I'm distributing my macOS app outside the App Store and so far I've never code-signed it. My app targets advanced users who know how to configure macOS to allow the app to run.
With the arrival of the Apple M1 computers, however, things have changed as code-signing seems to be mandatory now for native Apple Silicon apps. That's why I'd like to ask: Is it sufficient to sign my app using a self-signed certificate when distributing it outside the App Store? Will it be possible for users who download an app that was signed using a self-signed certificate to run that app?
I'd expect that Gatekeeper will probably block such an app first because it was signed using a self-signed certificate but will users be able to override Gatekeeper's veto in the security settings (as it was previously the case with non-signed apps)?
Or do all apps built for Apple Silicon have to be signed with an official Apple certificate? I'd like to avoid that because last time I checked this was $99 per year.
You can codesign with ad-hoc feature. codesign -s - -f /path/to/filename. This doesn't need certificate.
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I have a Mac app which can't be sandboxed due to using Apple Events and therefore it can't be released through the Mac App Store.
I've made a website, added a payment gateway and everything seems to be ok but I keep getting feedback from testers who can't open the app even with the right mouse button method.
First it was the raw app from Xcode without any kind of signing, after that I tried exporting after archiving using my developer certificate, the I even notarized the app with Apple but still there are people who can't open the app (even though they was able to use it before signing).
Currently I'm using the Mac App Distribution certificate (no provisioning profile). Is this correct? Should I use "Mac Installer", "Mac developer", "Apple developer", "Apple distribution"… why is this so confusing?
You should use the Developer ID Application certificate to distribute a Mac app outside the Mac App Store that does not use an installer. Most Mac apps do not use an installer.
Apple provides a decent explanation of the different certificates when you create a new certificate from Apple's Certificates, Identifiers, and Profiles page. To keep people reading this from having to go there, I'll explain them now.
The Developer ID Installer certificate is for distributing Mac apps outside the App Store that use an installer to install the app.
The Mac Development certificate is for signing development versions of a Mac app.
The Mac App Distribution certificate is for distributing a Mac app on the App Store that does not use an installer. The Mac Installer Distribution certificate is for distributing a Mac app on the App Store that uses an installer.
In Xcode 11, Apple added the Apple Development and Apple Distribution certificates so people could sign their apps for all Apple platforms with one certificate. These certificates are for apps that will end up on the App Store.
I have created an electron app. Now I want to sign code for both windows and mac platform. But I have only go daday pfx certificate.I successfully signed code using pfx certificate from go daday in windows platform. So,Can I sign an electron app on macos platform using go daday certificate?
You can sign a macOS app with a GoDaddy code-signing certificate, but it probably won't do what you want. Here's what Apple's developer documentation says (with my emphasis added):
Note: Apple uses the industry-standard form and format of code signing
certificates. Therefore, if your company already has a third-party
signing identity that you use to sign code on other systems, you can
use it with the macOS codesign command. Similarly, if your company is
a certificate issuing authority, contact your IT department to find
out how to get a signing certificate issued by your company. However,
while these valid certificates allow you to sign your code, you can
only distribute through the App Store or through the Developer ID
program when you sign with a certificate issued by Apple.
So, the question is: how is your application going to be distributed to users' computers?
If it's sold through Apple's App Store, you need to become an Apple Developer, get a Mac App Distribution certificate from Apple, and sign the app with that before submitting it to Apple.
If it's distributed outside Apple's App Store (e.g. via web download), then you also need to become an Apple developer, get a Developer ID certificate, and use that to sign it. If you don't sign it with the right kind of certificate, Gatekeeper will prevent users from opening the app unless they go through a special procedure to trust the app.
Either way, you need to join the Apple Developer program, and use an Apple-issued code signing certificate to sign the macOS version of your app.
On OSX Cocoa application development, do I codesign with two certs or one? (Note, I'm not planning on distributing my app in the Apple AppStore, but from a website.) See, Apple says I need an organizational developer ID to sign my OSX app. Okay, fine, but Chrome and IE browsers like those expensive Symantec EV codesigning certs, at least for Windows apps, more so than other less-expensive EV codesigning certs. (Our tests have shown we get approved by Chrome and IE only with the expensive Symantec EV certs, not the cheaper ones, if wanting to distribute our applications from a website.
So, if indeed I need to code sign with two certs, can you explain the command line process for installing these? Also, note that my application is a little odd and I need to know which items I must codesign. See, in my application, I have:
The setup app is a compiled, custom .app with a binary inside that loads the GUI. I assume I have to codesign both?
The application it installs is a GUI-based .app (Cocoa app) that also contains a couple console executables inside the Resources folder. I assume that I have to codesign the .app and the console executables too?
The certs that Symantec is offering for your web site are probably quite helpful if you were distributing a Windows app, but Apple has developed a solution of its own in Gatekeeper which I strongly recommend using.
As long as you code sign the app with Gatekeeper when you build it with Xcode, you can distribute it on the web and just about any Mac will be able to open it without issue, regardless of browser they're using.
Apple seems to restrict some OS X APIs (e.g. sandboxing) to applications that are codesigned by a trusted certificate, e.g. one issued to members of the paid Mac Developer program.
How does OS X treat applications that are codesigned with a self-signed (or a development) certificate?
Will those features/APIs be available, and the only difference be that users with the default Gatekeeper settings cannot (easily) launch such an application?
Will they be treated just like unsigned apps in every way (entitlements and sandboxing disabled, warning for Gatekeeper users)?
Or will a self-signed certificate be considered an error, and the app will not launch at all regardless of the user's Gatekeeper settings?
AFAIK, apps that aren't code-signed with a certificate that Gatekeeper accepts, would be treated as unsigned. I don't know about access to specific features and API.
But you can make your self-signed cert acceptable to the Gatekeeper. If you sign your code using certificates that weren't issued by Apple, every machine you want to run that code as signed, would have to (a) have your certificate installed, and (b) have policies set via spctl command that tell the Gatekeeper to allow executing and/or installing code signed by that cert. This part has been tested and verified on Mavericks.
It is more difficult with kernel extensions. I'm still working on that. :-)
I build an OSX app which is distributed as a DMG outside of the Mac App Store, and I'd like to continue to have it be that way once Gatekeeper enforcement begins.
From studying code signing documentation, it looks like the recommended approach is to get a "Developer ID" certificate and use that to codesign. However, you must be a registered OSX developer and pay Apple $99 each year. I already have a certificate from a recognized CA, and I would like to use it with codesign. I found documentation on how to do this, but I cannot tell whether Gatekeeper will allow applications signed using certs issued by other CAs, not Apple.
Does anyone know?
Gatekeeper only recognizes apps signed with Developer ID, not just any signature. See this which also explains how to test Gatekeeper functionality under Lion.
The point is that if Apple owns the certificate authority, they can revoke the certificate if your app turns out to be a trojan or something.