Check the installed agent version first
Use the installed copy when it exists, so you inspect the version launchd actually starts. The September 11 source review covers agent 0.3.1. Its installer copies the script to ~/.proxies-compute and uses a pinned Python runtime. Compute agent source
node ~/.proxies-compute/compute-agent.js --status
If that file does not exist, inspect the original download and follow the current provider setup. A farmer account, verified email and compute supply key are required. A renter inference key is a different credential.
A status report distinguishes the service from the model endpoint. A loaded launchd service can still be downloading a model or waiting for approval. Read the node's state in the farmer Compute dashboard alongside the local result.
Diagnose architecture and Python runtime errors
The agent checks for native arm64 Node and Python. These read-only commands report the executables you are using:
node -p 'process.arch'
python3 -c 'import platform, sys; print(platform.machine()); print(sys.version)'
sw_vers -productVersion
The documented minimums are macOS 14, Node.js 18, Python 3.10 and 24 GB of memory on Apple Silicon. Use a currently supported Node release that meets those checks. Release schedule
Agent 0.3.1 installs packages under ~/.proxies-compute/runtime-0.31.3. A terminal reporting mlx_lm.server: command not found does not establish that this private runtime is broken. Inspect the installer's Python directly:
~/.proxies-compute/runtime-0.31.3/bin/python3 -m pip show mlx-lm mlx transformers
That path is version-specific. For a later agent, read its runtime path before copying the command. Avoid replacing the pinned packages with a global pip install as a first repair. Python environments have their own packages and executable paths. Python environment behavior
Check free disk and the pinned model download
The smallest installation requires at least 26 GB free. The agent checks the volume that holds the Hugging Face cache, which can differ from your home volume when HF_HOME or HF_HUB_CACHE is configured. Larger models need more headroom. Agent disk checks
A repository directory can exist while its requested revision is incomplete. The source checks the revision snapshot for configuration and weight files before serving it. Hugging Face supports downloads by full commit hash; compare the expected hash with the catalog revision. Hub download documentation
Preserve the first download error and check connectivity to that repository. Do not delete the entire shared cache as a routine fix. Other applications may use its files.
Check the local model endpoint
The default server listens on loopback port 8734. Substitute your configured MLX_PORT if different:
curl --fail --show-error --max-time 5 http://127.0.0.1:8734/v1/models
A successful response means a local server answered. Compare its model with the assigned snapshot; another process on that port does not establish readiness. Connection refusal means nothing accepted that connection at that moment. It does not diagnose an account problem by itself.
Avoid starting a second model server on the agent's port. The agent manages its serving process. If you reinstall to repair the runtime, allow for a restart and coordinate an actively rented node's interruption first.
Match the dashboard state to the next check
| Observation | Next check |
|---|---|
| No registered node | Verify the farmer account and compute supply key, then read registration errors. |
| Downloading or loading | Check the first error, cache volume space, exact model revision and memory. |
| Ready locally, offline in the portal | Check internet access and heartbeat errors. The documented offline threshold is three minutes without a heartbeat. |
| Paused for battery or thermal conditions | Restore power or cooling and inspect the reported pause reason. |
| Verified but cannot list | Check supplier approval and the signed, countersigned Partner Agreement. |
| Repeated server restarts | Record the initial runtime error before restarting again. The agent limits restart attempts. |
These are diagnostic steps derived from the published source and provider admission documentation. They are not results from a completed provider installation.
Collect useful evidence for support
The default log is ~/Library/Logs/proxies-compute.log. Share a short redacted excerpt around the first failure with the time, agent version, macOS version, memory and model ID. Keep the API key, private device identifiers and customer prompts out of public reports.
The current executable constant sets a 175-second generation deadline and a 60-second gap-without-output deadline. An older comment still mentions 300 seconds; the executable constant is the basis for this guide. The customer documentation allows up to three minutes for a non-streaming response. These are recovery limits, not measured latency or capacity. Agent source, customer API documentation
Use the benchmark worksheet to record prompt length, output length and concurrency when a specific workload times out. When the node is ready and approved, list it in the farmer portal and track income through your account's earnings and cost calculation.
Sources and references
Reviewed September 11, 2026. Product statements come from public APIs, provider documentation and published application code. Technical references explain the evaluation methods. Authenticated rental and payout behavior has not been tested.
- Compute operation and pricing reference. PROXIES.SX.
- Compute provider documentation. PROXIES.SX.
- Compute agent source. PROXIES.SX.
- Customer documentation in the compute application. PROXIES.SX.
- Download files from the Hub. Hugging Face.
- Python virtual environments. Python Software Foundation.
- Node.js release schedule. Node.js project.