time on recent Apple Silicon Macs (#5107).
  • An RTL-SDR Blog V4 dongle shows only noise, with no signals (#6016).

Troubleshooting​

Enabling DAX shows "DAX Audio Driver Missing"​

The DAX Virtual Audio Driver is not installed on this Mac.

  1. Open the AetherSDR DMG again.
  2. Install the DAX Virtual Audio Driver from it.
  3. Enable DAX again.

A USB knob, dial or Stream Deck+ does nothing​

AetherSDR does not have Input Monitoring permission, or HID encoders are switched off.

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring and allow AetherSDR.
  2. For the RC-28, PowerMate, Contour Shuttle, TMate 2 or Stream Deck+, open AetherSDR → Preferences... → Serial & Controllers and turn on Enable HID encoders / StreamDeck+ (RC-28, PowerMate, ShuttleXpress, …).
  3. Unplug the device and plug it back in.

Copy Assist is missing​

You are running the Intel DMG, which ships without speech-to-text.

  1. On an Apple Silicon Mac, install the Apple Silicon DMG.
  2. On an Intel Mac, build AetherSDR from source to get Copy Assist. See Building from Source.

BNR is not offered​

BNR needs an NVIDIA GPU and is not available on macOS.

  1. Choose DFNR in AetherRX's AetherNR tab instead, or MNR for a native one-knob option. See DSP Noise Mitigation.

A stored setting stops AetherSDR from starting​

  1. Quit AetherSDR.
  2. In Terminal, run /Applications/AetherSDR.app/Contents/MacOS/AetherSDR --config list to find the value.
  3. Remove it with --config unset <key>. See Settings and Backups.

Reporting a crash​

  1. Open Console → Crash Reports, or ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.
  2. Attach the newest AetherSDR-*.ips file to your report from Help → File an Issue.... It names your user folder in file paths; edit that out if you prefer.

See Troubleshooting and docs/debugging-crashes.md.

See also​