# Installing Machine Runner 3.0 on EC2 MacOS Instances **URL:** \ **Category:** Build Environment\ **Tags:** machine-runner, ec2, macos\ **Created:** [April 22, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/installing-machine-runner-3-0-on-ec2-macos-instances/50864 "2024-04-22T15:24:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheMetalCode](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/themetalcode/32/17840_2.png) [@TheMetalCode](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/TheMetalCode)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/installing-machine-runner-3-0-on-ec2-macos-instances/50864/1 "2024-04-22T15:24:41Z")
I’m attempting to upgrade our fleet of self-hosted EC2 macos runners to version 3.0 of the CircleCI runner and am unable to get the LaunchAgent to load correctly. Has anybody else run into this issue with EC2 MacOS instances? When following the instructions that output after running `brew install circleci-runner` I get an `Input/output error`: > ec2-user@REDACTED ~ % sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine “$(brew --prefix)/bin/circleci-runner” > ec2-user@REDACTED ~ % nano /Users/ec2-user/Library/Preferences/com.circleci.runner/config.yaml > ec2-user@REDACTED~ % launchctl load /Users/ec2-user/Library/LaunchAgents/com.circleci.runner.plist > Load failed: 5: Input/output error > Try running `launchctl bootstrap` as root for richer errors. When following [the instructions](https://circleci.com/docs/install-machine-runner-3-on-macos/#start-macos-machine-runner) from the documentation that say to use `launchctl bootstrap` I also get an error: > ec2-user@REDACTED ~ % launchctl bootstrap gui/`stat -f %u` $HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/com.circleci.runner.plist > Bootstrap failed: 125: Domain does not support specified action This issue seems particular to the LaunchAgent, since I am able to successfully start the runner by running the `circleci-runner` command: > ec2-user@REDACTED ~ % circleci-runner machine --config /Users/ec2-user/Library/Preferences/com.circleci.runner/config.yaml > 15:13:46 98b75 0.003ms starting agent app.date=2024-04-17T11:56:53Z app.version=3.0.20-5523-1c8a9cb mode=agent service.name=circleci-runner service\_name=circleci-runner So long as I leave the SSH session open, I can successfully run CircleCI jobs on this instance while `circleci-runner` is running, so it doesn’t seem like anything is wrong with the runner config, just the LaunchAgent. When I follow the installation and startup instructions on my local development macbook I do not receive the above errors and am able to load the LaunchAgent successfully, so this issue does seem particular to the EC2 MacOS instances. Are there known workarounds for these types of runners? ---
**Author:** ![TheMetalCode](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/themetalcode/32/17840_2.png) [@TheMetalCode](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/TheMetalCode)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/installing-machine-runner-3-0-on-ec2-macos-instances/50864/2 "2024-04-25T03:38:00Z")
Update: I ditched the homebrew install method and instead tried the [manual installation method](https://circleci.com/docs/machine-runner-3-manual-installation/), and when I did this, I emulated the [deprecated 1.1 runner install method](https://circleci.com/docs/runner-installation-mac/) in the following ways: - The runner config was placed in `/Library/Preferences/com.circleci.runner/config.yaml` with permissions set to `600` - The launchd plist was placed in `/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.circleci.runner.plist` with `root` ownership and `644` permissions. - The `command_prefix : ["sudo", "-niHu", "ec2-user", "--"]` config option was retained since the launchd service would be running as `root`. - The service was loaded as `root` via `sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.circleci.runner.plist` This was successful insofar as the 3.0 runner did successfully start running as a `launchd` service. However, actual CI jobs failed: ```auto 03:19:19 aa958 22.224ms httpclient: runner-agent /api/v2/step/end http.attempt=1 http.base_url=https://runner.circleci.com http.client_name=runner-agent http.host=runner.circleci.com http.method=POST http.request_content_length=0 http.response_content_length=0 http.retry=false http.route=/api/v2/step/end http.scheme=https http.status_code=409 http.target=/api/v2/step/end http.url=https://runner.circleci.com/api/v2/step/end http.user_agent= mode=agent result=success service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner span.kind=Client warning=the response from POST /api/v2/step/end was 409 (Conflict) (1 attempts) 03:19:19 aa958 22.224ms httpclient: runner-agent /api/v2/step/end http.attempt=1 http.base_url=https://runner.circleci.com http.client_name=runner-agent http.host=runner.circleci.com http.method=POST http.request_content_length=0 http.response_content_length=0 http.retry=false http.route=/api/v2/step/end http.scheme=https http.status_code=409 http.target=/api/v2/step/end http.url=https://runner.circleci.com/api/v2/step/end http.user_agent= mode=agent result=success