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Install and run Kafka on macOS with Homebrew in 10 minutes Homebrew provides a quick way to install Kafka on macOS. It handles Java dependencies automatically and places binaries in your PATH. What you’ll learn:
  • How to install Kafka using Homebrew
  • How to start ZooKeeper and Kafka
  • How to locate configuration files
  • Differences between Intel and Apple Silicon paths
Homebrew vs native installationHomebrew is convenient but provides less control over versions. For development with specific Kafka versions, consider the native Mac installation.

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Installation overview

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Step 1: Install Homebrew

If you don’t have Homebrew installed: 
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

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Step 2: Install Kafka

Homebrew automatically installs Java as a dependency: 
brew install kafka

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Installation paths

Homebrew installs to different locations based on your chip architecture:
ComponentIntel MacApple Silicon Mac
Binaries/usr/local/bin/opt/homebrew/bin
Kafka config/usr/local/etc/kafka/opt/homebrew/etc/kafka
ZooKeeper config/usr/local/etc/zookeeper/opt/homebrew/etc/zookeeper
Kafka data/usr/local/var/lib/kafka-logs/opt/homebrew/var/lib/kafka-logs
Apple Silicon usersReplace /usr/local/ with /opt/homebrew/ in all commands below if you have an M1, M2, or M3 Mac.

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Step 3: Start ZooKeeper

ZooKeeper has to be running before Kafka starts: 
/usr/local/bin/zookeeper-server-start /usr/local/etc/zookeeper/zoo.cfg
Keep this terminal window open.

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Step 4: Start Kafka

Open a new terminal window and start Kafka: 
/usr/local/bin/kafka-server-start /usr/local/etc/kafka/server.properties
Keep this terminal window open. Kafka is now running at localhost:9092.

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Optional: Change data directories

Change ZooKeeper data directory: Edit /usr/local/etc/zookeeper/zoo.cfg: 
dataDir=/your/path/to/data/zookeeper
Change Kafka data directory: Edit /usr/local/etc/kafka/server.properties: 
log.dirs=/your/path/to/data/kafka
See it in practice with ConduktorConduktor Console can connect to your local Kafka cluster at localhost:9092 for visual topic management.

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Next steps