Add a Mac
The CodeRail app for Mac links your Mac to your site and keeps the bridge running, without a terminal. It needs macOS 13 or later and runs on Apple silicon and Intel.
Install and link
- On your site, go to Machines → Add a computer → Download for Mac. (Or download it directly from
https://your-site/download/CodeRail.zip.) - Open the zip and move CodeRail to Applications, then open it.
- Enter your site's address, if it isn't already filled in, and click Connect.
- Your browser opens your site and shows a code. Check that it matches the one in the app, and approve.
That's it: the app says Linked, and the Mac shows up on your site. You're its Owner.
INFO
If you already have the app, Open it to link on your site's Add a computer card opens it with your site filled in.
The menu bar
The CodeRail icon in the menu bar is dimmed when the Mac isn't connected. Its menu:
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open CodeRail | Opens this Mac on your site. |
| Pause / Resume | Stops the bridge, so nobody can reach this Mac through CodeRail, and starts it again. |
| Show Log | Opens the bridge's log. |
| Unlink This Mac… | Stops the bridge and forgets the link. Remove the Mac on your site too. |
| Check for Updates… | Looks for a newer version now. |
| Show in Menu Bar at Login | Whether the app opens when you log in. |
| Quit Menu Bar App | Closes the app. The bridge keeps running. |
How it runs
The app carries the bridge inside it. On launch it copies the bridge to ~/.coderail/bin/coderail if that's missing or a different version, and the bridge runs as a background service (launchd, label codes.coderail.bridge) that starts when you log in and restarts if it stops. So moving the app or quitting it doesn't disconnect the Mac.
Updates
The app updates itself: it checks once a day, and updates are signed, so only builds from CodeRail install. An updated app installs its newer bridge and restarts it.
Remove it
Choose Unlink This Mac…, remove the Mac on your site (Settings → Machine access → Remove machine…), then drag CodeRail to the Trash. To remove everything, also delete the ~/.coderail folder.