service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner span.kind=Client warning=the response from POST /api/v2/step/end was 409 (Conflict) (1 attempts) 03:19:19 71e34 0.057ms step end error=the response from POST /api/v2/step/end was 409 (Conflict) (1 attempts) mode=agent result=error service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner 03:19:19 71e34 0.057ms step end error=the response from POST /api/v2/step/end was 409 (Conflict) (1 attempts) mode=agent result=error service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner 03:19:19 d34e0 26.800ms httpclient: runner-agent /api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.attempt=1 http.base_url=https://runner.circleci.com http.client_name=runner-agent http.host=runner.circleci.com http.method=POST http.request_content_length=0 http.response_content_length=14 http.response_content_type=application/json; charset=utf-8 http.retry=false http.route=/api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.scheme=https http.status_code=200 http.target=/api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.url=https://runner.circleci.com/api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.user_agent= mode=agent result=success service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner span.kind=Client 03:19:19 d34e0 26.800ms httpclient: runner-agent /api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.attempt=1 http.base_url=https://runner.circleci.com http.client_name=runner-agent http.host=runner.circleci.com http.method=POST http.request_content_length=0 http.response_content_length=14 http.response_content_type=application/json; charset=utf-8 http.retry=false http.route=/api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.scheme=https http.status_code=200 http.target=/api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.url=https://runner.circleci.com/api/v2/task/event/cleanup http.user_agent= mode=agent result=success service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner span.kind=Client 03:19:18 d34e0 949.826ms service-work app.resource_class=runner.doximity/macos-selfhost-runner-3-test app.task_id=6629cbb57dd5df270426f37c-0-build error=could not run task: exit status 126 mode=agent result=error service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner 03:19:18 d34e0 949.826ms service-work app.resource_class=runner.doximity/macos-selfhost-runner-3-test app.task_id=6629cbb57dd5df270426f37c-0-build error=could not run task: exit status 126 mode=agent result=error service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner 03:19:19 6ac6b 0.016ms Error while running task, refer to https://circleci.com/docs/troubleshoot-self-hosted-runner for common runner troubleshooting app.task= error=could not run task: exit status 126 mode=agent result=error service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner 03:19:19 6ac6b 0.016ms Error while running task, refer to https://circleci.com/docs/troubleshoot-self-hosted-runner for common runner troubleshooting app.task= error=could not run task: exit status 126 mode=agent result=error service.name=circleci-runner service_name=circleci-runner ``` So here’s my dilemma: - When installing via `homebrew` and configuring the service to run as the `ec2-user`, it just flat out does not work as a `LaunchAgent`. The `Bootstrap failed: 125: Domain does not support specified action` error when running `launchctl bootstrap gui/$(stat -f %u) $HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/com.circleci.runner.plist` suggests that recommended setup _cannot_ work for an ec2 MacOS instance. - When installing manually and configuring the service to run as `root`, the service starts but builds fail. Surely I’m not the only person who’s attempted to install runner 3.0 on Mac EC2 instances? Any guidance would be appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Henna](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/henna/32/29402_2.png) [@Henna](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/Henna)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/installing-machine-runner-3-0-on-ec2-macos-instances/50864/3 "2024-05-06T19:54:41Z")
Hi @TheMetalCode, Lets try loading, unloading and loading your runner by using the following commands: ```auto launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.circleci.runner.plist launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.circleci.runner.plist launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.circleci.runner.plist ``` Let me know how it goes. Cheers! ---
**Author:** ![TheMetalCode](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/themetalcode/32/17840_2.png) [@TheMetalCode](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/TheMetalCode)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/installing-machine-runner-3-0-on-ec2-macos-instances/50864/4 "2024-05-07T14:19:44Z")
Another update: an alteration to the `.plist` file, along with boostrapping the LaunchAgent as `user`, appears to work. Those changes are reflected here: [Support launching agent with a user session [ONPREM-1110] by christian-stephen · Pull Request #83 · CircleCI-Public/homebrew-circleci · GitHub](https://github.com/CircleCI-Public/homebrew-circleci/pull/83)