How to setup a WoW server with macOS

WoW emulators support for Mac OS X was never that great, making it hard or impossible to compile a WoW core in a MacBook, iMac or another Macintosh.

Fortunately, technology evolved and thanks to Docker we can easily setup a WoW server using a Mac.

This tutorial explains how to install a 3.3.5a (Wrath of The Lich King) World of Warcraft server in macOS using AzerothCore.

If you have brew, you can easily install git on your mac by typing in your terminal:

brew install git

If you don’t have brew, you can download git for mac and install it manually.

If your macOS operating system version is 10.12+ Sierra or newer, you can install Docker Desktop for Mac (best option).
If you have an older version, you can install Docker Toolbox for Mac.

In your terminal type:

git clone https://github.com/azerothcore/azerothcore-wotlk.git

then type cd azerothcore-wotlk to access the main sources folder.

Type pwd to know where you are. This is the location of the wow server sources. All commands must be launched from this location.

You can download the WoW data files from here.

Then unzip all folders and move them inside the docker/worldserver/data/ of the wow server sources.

Launch the following commands:

./bin/acore-docker-generate-etc

./bin/acore-docker-build

docker-compose up

Those commands can take a while to execute.

You need to wait until everything is ready and your WoW server will be up and running.