
1. Install Homebrew (if not installed)
If you don’t have Homebrew installed, do this first:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
2. Install Java (Required for Jenkins)
Jenkins requires Java (preferably Java 11 or higher). You can install Java using Homebrew:
brew install openjdk@17
After installation, set the JAVA_HOME
environment variable:
echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/openjdk@17/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export JAVA_HOME="$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 17)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
Verify Java installation by checking the version:
java -version
3. Install Jenkins via Homebrew
Now that Java is installed, install Jenkins using Homebrew:
brew install jenkins-lts
4. Start Jenkins
To start Jenkins as a background service, run:
brew services start jenkins-lts
Alternatively, you can start Jenkins manually:
jenkins-lts
5. Access Jenkins
Open your browser and navigate to:
http://localhost:8080
6. Unlock Jenkins
To unlock Jenkins, you will need the initial admin password, which you can retrieve using this command:
cat /Users/Shared/Jenkins/Home/secrets/initialAdminPassword
Paste the password into the Jenkins setup screen.
7. Complete the Setup

Follow the on-screen instructions to:
- Install recommended plugins.
Select Install Suggested plugins--

- Create an admin user:
After the plugin setup is complete, Jenkins will prompt you to create an administrator user. Fill in the details in the respective fields and click on Save and Finish. Take a look at this screenshot:

Now Jenkins will be fully operational on your macOS machine and can only be accessed through valid credentials.