Can one Mac mini host Lumstead for everyone in our household?
Yes. One Mac mini can store household records and serve the family’s phones and browsers. It must be awake and connected when someone uses the app. If you choose a remote AI provider, the Mac can host Lumstead without running the model itself.
By the Lumstead team · Product previewWhat you need
Self-hosted Lumstead
Use a dedicated macOS account, protected storage, a separate encrypted backup, and a private HTTPS address for client devices. Production sign-in uses email codes and needs an internet connection.
Decide what the Mac will run.
Hosting Lumstead and running a language model are two separate jobs. With a provider key, the Mac keeps the records and sends selected context to the provider. For local inference, choose a model that fits the available memory and check its response time on a typical request.
Check what happens overnight and after a restart.
Let the display sleep while the Mac stays awake. Open a sample note from a second device. After a reboot, sign in to the dedicated macOS account and check again. The home service starts after login, so an unattended restart can leave it unavailable.
Try one request from outside the house.
Set up a private HTTPS route to the Mac, pair your phone with its one-use code, then turn off Wi-Fi. Open a sample note over cellular. Do this before relying on the server for a pickup time or a shopping list while you are out.
Keep the limits clear.
The home Mac is a single point of failure. A power outage or sleeping server interrupts access. Back up the records and matching secrets to separate encrypted storage. Check that you can restore them before relying on the server for important records.
Before you start
Do I need to open a public port on my router?
No. The documented home setup uses Tailscale Serve for private HTTPS access. Allow only the household devices that need it.
Does a local model make the whole setup work offline?
No. Production email sign-in needs the internet. A movie catalog lookup or another external connection also needs its service.