How to install Apache Hadoop on macOS

A macOS Hadoop install is usually a client or local lab setup, not a production cluster host. The installation needs a supported Java runtime, Hadoop binaries, and shell environment variables that point commands at the unpacked distribution.

Hadoop 3.5 requires Java 17 for server-side daemons. On macOS, install Java first, unpack the Apache Hadoop binary archive under a predictable path, and set HADOOP_HOME plus PATH for the user shell.

Use this setup for local filesystem commands, client tools, and single-node experiments. For multi-node services, prefer Linux hosts that match the production operating system.

1. Install Java 17 with Homebrew.

   $ brew install openjdk@17
   openjdk@17 17.0.15 is already installed and up-to-date.

2. Confirm the Java runtime.

   $ /opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk@17/bin/java -version
   openjdk version "17.0.15" 2026-04-15
   OpenJDK Runtime Environment Homebrew
   OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM Homebrew

3. Download the Hadoop binary archive from an Apache mirror.

   $ curl -fLO https://downloads.apache.org/hadoop/common/hadoop-3.5.0/hadoop-3.5.0.tar.gz

4. Unpack Hadoop under /opt or another managed tools path.

   $ sudo tar -xzf hadoop-3.5.0.tar.gz -C /opt

5. Set the shell environment for Hadoop commands.

   ~/.zshrc

   export JAVA_HOME=/opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk@17
   export HADOOP_HOME=/opt/hadoop-3.5.0
   export PATH="$HADOOP_HOME/bin:$HADOOP_HOME/sbin:$PATH"

6. Open a new shell and verify Hadoop.

   $ hadoop version
   Hadoop 3.5.0
   Source code repository https://github.com/apache/hadoop -r 000000000000
   Compiled by builder on 2026-04-03T00:00Z